20070930

Greece/Sikyonia, Sikyon, Circa 330/20-280 BCE

AR Triobol (14 mm, 2.77 gm.).

Warren, Silver 21-3; BCD Peloponnesos 292 v reverse, BCD Peloponnesos 293.1 v. obverse; SNG Copenhagen 64-5. VF, struck on short and thick flan.

Obv: retrograde ΣΙ, Chimaera standing left.

Rev: Dove flying left; Dove flying left; pellet above tail.

Ex: ANE/Svetolik Kovačević (Canada)

Ex. BCD collection.

Ex: "Near Itea hoard" as per coin ticket. According to Andrew Meadows at the ANS (who I thank for the information), the Itea hoard is listed in Coin Hoards VIII as hoard #254. It was found in several lots around 1983 and consisted of 1,500+ coins, of which 640 reside in the Numismatic Museum in Athens, Greece and the remaining 900 are in commerce.

The hoard has a date of deposit approximately of between BCE 290-270.

Here is the information as it appears (somewhat redacted) in CH VIII, courtesy of Sveto K.:

From COIN HOARDS VIII; 254 (published 1994)

254 Near Itea, Greece, 1983?
Burial: c. 290-270 BC
Contents: 1500+ AR
Recorded in several lots:
A: 321 AR + 321 AR
B: 900+ AR

Disposition: A: In Athens Museum, Protonotarios donation (as noted in BCH 114-JG)
B: in trade.

Sources: BCH 114 (1990), p. 704; AΔ 37 (1982), 1989, p. 1; AΔ 38 (1983), 1989, p. 1

Lot A to be fully published by M. Oeconomidou; lot B to be published by U. Wartenberg.

From source BCH 114 (1990) p. 704, Chronique des Fouilles en 1989; Athènes, musées et collections:

Musée numismatique:

Les collections du musée se sont, comme chaque année, enrichies de monnaies provenant de fouilles…et des donations (trésor d’hémidrachmes en argent du IV e s.av. J-C, trouvé en mer dans une amphore, près des côtes de Locride ou d’Eubée, et offert par P. Protonotariou).

[Translation from French by JG-"Chronicle of the Excavations in 1989; Athens, museums and collections: Numismatic museum:

As each year goes by, the collections of the museum grow richer from the coins originating from excavations…and donations (a find of silver hemidrachms from the 4th century BCE found at sea in an amphora near the coast of Locris or Euboia and offered by P. Protonotariou)."]

20070929

Kushans/Vima Takto (Soter Megas) c.80-100 CE

AE Tetradrachm, 9.2 g, 19mm
MA 2928+
O: king's bust r, five rays, tamgha
R: king on horseback r, [BACIΛEYC BACIΛEWN] CWTHP MEΓAC

Ex: F. S. Robinson

Acquisition: 2004

20070915

Greece/LYDIA; THE KAŸSTRIANOI 2nd-1st Centuries BCE


AE 15 mm, 3.47 g
Lindgren III, 454; GCV 4697 v

O: hd of Dionysus wreathed with ivy
R: [KAYC]TPIANΩN, lyre formed from bucranium, monogram

Ex: Copper Penny/Ancient Byways

Acquisition: 2006

(Sear notes that these coins were “issued in the name of the inhabitants of the plain of the lower Kayster [p. 428 GCV], it should be noted that Ephesus was on the Kayster further to the west.)


20070912

Victorinus CE 269-271

AE Antoninianus (17mm, 2.62g), Treveri (Trier) mint. 5th emission. RIC V 71; Braithwell 159 (41 examples), c. CE 271. [Sear notes in Vol. 3 of RCV that this issue was minted in Cologne between 270-271], C. 118, Hunter 14, RCV 11181.

O: Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right IMP C VICTORINVS PF AVG
R: Salus standing left, holding scepter, feeding from patera a snake rising from altar to left. SALVS AVG

Ex-Braithwell Hoard The Braithwell Hoard was discovered in 2002 in South Yorkshire UK by a Metal Detectorist. It contained 1331 antoniniani, the vast majority of which were of the Romano-Gallic empire. Richard Abdy and J.D. Hill have recorded the hoard, and will be publishing the full details in the near future. This coin is from that hoard and has been assigned a "Braithwell" number per the preliminary hoard report.

This coin as with many others from this hoard is likely ex-CNG since CNG had 1,161 of the 1,331 coins being sold through their "coin shop" on-line. There were 11 lots of 100 coins each being sold by CNG as well, this coin may originate with one of those lots.

Ex: Braithwell Hoard, Yorkshire, UK, 2002
Ex: Imperial Coins (NY)
Acquisition: 2007

Info from the PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES SCHEME http://www.finds.org.uk/treasure/record.php?recordID=510

Treasure record - 2002 T221

Treasure ID: 2002 T221 Report year: 2002 Page #: 201

Object type: Coin

Period: ROMAN

Dates: Deposited: -

Description: The 1,331 coins are all ranging in issue dates from AD 253-274, the group is very typical in composition of the many Romano-British coin hoards buried between the fall of the breakaway Gallic Empire in AD 274 and the establishment of the British Empire of Carausius in AD 286.Central Empire:

Valerian and Gallienus (AD 253-60), 2 (Rome)
Gallienus and Salonina (AD 260-8), 101 (Rome, Milan, Siscia Viminacium)
Claudius II (AD 268-70), 85 (Rome, Milan, Siscia Viminacium, Eastern)
Divus Claudius, 10 (Rome, uncertain)
Quintillus (AD 270), 6 (Rome, Milan)
Aurelian (AD 270-5), 1 (Milan)
Probus (AD 276-82), 6 (Rome, Gaul).
Total: 211
Gallic Empire:
Postumus (AD 260-9), 14 (Mint I, Milan)
Laelian (AD 269), 1 (Mint II)
Victorinus (AD 269-71), 282 (Mint I, Mint II, uncertain)
Divus Victorinus, 1 (uncertain)
Tetricus I and II (AD 271-4), 725 (Mint I, Mint II, uncertain)
Total: 1,023
Irregular, 54
Uncertain, 43

Grand Total: 1,331

Note: Thirteen medium to large sherds from a single reduced grey ware jar were recovered with the hoard. These sherds came from the same vessel that appears to have been only recently broken. The sherds include more than half of the rim of the vessel and part of the upper vessel wall. This is unusual, as in most coin hoard cases only parts from the base and lower vessel wall are recovered. No base sherds were recovered with this hoard. Weighing 632 grams (mean sherd weight 48.6g), these sherds come from a jar with a rim diameter of about 8cms and a maximum girth of about 16-18 cms. The inside of the pot is stained green with a bronze patina due to contact with the coins. This shows that the coins were originally contained inside the jar. Grey ware vessels were a common coarse ware made throughout Roman Britain.

Report author: R ABDY AND J D HILL

Valuation applied: £200 [note: with the bulk of the hoard being sold by CNG, the total retail has exceeded $17,000 US]

Disposition: Four coins acquired by the British Museum and one by Doncaster Museum; the remainder returned to the finder.

Dimensions: n/a

Weight: n/a

Discovery date: Sunday 1st September 2002

County: SouthYorkshire Parish: Braithwell

Finder: Mr P Leech

Method of discovery: Whilst searching with a metal detector.



Google Earth Map showing location of Braithwell highlighted in yellow.

20070906

Aurelian CE 270-275 Provincial Egypt


Potin Tetradrachm, 20 mm, 8.15 g, Yr. 6/CE 274-275
Emmett 3927 (1)

O: A K Λ ΔOM AVPHΛIANOC CEB, laur cuir bust r.

R: Eagle stg r palm on wing, wreath in beak, ETOYC S

Ex: Y. Mishriki/Sphinx Numismatics (Canada)

Acquisition: 2007

20070902

Diocletian CE 284-305


AE Antoninianus, 3.86 g, c. 286-287 CE, Ticinum mint

O: rad cuir bust r, IMP C VAL DIOCLETIANVS AVG

R: Jupiter l with thunderbolt, IOVI CONSERVAT in ex/TXXIT

Acquisition: 1976

Caracalla CE 198-217 “Limes” Denarius


AE “Limes” Denarius c. CE 207, 2.4 g
RCV 6864 v

O: laur hd of Caracalla r. unbearded, ANTONINVS PIVS AVG
R: Caracalla stg r PONTIF TRP X COS II

Ex: Alex G. Malloy

Acquisition: 2001

Period of Constantine CE 330-346 Commemorative


AE 3 / 4, 18 mm, 2.94 g, Heraclea mint
RIC VIII Heracl 57 R

O: CONSTAN-TINOPOLIS, bust of Constantinople l.
R: Victory stg l. r foot on prow holding sceptre and leaning on shield, in ex: ·SMHA

Acquisition: 2005

Greece/Lokris; Opuntia BCE 369-338


AR ¼ Stater, 2.43 g, 13 x 17 mm
S. 2330 v

O: Hd of Persephone r.

R: Ajax with griffin on shield r.
OΠONTIΩN

Ex: Frank S. Robinson

Acquisition: 2005

Greece/Thessaly; Larissa BCE 395-344


AE 17 mm, 3.75 g
SNG Cop. 142 v

O: Hd of nymph rt
R: (uncleaned reverse) Horse stg r about to roll
---ΣΑΙΩΝ

Ex: John Jencek
Acquisition: 2006

Judea/Hasmonean; Mattathias Antigonus BCE 40-37

AE Four Prutot, 7.56 g, 19mm
M. 37, Hendin 482

O: Hebrew inscription: Mattatayah Ha-Kohen Ha-Gadol… “Mattatayah, the High Priest…”

R: Greek in 2, 3, or 4 lines within wreath and border of dots
BACIΛΕΩC ANTIΓONOY

Ex: Ofek Coins (Israel)
Acquisition: 2005