Roman Republic

"Butterfly As"

BMC 504, RCV 690

AE As, 23.45 g, BCE 169-157

O: Hd of Janus I above

R: prow r., butterfly above, ROMA/I

Roman Republic

Q. Fabius Labeo BCE 124

RCV 148

AR Denarius, 3.77 g

O: LABEO ROMA X, helmeted hd of Roma r.
R: Q FABI, Jupiter in quadriga

Sold: 2007

Philip I CE 244-249

AR Antoninianus, 22 x 22.7 mm, 5 g, Sear CE 245

RIC 26b, RSC 3, RCV 8916

OBV.: Philip I right, IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG.

REV.: Philip I on horseback left, ADVENTVS AVGG


Ex: Roman Lode

According to VanMeter this issue “refers to the arrival of the Imperial family in Rome ca. 247…, following the victory over the Carpi” (VM p.226)

Commodus CE 177-192

AE Sestertius, 24.03 g, CE 189
RCV 5799
O: laur bust of Commodus r. M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT
R: Roma std l. ROMAE AETERNAE/ COS V PP/ SC

Trajan CE 98-117

AE As of an Eastern mint, according to Hendin this is a provincial coin from the time of the War of Quietus CE 115-117, 8.07 g.,

H. 938, RCV 3243 (Antioch? CE 115-116), RIC 644 var., BMCRE 1093

O: Radiate, draped bust of Trajan, IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GERM
R: SC in a laurel wreath surrounded by DAC PARTHICO PM TR POT XX COS VI PP

Ex: Windsor Antiquities


From the Jewish Encyclopedia: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=237&letter=B

War of Quietus.

The insurrection of the Jews of Cyrene, Cyprus, and Egypt in the last years of the emperor Trajan had not been entirely suppressed when Hadrian assumed the reins of government in 118. The seat of war was transferred to Palestine, whither the Jewish leader Lucwas had fled (Abulfaraj, in Münter, "Der Jüdische Krieg," p. 18, Altona and Leipsic, 1821). Marcius Turbo had pursued him, and had sentenced to death the brothers Julian and Pappus, who had been the soul of the rebellion. But Turbo was himself executed upon special orders sent from Rome, and the lives of the brothers were saved (Sifra, Emor, viii. 9 [ed. Weiss, p. 99d]; Meg. Ta'anit xii.; Ta'anit 18b; Sem. viii.; Eccl. R. iii. 17). Lucius Quietus, the conqueror of the Jews of Mesopotamia, was now in command of the Roman army in Palestine, and laid siege to Lydda, where the Jews had gathered. The distress became so great that the patriarch Rabban Gamaliel II., who was shut up there and died soon afterward, permitted fasting even on Ḥanukkah; though other rabbis, such as the peace-loving R. Joshua b. Hananiah, condemned this measure (Ta'anit ii. 10; Yer. Ta'anit ii. 66a; Yer. Meg. i. 70d; R. H. 18b). Soon afterward Lydda was taken and masses of the Jews were executed; the "slain of Lydda" are often mentioned in words of reverential praise in the Talmud (Pes. 50a; B. B. 10b; Eccl. R. ix. 10). Pappus and Julian were among those executed by the Romans in the same year (Ta'anit 18b; Yer. Ta'anit 66b). The foregoing are the most important events of the campaign of Quietus as mentioned in rabbinical sources (see also "Revue Etudes Juives," xxx. 212).


Also cf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitos_War

Maximinus II CE 309-313

AE Follis, 5.09 g, Trier (Treveri) mint, CE 310-313
C. 60 type
O: IMP MAXIMINVS PF AVG, laur cuir bust r
R: GENIO POP ROM/ T F in field/PTR in ex.
Genius stg l holding modius on hd naked but for a chlamys over l shoulder holding patera in r hand cornucopiae in l
Noted as VF with hard green deposit

Provenance:

Ex: Paolo Berardengo Collection (Italy) as of present date

Ex: Copper Penny

Ex: JG Collection

Ex: York Coins
Ex: Baldwins Auctions 42, 26 September 2005, portion of lot 688
Ex: William C. Boyd Collection (1840-1906)
Purchased by Boyd from Spink in London in February 1892

William C. Boyd, photograph from the Baldwin Auction Catalogue, 2005.

India; Mauryan Empire BCE 322-185

Ashoka BCE 272-232

AR Punchmark Drachm, 15 mm, 3.38 g, Pataliputra mint

O: Five punch-mark symbols
R: Small Ashoka's symbol

Ex: F. S. Robinson

Map source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurya_Empire

For more information pertainining to Ashoka cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka

Greek; Kingdom of Macedon; Antigonus Gonatus BCE 277-239

AE 18 mm, 4.48 g,
GCV 6786 v.
O: Hd of Athena r in crested Corinthian helmet.
R: Pan adv r erecting trophy; B---A in upper field, ANTI monogram beneath Pan, and helmet in the far left lower field.

Ex: F.S. Robinson


For further info on this subject cf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antigonus_Gonatus

Greek; Thessalian League BCE 196-146

AE 17 x 20 mm, 5.0 g
GCV 2237 v
O: Hd of Athena r in crested Corinthian helmet, IΠΠAI/TAΣ above and beneath.
R: ΘΕΣ/ΣΑΛΩΝ above and below horse trotting r

Ex: J. Jencek

ROMAN PROVINCIAL; IONIA; Samos; Caracalla CE 198-217

AE Medallion. 37mm, 24.1g ,

RPC online 48225 (only 4 in core collections) very similar to the example in the Fitzwilliam which is less worn. 

O: Laureate and draped bust of Caracalla facing right, seen from over the shoulder. M AYPHΛ ANTΩ [-----]       (ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟϹ ΠΕΙΟϹ ΑΥ)
Reverse - Caracalla, on horseback, right arm raised. ΩΝ in exergue.  (ϹΑΜΙ-ΩΝ)

Ex: Incitatus

common theme from period late in Caracalla's reign circa CE 215-217 with emp. on horseback riding down the enemy.

Roman Occupation of Syria BCE 64-35

AR Tetradrachm , 13.58g. Antioch mint. circa 25/24-17/16 BCE (from style and type)

This coin was issued in the Roman province of Syria between 64 BCE and about 13 BCE. They copied the tetradrachm of the last legitimate Seleucid King Philippus Philadelphos BCE 93-83

GCV 7215-7215 v; cf. SC II, pp. 621-626, cf. McAlee, AJN 11 (1999) pp. 1-12.

Obv: Head of Philip wearing a diadem right
Rev: Zeus enthroned left holding Nike and a scepter
[ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ Φ] ΙΛΙΠΠΟ [Υ ΕΠ] IΦΑΝΟ[ΥΣ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΟΥ] XAT monogram in the field at Zeus' knees.

Ex: T. R. McIntosh Collection, sold CNG EA 76: portion of lot 152 (10-29-2003)  .

Ex: Incitatus (not sold by Incitatus as having come from CNG or the McIntosh Collection, this was only recently discovered through routine research at the CNG website). Below is the CNG photo of the reverse of this coin: 

Quintillus CE 270

AE Antoninianus, August – October/November CE 270, 21mm, 3.7g
RCV 11453
O: IMP C M AVR CL QVINTILLVS AVG, radiate & draped bust right.
Reverse - VBERITAS AVG, Uberitas standing left, holding cow's udder (?) and cornucopia.

Ex: Incitatus

Not the nicest looking Quintillus I’ve ever owned but acceptable.

Greek; Seleucid; Antiochus IV Epiphanes BCE 175-164

AE 15 mm, 3.01 g, 12h, Antioch mint , BCE 175-c. 173/2
CSE 112-114 v, SC 1407 v (appears control mark is unlisted)

According to a response from ODH regarding this coin and it's unrecorded control, he wrote: "This does indeed look like an unrecorded monogram. It looks to me like you have a new example of an imitative type of the Antioch Laodice/elephant series. The style is a little unusual." (October 2008).

Further research may bring into question the first portion of ODH's assessment. E.T. Newell's The Seleucid Mint of Antioch notes precisely this "unrecorded" monogram on page 21 and notes "Hunter" as the source. It appears that this monogram may have been missed? As for the "new example of an imitative type" this appears certain.

O: Hd of Laodike IV r.
R: elephant hd left BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ/ANTIOXOY in ex. Ξ A

Ex: CUd

Acquisition: 2006

Indo-Greek, Northern India

Autonomous Local Coinage of Pushkalavati, circa 185 TO 168 BCE,
rectangular AE 1 1/2 Karshapanas, 20 x 18 mm, 10.3 g.
M # 4401-4403 v

O: elephant advancing right, ghadya,
R: Lion , chaitya and swastika

Ex: Amphora

Re: Pushkalavati, the Wikipedia notes the following: Pushkalavati is an ancient site situated in Peshawar valley in Sarhad, Pakistan. It is located on the banks of Swat River, near its junction with Kabul River , now it is known as Charsadda. Puskalavati meaning Lotus City was the capital of ancient kingdom Gandhara from the 6th century BC to 2nd century AD.
The ruins of Pushkalavati consist of many stupas and sites of two old cities.

Map of Pakistan below shows the general area in discussion, which is highlighted in red.

Greek; Kingdom of Macedon; Alexander III BCE 336-323

AR Drachm; 4.22 g, posthumous issue minted in Ionia; Magnesia circa BCE 319-305
Price 1980a

O: Herakles hd in lion skin right
R: Zeus std left AΛΕΞANΔPOY, misc. monograms

Purchased in 1978.

Islamic; Ayyubids of Diyarbakr (Mayyafariqin & Jabal Sinjar)

al-Malik al-Ashraf I Musa Muzzafar ad-Din, 607-617 AH / 1210-1220 CE

AE pictorial Dirham, 29 mm, 12.25 g,
Struck 612 AH/CE 1215, in Mayyafariqin

O: seated figure, orb in right hand, clear date to right and left
R: triangular shield with convex sides,
Names Abbasid Caliph Al-Imam an-Nasir (CE 1180-1225)
Album 859, Balog 849

Purchased in the Suq of the Old City of Jerusalem in 1992.

Galerius, as Caesar CE 293-305

AE Follis, 9.46 g, Ticinum mint, CE 300-303
RIC 32b ( C )

O: laur bust r. MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES

R: Genius l. with patera and cornucopiae, star in left field.
GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI/ P T


Ex: Ancient Byways

Ex: Tamco Numismatics, Sweden (per card that came with coin.)

Gratian CE 367-383

 

AE 3, 15 mm, 2.52 g, unknown mint, c. CE 367-378
O: diad draped/cuir. Bust r. DN GRATIA[NVS PF AVG]
R: Victory flying to left, [SECVRITAS REP]VBLICAE

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

View of Plaza Stamp & Coin at 86 Congress St in Bridgeport, CT c. 1975

This is the first Roman coin that I purchased in 1971. My Dad (z”l) paid $1.00 for this coin that I picked out of the dealers $1 pick junk box. Though this particular dealer’s junk box, as I have since learned had some little treasures here and there.

I had no idea as to who was depicted only that it was Roman. Over the next few years I patiently tried to figure out the incomplete inscriptions, and eventually with the aid of some dealers illustrated lists I determined that the coin likely belonged the the 4th century CE.

I continued my patient pursuit for something tangible to identify the coin, since there were limited if any sources available at my local libraries. My first breakthrough came when I deciphered the DN, and learned through my research that this was an abbreviation for Dominus Noster, “our lord”….with that I figured that the name of whoever was depicted would likely follow that title.

The hunch paid off when I read G-R-A-T-I.

With this less than confident reading, and the thought that this coin belonged to the 4th century, I picked up my 1971 World Almanac and looked for the regnal lists of the Roman Emperors.

Just to be sure I began with Augustus, the first name on this list and methodically worked my way down becoming ever more disheartened since I couldn’t match the letters I had with any name encountered…then I came to Constantius II 337-361, Julian II 360-363, Jovian 363-364, Valentinian I 364-375, Valens 364-378, Gratian 367-383, Valent…..wait a minute….I looked again and noted G-R-A-T-I….A-N…..That was it!! After nearly three years of on again off again often tenacious searching through very limited resources, I had finally determined that the coin likely belonged to Gratian CE 367-383.

This was all finally confirmed when I went to the public library in a nearby city where they had an old copy of the 1964 Roman Coins and their Values. I looked under Gratian and was able to determine what the reverse ultimately was and there you have it.

Shortly after that, once I had enough confidence to feel that I could conquer my next purchase, I returned with my Dad (z”l) to the same shop and made more purchases, patronizing the shop until around 1980 or thereabouts when the shop closed and the owner passed away shortly thereafter. The efforts put forth in determining the identity of this coin have paid off with every purchase acquired since. It is always more rewarding to purchase a lot of unidentified coins and apply the skills I learned so long ago with this one small and common coin of Gratian. It has remained a priceless reminder of how much enjoyment can be gathered for such a small expense.

 

1971-2021 

a wider angle view of same photo as appears above, with Plaza Stamp & Coin on the right of the photo