What's wrong with this coin?

elassoto

Ok guys, what's wrong with this coin? HINT: It's an ancient Roman coin from 201 BC.

goldrush00013

Umm....It's invisible?

elassoto

OK, Try again

elassoto

OK how about now. I'm a newbie sorry

elassoto

Hmm, how about this?

theboz11

Posted bccoin.

CIVITAS

Well, it's actually a silver coin of Alexander the Great?

dcamp78

It has Greek characters on it.

Sapyx

I assume that's what's wrong with it - you bought it as Roman when it clearly it is not?

According to all the references I can find, in 201 BC, the only Roman silver being struck was the denarius, with a fixed, unchanging design: the head of Roma on the obverse, Castor and Pollux on horseback on the reverse. There were also the victoriatus, with a head of Jupiter / Victory design.

This coin is in the name of "Alexander" - presumably a postumous Alexander the Great issue. There's also some more inscription, on the left; looks like AINHTW. I entered that into the Wildwinds partial legend search and came up with this identical looking coin. Says it's a tetradrachm from Rhodes, 201-190 BC. In retrospect, I guess the large rose flower at Zeus' feet should have been a giveaway for Rhodes.

Rhodes, Rome, same difference, right?

elassoto

Oh, ok I meant Greek. Sorry. Look real hard guys.

coachleonard

in the bottom left, some part of a design that isn't supposed to be there? Like maybe an arm?

Sapyx

Well then, the only differences I see between yours and the Wildwinds one I linked to above, are:

- A monogram or second line of text below the magistrate's name: looks like CCIX or something like that.

- The generally fuzzy, grainy appearance over most of the surface, particularly the dark grey areas.

elassoto

Yea that's it. It was a joke. I pasted MMI BC on it.

elassoto

I mean CCI BC

ROBERTB

You didn't used to be known as GCL did you?

Sapyx

Ha-ha-halarious. I hope you just did it with a graphics program, or used a repro, rather than ruin a genuine coin with that little prank.

{now switching to lecture mode}

The Greeks wouldn't have written numbers using Roman numerals; they had their own perfectly useable alphanumeric notation. In Greek, 201 is written {sigma}A.

I'm not too sure of how to say "before christ" in Greek; Babel-fish translates it to "euopiou Christou", but that may be the modern Greek rendition rather than how the ancients would have said it.

elassoto

Ah ok, thanks for the history.

I'm new with this board so I'm a bit sketchy with it. I will get the hang of it though. I'm not really a collector, but I have always had a small coin collection of odds and ends.

I will have a great story to tell you all in a couple of months. So keep an eye out.

SYRACUSIAN

I'm not too sure of how to say "before christ" in Greek; Babel-fish translates it to "euopiou Christou", but that may be the modern Greek rendition rather than how the ancients would have said it.



The ancients wouldn't have a word for it, because they were unaware of Christ's existence. Before Christ is pro Christou .

elassoto

Bingo. Man you're smart! Moral of the story? Never buy a coin that says BC on it!

Bye the way I just monkeyed with a .bmp that I ripped off an auction site, not the actual coin