GREEK/Seleucid; Antiochos VI BCE 144-c. 142

AR Drachm; 18 mm, 3.94 g, 12 h, Antioch mint c. BCE 143-142

SC 2003c (R1-2)

SMA 257

O: radiate and diad hd of Antiochos VI r, dotted border

R: BAΣΙΛEΩΣ ANTIOXOY in two lines on rt, EΠΙΦANOYΣ ΔΙONYΣOY in two lines on left, spiked Macedonian helmet with cheek guards facing r, adorned with goat’s horn above visor.

Primary control between spike and horn reading downward TPY

Secondary control inner r beneath helmet see monogram C in SC.

 

Ex: “from a private European Collection”

Ex: Roma Numismatics E-Sale 100 (28-07-22) lot 568

QE II 1952-2022 two paper portraits from Canada & the UK

 Canada 1973-1975, last of the circulating paper $1 obtained in Quebec City 1988. The now  ubiquitous Loonie debuted that same year. 

UK 2015, polymer £5 note, Churchill depicted on the reverse. Obtained London 2017

GREEK/Seleucid; Antiochos III BCE 223-187 with apparently unpublished controls

AE 24 mm, 12.13 g, 1h, likely Antioch mint

SC 1048 variety but with unpublished controls

O: laureate head of Antiochos r as Apollo, dotted border

R: Apollo seated l on omphalos holding an arrow in his rt hand and resting against a bow held in his left.  Inscription on right reads BAΣIΛΕΩΣ and on left ANTIOXOY, with controls to left above and below the arrowhead.

ROMAN PROVINCIAL; Spain; Augustus BCE 27- CE 14

 Colonia Patricia (Cordoba)

AE Quadrans, 17 mm, 2.69 g, 3h

RPC I, 131

O: bare hd portrait of Augustus left with insc proceeding from left to right [PER C]AE AVG

R: Priestly implements with inscription [COL] PATR

 

Ex: Numismatica Prados, Sevilla, Spain

GREEK/Seleucid; Antiochos I BCE 281-261

AR Drachm; 4.07 g, 16 mm, 6h, Aï Khanoum mint c. BCE 266-261

SC 439.1

O: diad hd of Antiochos r.

R: BAΣIΛEΩΣ on right and ANTIOXOY on left, o in left field under Apollo’s arrow and adjacent to the T in ANTIOXOY. Apollo std l on omphalos holding arrow and leaning on a bow.

Ex: Tamco Numismatics (Sweden)

CRUSADERS, Antioch. Tancred. Regent, CE 1101-1103, 1104-1112

 

Æ Follis (20mm, 3.04 g, 6h). Second type.

Metcalf, Crusades 63-70

Schlumberger, p. 45 and pl. II, 7

CCS 4a

O: + KЄ BHΘ TO HΓ TΩ ΔOYΛΩ TANKP, facing armored bust, holding upraised sword

R: cross of four pellets above / Cross crosslet; IC | XC/NI | KA in quarters, fleurons at base of cross.

ROMAN/Septimius Severus CE 193-211

AR Denarius; 18 mm, 3.05 g, 6h, Laodicea mint c. CE 199

RSC 21

RIC 500

RCV 6259

O: laur bust of Severus right L SEPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX

R: Aequitas stg l, holding scales and cornucopiae, AEQVITATI AVGG

ISLAMIC/Dubaysid; ‘Izz ad-Din Abu Bakr al-Dubaysi AH 541-551/CE 1146-1156 EX MARDIN HOARD et al

 AE Follis 25 x 27 mm, 8.10 g, al-Jazirah mint ND

Album 1955 (S)

Lowick MH 13

Host coin is Sear Byzantine Anonymous Class A3 SB 1818 attributed to Constantine VIII CE 1025-1028

O: one countermark in a circle reading عز

From the dealer’s write up:

This counterstamp is attributed to Izz al-Din, governor of al-Jazirah appointed by Sayf al-Din Ghazi I of al-Mawsil (Mosul). Izz al-Din revolted upon Ghazi's death and took al-Jazirah as independent ruler, a period during which he presumably countermarked circulating coins in his name. This example is struck on a Byzantine anonymous follis attributed to the reign of Constantine VIII, 1025-1028 A.D. This countermark was present on 473 coins in the Mardin Hoard.

The Mardin Hoard was a large group of copper coins found before 1972 in the vicinity of Mardin in modern-day southeastern Turkey. The hoard consisted of at least 13,500 pieces, including around 2,200 Byzantine folles countermarked by local Islamic rulers, as reported by N. M. Lowick, author of 'The Mardin Hoard,' a 1977 book published to document the countermarks found on the coins. The hoard was important in further understanding patterns of circulation and countermarking of Byzantine coins still being used in lands recently claimed by Islamic rulers. Most examples are heavily worn from circulation and many are countermarked several times, some on top of each other.

Ex: Mardin Hoard 1972

Ex: A. H. Baldwin & Sons original purchaser of the hoard 

 Ex: William F. Spengler (1923-2005) Collection

ROMAN/Philip II as Caesar, CE 244-247

 AR Antoninianus, 22 mm, 3.6 g, 7h, Roma mint c. CE 245-246

RIC 219

RCV 9240 v

O: rad and draped bust r, M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES

R: Philip II stg l in military attire holding globe and resting on spear, PRINCIPI IVVENT

Ex: Davisson's Ltd, (Cold Spring MN) Auction Seven lot 142 (21 August 1996)

This altar was erected by the citizens of Girona, Spain in honor of Philip II. The altar was preserved due to its reuse as the foot of the high altar in Sant Marti Sacosta.

The inscription reads:

M IVLIO

PHILIPPO
NOBILIS
SIMO CAE
SARI
R P GER

When translated should read: "To M. Julius Philippus, most noble Caesar, the people of Girona (Gerunda)"

This altar is now located in the Archaeology Museum of Girona and was photographed by us in 2018. The Archaeology Museum is housed in a beautiful Romanesque Abbey whose cloisters should not be missed. 

ROMAN/Procopius CE 365-366

 AE 3, 20 mm, 2.76 g, 12h, Nicomedia mint, 28 September CE 365 to 27 May CE 366

RIC 10

RCV 19884

O: diad bust left, DN PROCO-PIVS PF AVG

R: Procopius in military attire stg facing hd r, holding labarum and resting on shield, XP monogram in upper field r, REPARATI-O FEL TEMP in ex. SMNA

from Ammianus Marcellinus XXVI:9:11

Procopius departed this life at the age of forty years and ten months. Personally he was a tall man and not bad looking; he was somewhat dark complexioned, and walked with his gaze always fixed on the ground. In his secretive and gloomy nature he was like that Crassus who, as Lucilius and Cicero declare, laughed only once in  his life; but the surprising thing is, that throughout all his life he was not stained with bloodshed.

ROMAN EGYPT/Claudius CE 41-54

Bi Tetradrachm, 26 mm, 12.98 g, Alexandria mint, RY 2= CE 41-42

RPC 5116

Emmett 74.2

Dattari 121-2

Milne 65-67

O: laur bust of Claudius r, TI KΛAYΔI KAIΣ ΣEBA ΓEPMANI AYTOKP

R: Messalina standing left  leaning on column holding infants Claudia and Britannicus in outstretched right hand and grain ears with left, lituus in left field.

MEΣΣAΛINA KAIΣ ΣEBAΣ

 

Ex: CNG 518 lot 363 (15 June 2022)

 

ISLAMIC/Dubaysid; ‘Izz ad-Din Abu Bakr al-Dubaysi AH 541-551/CE 1146-1156 EX MARDIN HOARD

AE Follis 29 mm, 7.10 g, al-Jazirah mint ND

Album 1954-1955 (S)

Lowick MH 12 & 13

Host coin is Sear Byzantine Anonymous Class H SB 1880 attributed to Michael VII Ducas CE 1071-1078

O: two countermarks, one in circle reading عز and then another in a rectangle reading عدل عز

From the dealer’s write up:

This example features two counterstamps, both attributed to Izz al-Din, governor of al-Jazirah appointed by Sayf al-Din Ghazi I of al-Mawsil (Mosul). Izz al-Din revolted upon Ghazi's death and took al-Jazirah as independent ruler, a period during which he presumably countermarked circulating coins in his name. This example is struck on a Byzantine anonymous follis attributed to the reign of Michael VII, 1071-1078 A.D. These two countermarks were found applied together on 212 coins in the hoard. 

The Mardin Hoard was a large group of copper coins found before 1972 in the vacinity of Mardin in modern-day southeastern Turkey. The hoard consisted of at least 13,500 pieces, including around 2,200 Byzantine folles countermarked by local Islamic rulers, as reported by N. M. Lowick, author of 'The Mardin Hoard,' a 1977 book published to document the countermarks found on the coins. The hoard was important in further understanding patterns of circulation and countermarking of Byzantine coins still being used in lands recently claimed by Islamic rulers. Most examples are heavily worn from circulation and many are countermarked several times, some on top of each other.

for more info, please cf. Mardin Hoard - NumisWiki, The Collaborative Numismatics Project (forumancientcoins.com)

 

ROMAN; Julian II CE 360-363

 AE 3, 18 mm, 2.88 g, Roma mint CE 362-363

RIC 329

O: Helmeted cuir bust left DN FL CL IVLI-ANVS PF AVG

R: inscription in wreath VOT/X/MV∙LT/XX in ex VRB∙ROM P

EURO CURRENCY Second Generation 2013-present

2013  Size 120 x 62 mm

Motif: Classical Architecture. The gate is a style element from Greco-Roman antiquity.

Signed by M. Draghi  2011-2019

Leuchtturm Catalogue Euro #LM-B8 Dr

Printing Code=M (Valora S.A., Portugal)

    

2014  Size 127 x 67 mm

Motif: Romanesque Architecture. The Romanesque archway is a stylistic element from the Early Middle Ages.

Signed by Ch. Lagarde  2019-date

Leuchtturm Catalogue Euro #LR-B TBD Dr

Printing Code=R (Bundesdruckerei GmbH, Germany)

    

2015  Size 133 x 72mm

Motif: Gothic Architecture.

Signed by Ch. Lagarde  2019-date

Leuchtturm Catalogue Euro #LE-B TBD Dr

Printing Code=E (Francois Charles Oberthur Fiduciaire, France)

2017  Size 140 x 77mm

Motif: Renaissance Architecture.

Signed by Ch. Lagarde  2019-date

Leuchtturm Catalogue Euro #LU-B TBD Dr

Printing Code=U (Central Bank of France)

 

ROMAN/Jovian CE 363-364

 

AE 1, 27 mm, 8.61g, Antioch mint

RIC 228

RCV 19215

O: diad., cuir., draped bust right DN IOVIAN-VS PF AVG

R: Jovian in military attire stg facing with hd r, holding standard and Victory on a globe, mint mark in ex. VICTORIA-ROMANORVM/ANTA

From Ammianus Marcellinus XXV:10: 14-15  “He walked with a dignified bearing; his expression was very cheerful. His eyes were gray. He was so unusually tall that for some time no imperial robe could be found that was long enough for him. He took as his model Constantius, often spending the afternoon in some serious occupation, but accustomed to jest in public with his intimates.”

So too he was devoted to the Christian doctrine and sometimes paid it honour. He was only moderately educated, of a kindly nature, and (as appears from the few promotions he made) inclined to select state officials with care. But he was an immoderate eater, give to wine and women, faults which perhaps he would have corrected out of regard for the imperial duty.”

GREEK/SELEUCID; Imitation of Demetrios I Drachm from Commagene, First Century BCE

AR imitation drachm 16.5 mm 0.66 g 8h

Hoover, AJN 10, pp. 91-93, Series IV A (R3)

SC 1774

O: diad. Hd of ruler r, dotted border

R: barbarous inscription, cornucopia, no controls.

 

Cf. Oliver D. Hoover “Notes On Some Imitation Drachms Of Demetrius I Soter From Commagene” AJN 10 (1998), pp. 71-94.

Ex: W. Esty

Ex: Agora Auctions 67 (20-06-2017) lot 83

 

GREEK/SELEUCID; possible Co-regency period of Seleukos I & Antiochos I BCE 294-281

 AR Drachm; 3.91 g 18 mm, 1h, Uncertain Mint 16 in Drangiana or W. Arachosia

SC 246.1b

O: Herakles bust r.

R: Zeus std on low throne with eagle and sceptre, monograms to left field and under throne, inscription beginning in ex and wrapping around the right side field reading BAΣΙΛΕΩΣANTIOXOY

Drangiana - Wikipedia

ROMAN EGYPT; Antoninus Pius CE 138-161 Ex: Dattari

Bi Tetradrachm, 23.96 mm, 11.58 g, Alexandria mint Regnal year 3 CE 139-140

Emmett 1377

Similar obs to RPC 16711 though no matching reverse, and second of two examples of this obs die . 

Reverse: L ΤΡ-Ι-ΤΟV, Dikaiosyne seated left, holding scales and cornucopiaObverse: ΑVΤ Κ Τ ΑΙΛ ΑΔΡ ΑΝΤѠΝΙΝΟϹ, bare partially draped bust right

 

Ex: CNG Triton XI (7 January 2008), lot 1759 (part)

Ex: Garth Drewry Collection

Ex: Harmer Rooke Auction (13 December 1972), lot 1955 (part).

Ex: Giovanni Dattari Collection (1853-1923)