LUXEMBOURG/EU-2 Euro Commemorative for the 175th Anniversary of the Chamber of Deputies

 €2 Commemorative, minted in Paris, 120,000 examples minted. 

                                  Photo of the Chambre des Deputies de Luxembourg (fair use photo)

ROMAN/Diocletian CE 284-305 Tripolis Mint

 AE Antoninianus; 20 mm, 3.39 g, 6h, Tripolis mint c. CE 284-286

RIC 330 variety

RCV 12670 variety

O: rad, drap, cuir bust r. IMP C G VAL DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG

R: Jupiter r holding orb and spear receiving wreath from Victory, IOVI CON-SERVATOR-IAVG

in ex XXI (possible palm to left?) TR above in field. 

slightly different from the types described by Esty Tripolis mint, Roman Empire (augustuscoins.com)

Ex W Esty

ROMAN/Probus CE 276-282 Tripolis mint

 AE Antoninianus; 22mm, 3.86 g, 11h, Tripolis mint c. CE 280-281

RIC 928

Hunter 349-350

O: rad cuir bust r IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG

R: Probus with scepter receiving orb from Jupiter, CLEME-NTIAT-EMP in ex. KA in lower field a crescent.

ex: W. Esty

IRELAND Fifty Years in the EU Commemorative 1973-2023

 2 Euros, 2023 mintage 500,000

                                        Irish, American and EU Flags in Aghadoe Co. Kerry, May 2023

ROMAN EGYPT/Hadrian CE 117-138 Ex: ETB and Dattari Collections, RPC Plate Coin

Bi Tetradrachm, 14.28 g, 23 mm, 12h, Alexandria mint RY 5=CE 121-122

RPC III online 5256/20 (this coin)

Dattari-Savio Plate 61, 1320 (this coin)

Emmett 827.5

O: AYT KAI TPAI AΔPIA CEB, laur bust r.

R: L E, Canopus of Osiris facing r.

 

Ex: Giovanni Dattari Collection (1853-1923) #1320

Ex: Naville 38 (11 March 2018), lot 380

Ex: ETB (Eric ten Brink 1968-) Collection

Temple of Hadrian in Roma (now the Borse) September 2024

Hadrian from the Uffizi, Firenze September 2024

Hadrian from the Palazzo Massimo, September 2024

 

 

GREEK/Seleukid; Seleukos II BCE 246-226

AE 17 mm, 4.92 g, 12h, Sardis mint before the revolt of Hierax

SC 660.2 var. unlisted control marks pairing. Primary control of 660.2 on left and secondary control of 660.3b on right.

O: hd of Athena r with crested Attic helmet

R: Apollo stg l testing arrow and resting l hand on grounded bow, BAΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΣΕΛΕYKOY, c/m of an anchor in an oval punch at between 9 and 11 o'clock on the center left. 

ISLAMIC/Samanid; Nasr II b. Ahmad CE 914-943/ AH 301-331

 

AE Fals; 24 mm, 2.19 g, Bukhara mint AH 308/CE 920-921

Album 1452

O: Shahada in center, around 

 بسم الله ضرب هذا الفلس ببخارا سنة ثمان و ثلثماءة

R: in center  

لله

محمد

رسول الله

نصربن احمد

British Colonial Ireland & America; Wood's Half Penny, 1723

AE Half Penny; 26mm; 6h, 7.63 g. 

KM 117

Breen 157

SCBC 6601

O: laur bust of George I r, GEORGIUS DEI GRATIA REX

R: Hibernia with Harp seated l, HIBERNIA 1723

ROMAN/Gratian CE 367-383

 AE 4, 14 mm, 1.17 g, 12h, Cyzicus mint c. CE 383

RIC 22a

RCV 20161

O: DN GRATIANVS PF AVG diad draped cuir bust r.

R: VOT/XX/MVLT/XXX in ex SMKΔ

Ex; W. Esty

A visit to Ireland

 2016 €2 Commemorative of the 1916 Easter Rising obtained in change, and was the only commemorative, other than a 2007 Austrian €2 commemorating the Treaty of Rome that we were able to come across in our limited currency transactions. 

We really didn't utilize a lot of currency or coins during this visit, most transactions were via CC, so the opportunity to observe coin use was limited. Even a visit to a Dublin coin dealer in the South George St Arcade in Dublin found very expensive prices for all sorts of coins. Particularly coins that are available on the market (VCoins for example) for $30-$35 for a reasonably good and common mint Khushru II Sasanian drachm was selling for €150. 

Other coins were similarly priced. The only Irish Euro Commemoratives being sold consisted of the 2016 example. There were stamps being sold as well as pick out box coins, worldwide and local for €1 and €2 each.

The 1916 Easter Rising was made real by a visit to the GPO on O'Connell St, which was the HQ for the Rising. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to go in, but passed it several times in vehicles and walked by it once where we were able to see the remaining visible damages from the Rising. The columns at the front of the GPO still show dramatic damages from the bullets and ordinance fired between the British and Republican forces at that time. 

Facade of the GPO Dublin

Photos of two columns at the GPO revealing battle damages from the 1916 Easter Rising

GREEK/Seleucid; Alexander I Balas BCE 152-145

AR Drachm; 17.4mm, 4.08g, Ecbatana mint c. BCE 150-148/7

SC 1871 (R2)

O: diad portrait of Balas r.

R: Apollo seated on omphalos; [BAΣ]IΛEΩΣ [AΛ]EΞANΔPOY on rt, ΘEOΠATOPOΣ EYEPΓETOY

Control mark on far left.

Ex: Zuzim

Hephthalite c. 6th to 7th Century CE

 AR drachm, 27 mm, 2.86 g., North Tokharistan

Göbl 82a (countermark 82a)

Zeno type 28789

Type of Peroz CE 457/9-484

Countermark on obs at 10-9 o’clock , Sogdian word “TKYN”

Cf. Göbl Hunnen 283 ff

Mitchener 1450

GALLIC ROMAN EMPIRE/Three Antoniniani of Postumus CE 259-268

Bi Antoninianus; 22 x 24 mm, 4.53 g, 6h, Cologne mint CE 260-265

RSC 91

RCV 10944

O IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG, rad cuir draped bust r.

R: HERC DEVSONIENSI, Hercules stg r with club and bow

 

Bi Antoninianus; 21mm, 3.3 g, 1h, Cologne mint CE 262-265

RSC 199

RCV 10962

O: corrosion present, rad cuir draped bust r. IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG

R: MONETA AVG, Moneta stg l with scales and cornucopia

Bi Antoninianus; 21mm, 2.67 g, 1h, Cologne mint CE 265-268

RSC 295

RCV 10979

O: rad cuir draped bust r. IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG

R: PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia stg l with orb and scepter. 

ROMAN/Geta, as Augustus CE 209-211

 AR Denarius; 2.96 g, 18 mm, 12h, Roma mint, CE 210

RSC 219

RCV 7254

O: laur bearded bust r  P SEPT GETA PIVS AVG BRIT

R: Victory stg l holding wreath VICTORI-AE BRIT

This issue commemorates the Severan incursions north of the Antonine Wall in Britain into what is now Scotland, by Septimius Severus, and his sons Caracalla and Geta. It was during these incursions that Severus took ill and died at Eboracum (York) in CE 211, thus bringing the conflict to a quick end courtesy of Caracalla, who brought his brother Geta to a quick end just prior to the end of CE 211. 

Geta from the Palazzo Massimo, September 2024

ROMAN/ Julian II CE 360-363

AE Maiorina (28 mm, 8.0 g, 12h) Aquileia mint c. CE 362-363

RIC 243

O: diad cuir draped bust r DN FL CL IVLI-ANVS PF AVG

R: Bull stg r two stars above. SECVRITAS REIPVB/*AQVILP 

USA Buffalo Nickel 1913-1938

1936; 21.2 mm, 5 g, Philadelphia mint. mintage 119m

KM 134

This example was found in change, and had likely been a coin that had been removed from circulation for some length of time. Thereafter being added by someone back into the circulation stream for a time before it was removed again, since the high points, particularly the date are visible and many details are still apparent, which is not often the case with well circulated pieces. 

In this condition, it is worth $3-$4 perhaps. It was prudent that it was removed from circulation and preserved as it now appears. Not a rare coin, but certainly one that captures the artistry that is mostly missing from circulating coinage in the USA, except for perhaps the new/old bust of Washington appearing on quarters minted since 2022. 

 

New York Prosecutor to Press Charges Against owner of Roma Numismatics - CoinsWeekly

 New York Prosecutor to Press Charges Against Richard Beale / Roma Numismatics - CoinsWeekly

One of the World’s Most Expensive Coins Was Sold Using Fake Provenance – ARTnews.com

There are a few coins posted on this blog, which originated via the aforementioned auction house and purchased by a third party dealer from whom the coins were acquired. 

Unfortunately, the provenances for a couple of these coins are "from a private British or European Collection" which begs the question, if we dug deeper would there actually be a private collection there or something else? These provenances have no documented basis, and without documentation, no provenance. The third party dealer did not include this information in their listing, it was only through our due diligence after acquisition that revealed the origin history such as it is. 

A questionable provenance is as bad as none at all, and an untraceable or ultimately false provenance should not add a premium to the item's value. All purchases must be governed by "caveat emptor". All provenances need to be researched and fully documented as far as the records support it. 

ROMAN/Licinius CE 308-324

 AE Follis; 29 mm, 3.13 g, 6h, Thessalonika mint, CE 312-313

RCV 15251

O: laur., cuir. draped bust r, IMP LIC LICINIVS PF AVG

R: Jupiter stg l, holding Nike and scepter with eagle stg on left IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG NN/*TS*Δ*