Roman Republic; Imperatorial Period

Octavian BCE 43-27
AR Quinarius, 1.74 g, Italian mint, BCE 29-28
RCV 1568
O: barehd of Octavian r. CAESAR IMP VII (various bankers marks)
R: Victory stg on cista mystica surrounded by snakes
ASIA RECEPTA

According to VanMeter this coin refers to the reconquest of Asia Minor from Antony in BCE 30. (p. 66)

Lucius Verus CE 161-169 Provincial; Decapolis

GADARA

AE 26 mm, 9.3 g, dated Yr. 225 of Pompeian Era =CE 161-162

Spijkerman 55 v, RPC online Temporary Number 6679

(http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/6679/)

O: AYT KAICAP Λ AYP OYHPOC

R: Hd of Herakles r. with thunderbolt in front.
ΠOM ΓA·ΔAP ЄKC

Ex: Amphora

for some info on Gadara, try this site: http://research.haifa.ac.il/~mluz/gadara.folder/gadara2.html#hist

Diva Faustina II CE 176-180

AE Sestertius, 17.57 g, minted Rome CE 176 or later
RIC 1717, RCV 5234, BMCRE 1591, C. 217, MIR 66
O: dr bust of Faustina II r. DIVA FAVSTINA PIA
R: SIDERIBVS RECEPTA, Faustina with veil billowing out around hd and shoulders, stg in galloping biga r.

RCV lists at £ 170 in Fine condition, RIC lists this coin as Rare.

The reverse inscription is the only time this inscription was utilized during the entire imperial period for a couple issues related to Diva Faustina. The Latin inscription means “Received by the stars”. A very poignant wish by her surviving husband, Aurelius.

Ex: Amphora via a lot of 15 Roman bronzes

Constantine I CE 307-337

AE 3, 2.95 g, London mint, CE 321-322
RIC 224 (R3)
O: CONSTANTINVS AVG
R: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS/VOT/IS/XX/ PLON

Ex: Dr. Tom Buggey (TN)

cf. his website: http://tjbuggey.ancients.info/romeae2.html

The above photo is Dr. Buggey's.

He had the weight listed as 2.76 g, but weighing this on different scales revealed a weight as noted above. What the photo does not reveal is the pleasant green patina on the coin.

Commodus CE 177-192

AE Sestertius, 20.24 g, CE 181-182
RCV 5794
O: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG
R: PROV DE[OR TRP VI IMP IV COS III PP] SC
Providentia stg. to left with globe at feet

Ex: Leipziger Münzhandlung

Antoninus Pius CE 138-161

AE Sestertius, 22.02g, CE 146
RCV 4179 Scarce type
O: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TRP, laur. Hd r.
R: HONORI AVG COS IIII SC, Honos stg. l holding cornucopia

Ex:  Max Schlachter (1919-1987)/Plaza Stamp & Coin.
86 Congress Street
Bridgeport, CT
paid $10 in 1975

 Congress Street in Bridgeport CT c. 1975  Plaza is on the far right

  Close up of Plaza as it existed c. 1975. 

Iran; Sassanid; Shapur I CE 241-272

AR Drachm, 3.74 g, flan clipped or broken on l. side
Göbl 23 reverse appears more like 26 though
O: hd of King r wearing merlon crown, Pahlavi inscription around.
R: Fire altar with two attendants and Pahlavi inscription.

Ex: Ken Dorney

Famous sculpture of Shapur I and Valerian in captivity at Naqsh-i Rustam, Iran.
For more info on Shapur I try:
http://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/History/Sasanian/shapour_I.htm

Greek; Ptolemaic Egypt; Ptolemy IV BCE 221-204

AE 38mm, 47.32 g. Alexandria mint, c. BCE 212
Svornos 1172 v.
O: diad. Hd of Zeus Ammon r.
R: Eagle stg on thunderbolt l. with hd facing r with cornucopia over l. shoulder
ΠTOΛEMAIOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ

Greek; Gaul; Massalia c. BCE 400

AR Obol, 0.63 g, Sear 72
O: hd of youthful male l.
R: wheel with four spokes M-A in two of the quarters.

Ex: CNG via Frank S. Robinson

Greek; Euboea; Histiaea c. BCE 369-336

AE 14 mm, 1.52 g, Sear 2499v, BMC 7-8 variety (cf. plate XXIV, 3 for photo of type) , BCD Euboia 453 var.

O: hd of Maenad r. (star behind?)
R: bull running r with trophy above, IΣ TI in between the bull’s legs to center and r

Ex: Ex: Max Schlachter (1919-1987)/Plaza Stamp & Coin.
86 Congress Street
Bridgeport, CT
paid $1.00 in 1974

Greek; Kingdom of Cappadocia; Ariobarzanes II BCE 62-52

AR Drachm, 3.16 g, Regnal Yr. 8=BCE 56-55
BMC 1, Simonetta 2a
O: diad hd of Ariobarzanes II r.
R: BAΣIΛEΩΣ API·BAPZAN·Y ΦIΛ·ΠAT·P·Σ/ H, Athena stg l. holding Nike spear and shield .

According to Sear’s Greek Coins, Ariobarzanes II was the son of Ariobarzanes I (BCE 95-63). He married Athenais, a daughter of Mithradates VI of Pontus. After a troubled reigh of little more than a decade he was assassinated by members of a pro-Parthian faction. (p. 688)

The coins of this ruler appear to be among the harder to locate pieces for this particular series,

in fact according to Simonetta, this coin is R4 (extremely rare), He notes examples in his own collection and that of Cabinet des Médailles only. This example would be a 3rd, wildwinds has another (4th), and therefore at a minimum there appear to be 5 extant examples of this type, though it could reach a maximum of 11 examples if we were able to determine if the four noted at the ANS are all year 7 or mixed 7 & 8.

A problem with assessing the total number arises as Simonetta notes due to "...most...that have reached us bear a date 'off flan'." (B. Simonetta, The Coins of the Cappadocian Kings, p. 43).

Ex: Amphora

Acquisition: 2004

Maximianus CE 285-305

AE Antoninianus, 3.7 g, Rome mint, c. CE 291-293
C. 577 scarce type
Holed at 12 o’clock
O: IMP MAXIMIANVS PF AVG
R: Hercules stg facing with hd left, holding trophy nemean lion and club
VIRTVS AVGG/ XX ﬞ IA

Ex: Lynne’s Curio Shop, purchased in 1975 for $4.50

Hadrian & Sabina CE 117-138 Provincial Judea

Provincial Syria Palaestina (Judea)
AELIA CAPITOLINA (Jerusalem), AE 20 mm, 7.68 g, c. CE 130-138
Meshorer 7
O: [IMP CAE TR HAD AVG] laur bust of Hadrian r.
R: [SABIN AVGVS] hd of Empress Sabina r.

Ex: Amphora

Mildenberg states the following about this issue: " The other issue in the third group of Aelia coins, that with the portraits of Sabina, however, carries the curiously abbreviated legends IMP CAE TR HAD AVG and SABIN AVGVS on the obverse and reverse respectively. If this issue belongs to Aelia--and there is some question since the city is not mentioned in the legends--as indeed seems likely (BMC p. 83, 4-5: "Attribution conjectural, but favoured by fabric and style"), then it must have been struck before Sabina's death around autumn 136 because she is still not DIVA. This means that the Sabina issue was struck either during the ten to twelve-month period before the end of the war and the death of the empress or before the war between 130 and autumn 132, like the first group of Aelia coins."

----Mildenberg, L. Typos VI The Coinage of the Bar Kokhba War, 1984, pp. 100-101.

Aurelian CE 270-275

AE Antoninianus, 24 mm, 3.7 g, CE 274-275, Cyzicus mint

RCV 11597 (scarce)
O: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG
R: RESTITVTOR EXERCITI/ Γ in field / XXI in ex.

Ex: CNG Triton IX (Jan. 2006) portion of lot 2480

Antoninus Pius CE 138-161 Provincial Judea

Provincial Syria Palaestina (Judea)
ASHKELON AE 16 mm, 2.79 g, c. CE 157-158
SNG VI 729v , RPC 6393 v
O: [CEBACTOC ANTωNINOC] laur bust of emperor r.
R: ACKAΛω[N AΞC], Phanebal stg. l.

Purchased in Jerusalem on Bab As-Silsileh in the Old City for 10 ₪ in 1987

The dealer from whom this coin (and an Ayyubid dirham from Halab as well) was purchased, literally had several large jars filled from top to bottom with ancient and medieval coins, many still with the dirt on them. The jars took up much of the space in his small market stall which was not well lit as I recall it.

Ten Sheqels at the time was equivalent to about 6 USD, this being the final negotiated price down from twenty Sheqels each. My only regret is that I didn't have more time in the gentleman's store to explore at least one of his several jars to see what other interesting items he had had.