11 New/Reimaged Ancients and Website Update

Zohar

I have been continuously refining and upgrading the collection, presentation and coin imaging over the past couple of months. I had a few older pieces reimaged to capture their beauty as well as added a few new ones I found very appealing. I also updated my set ATS - LINK TO SET ATS

I am enjoying the buildup beyond what I had initially expected. I will never be an expert as many on these forums, yet can keep learning and be a better judge of engraving style and quality over time. Thanks all for your support. As an aside, the Aradus is my favorite!

PHOENICIA. Aradus. Ca. 172/1-111/0 BC. AR Drachm. 17mm, 4.08gr. Dated CY 96 (164/3 BC). Obv: Bee; CY (date) to left, AC to right. Rev: Stag standing right; palm tree behind. Duyrat 2761-2 (D44/R44); Rouvier -; HGC 10, 63. NGC Ch AU* 5/5, 5/5.



CAMPANIA, Neapolis. Circa 320-300 BC. AR Didrachm (20mm, 7.41gr). Obv: Head of the nymph Parthenope to right, her hair elaborately curled and bound in a wide taenia, wearing triple-pendant earring and pearl necklace. Rev: Man-faced bull walking to right, head facing; above, Nike flying right, holding a wreath to crown him. SNG ANS 317. HN Italy 565. NGC AU* 5/5, 5/5, Fine Style.



ISLANDS off CARIA, RHODES (RHODOS), 3rd century BC. AR Didrachm, 20 mm, 6.73 gr. Obv. Facing head of Helios. Rev. Rose with bud, figure (perhaps Pan) in left field, magistrate above. Ashton 209; SNG Keckman 540-1; SNG Copenhagen 767-8; BMC 150-2; SNG von Aulock 2808. An exquisite bright gem struck in the typical high relief of the Rhodian mint in this period. NGC Choice AU* 5/5, 5/5.



CARIAN ISLANDS. Rhodes. Ca. 188-84 BC. AR Plinthophoric Drachm. 15mm, 2.06gr. Obv: Radiate head of Helios right. Rev: Rose with bud to right; magistrates name (Kallixeinos) above; caduceus to left. Jenkins, Group E, 244. NGC Choice AU 5/5, 5/5.



ROMAN EMPIRE. Maximian, first reign. 286-305 AD. AR Argenteus (18mm, 2.77gr, 12h). Siscia Mint in 294 AD. Obv: Laureate head of Maximian right. Rev: The four tetrarchs sacrificing over tripod before city enclosure with eight turrets. RIC VI 32b. A superb specimen, perfectly struck and attractively toned. NGC MS* 5/5, 5/5.



Judaea. Bar Kochba Revolt. 132-135 C.E. AR Zuz. 19mm, 3.37gr. Year 2 (133/4 AD). Obv: Bunch of grapes with branch, paleo-Hebrew inscription "Shimon" around. Rev: Palm branch, paleo-Hebrew inscription "Year two of the freedom of Israel" around. Mildenberg 40 (O8/R24); AJC 248; Hendin 1394. wonderful full strike with iridescent highlights. MS* 5/5, 5/5.



ROMAN REPUBLIC. L. Minucius, ca. 133 BC. AR Denarius. 19mm, 4.00gr. Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right, star (mark of value) behind. Rev: ROMA / L MINVCI. Jupiter driving quadriga right, hurling thunderbolt, holding reins and sceptre. Minucia.15. Syd. 470. Cr. 248/1. Superb coin all over. Ex Jon K. Kern Collection. NGC Ch. MS 4/5, 5/5.



SELEUCID KINGDOM. Antiochus VIII Epiphanes-Grypus (125-96 BC). AR Tetradrachm (28mm, 16.62 gm, 12h). Akko-Ptolemaïs, ca. 121/0-113 BC. Obv: Diademed head of Antiochus right. Rev: Zeus Uranius standing left, holding star and scepter; M to outer left; all within laurel wreath. HGC 9, 1197h. SC 2335.2. Toned. NGC Choice AU* 5/5, 5/5.



SELEUCID KINGDOM. Antiochus VI, 144-ca. 142 BC. AR Tetradrachm, 32mm, 16.67gr. Minted at Antioch on the Orontes and dated to SE 170 (143/42 BC). Obv. Radiate and diademed head of Antiochus right. Rev. Dioscurii riding horses left, holding lances, TPY above HΔP monogram above OP (date) below, all within elaborate wreath. SC 2000.3c; HGC 9, 1032; DCA 178. Ex CNG XVI (8/1991), lot 198. Scarcer design, well struck. NGC XF 5/5, 4/5.



MACEDONIA. ROMAN PROVINCE (FIRST MERIS). AR Tetradrachm. 33mm, 16.70gr. Obv. Draped bust of Artemis right, within decorated Macedonian shield. Rev. A monogram above, all within wreath, thunderbolt in extreme left field. Prokopov, Silver 174 (O48/R146); SNG Copenhagen 1310–1. Struck on a broad, medallic planchet. NGC AU* 5/5, 5/5.



THRACE. Maroneia. Circa 189/8-49/5 BC. AR Tetradrachm. 37 mm, 15.95gr. Obv. Wreathed head of young Dionysos right. Rev. Dionysos standing left, holding grapes and stalks; monograms to inner left and right. Schönert-Geiss 1222. Beautifully toned large medallic tetradrachm. NGC graded Ch AU 4/5, 5/5.

bronzemat

Images are much better. Love the Neapolis & Aradus especially.

NiceCurrency

fantastic images

It's always nice when you can capture the toning just right

EVillageProwler

These are really very nice.

Bailathacl

A remarkable set of coins, genuinely outstanding.

It is worth noting that I am a dead ringer -- facially -- for the man-bull-centaur creature that Campania piece! (I may ask permission to use a cropped face close-up as my message board avatar photo)

Zohar

You have permission! If you need the high res image PM me with your email. Z

Iosephus

Beautiful coins and images!

Aethelred

Stunning coins and superb photos, thank you for letting us see them!

SmEagle1795

Great coins! Upon a second viewing, the Aradus is still my favorite although the man-faced bull is a very close second. These images show it off much better than the original pictures you showed when you first acquired it.

Zohar

SmEagle1795 - thank you again. I am having the Maximian reimaged. That coin has excellent luster/patina which doesn't show on the obverse image.

lordmarcovan

The Aradus is stunning.

That Maximian argenteus has the characteristic toning of a coin from the 1953 Sisak hoard.

Here are some of its brethren.

LochNESS

Zohar, you may not consider yourself an expert, but you are certainly an expert collector. No matter what area you dip into, you always seem to emerge with incredible examples. That Judaea piece from the Bar Kochba Revolt takes my breath away. And as a whole, these coins give new meaning to the term 3D. The busts on your Campania and Rhodes pieces seem to jump off the screen.

Great job on the photography!

Zohar

<< <i>That Maximian argenteus has the characteristic toning of a coin from the 1953 Sisak hoard. >>



Wow that is a neat trace.



<< <i>That Judaea piece from the Bar Kochba Revolt takes my breath away >>



Thanks for the kind words, Loch. The Judaea piece is pretty for the type I thought and of course the history...

lordmarcovan

Yep, you can pretty much be assured that your Maximian is a Sisak Hoard piece.

The argenteus is a rather scarce denomination, in any event. I don't believe they were producing much in the way of silver coinage at the time.

So that gives you some of the backstory of that specific coin. Pretty fascinating, huh?

I sure would have loved to have been a spectator when that hoard came out of the ground.

Over two thousand pieces of a scarce denomination, mostly in Mint State. Wow.


Sisak (Siscia)- Wikipedia link

zompels

Superb Photos Zohar!!!!!
Great Coins and Great Collection also..... im a big Fun!!!
Thanks for the sharing

Zohar

Lord - I think you are spot on - LINK

"In 294 CE, the silver argenteus was introduced. This silver laureate coin was an imitation of the old denarius. As other coins at that time hardly contained any silver, these new silver coins were quickly hoarded as the Sisak Hoard illustrates. This hoard was discovered in 1953 in Siscia (Sisak in Serbia) together with silver vessels. Unfortunately, this very important hoard was dispersed before being catalogued. Until this find, the silver coins of this period were very rare and the hoard contained one single type. All hoard coins show the bust of one of the four co-rulers (tetrarchs) on the obverse and the praetorian camp on the reverse (fig 35). And the patina of the hoard coins was quite characteristic with a special rainbow iridescent toning. As a result, Jelocnik succeeded in reconstructing a large part of the hoard. In 1961 he published a catalogue of 1415 of the hoard coins (142 with photos’), estimated to be about 2/3rd of the total hoard. The hoard analysis is still the standard work for this numismatically important silver coin, summarized in RIC volume VI. About 1/3th (37.7%) of the hoard coins was minted in Siscia, another 1/3th (37.4%) was minted in Rome and close to 1/4th in Ticinum (Pavia in Italy). For the rest, a few coins were minted in Heraclea (1%) and Trier (0.3%). The hoard included one ancient imitation. Based on the hoard pattern, Jelocnik concluded the hoard was concealed around 295/296 CE. The coins were very well preserved and only a few showed signs of wear. Of the four coins in fig 33 the average weight is 3.1 gram in a range of 2.969 to 3.417 gram. The average maximum diameter is 18.8 mm, three coins in a small range of 18.1 – 18.5 mm and one much larger with 20.5 mm at a normal weight of 3.007 gram. The coins are beautiful and nicely reflect the failed attempt to revive the old denarius."

TIF2

How on earth do you shoot such clear pictures through those plastic slabs? Fabulous photos, Zohar. The Aradus is my favorite.

marcmoish

fantastic!

I don't know which is nicer than the other - they are all amazing - but you definitely on full steam and amassing a beautiful collection.

nicholasz219

Holy frijoles.

marcmoish

ttt b/c these totally rock in their new re-imaged splendor.