2023

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Greek:

Alexander the Great
early posthumous
25 mm. 17.15 grams.
Price 255


 



Alexander the Great, hemiobol(?) [possibly a light obol]
8 mm. 0.48 grams
Price 3729 "316-311 BC"



 

Roman, imperial and provincial:


Roman Republican
Hybrid. 17.5 mm. 3.21 grams.
56 BC
C. Memmi C. F.
Obverse of Cr. 430 and reverse of Cr 427/1 
A contemporary counterfeit made with transfer dies according to Andrew McCabe.

 


Vespasian and Titus
24-23 mm. 14.67 grams.
It has heads of both Vespasian and Titus.
It is a large Syrian tetradrachm, 24-23 mm and 14.67 grams.
AYTOKRAT KAIΣA  OVEΣΠAΣIANOV
(Of Autokrater [imperator] Caesar Vespasian)
Bust of Vespasian left over eagle with wings spread
T ΦΛAVI OVEΣΠ KAIΣ ETOVΣ NEOY IEPOY
(Titus Flavius Vespasian Caesar Year New Holy [2])
Head of Titus right, lituus behind
It is from year 2 of Vespasian, 69/70 AD as indicated by the B with a bar above it in front of the neck of Titus.
McAlee 331. Prier 109. RPC II 1944. 

 


Anonymous quadrans
15.5 mm. 2.41 grams.
early 2nd C? 
Griffin right with paw on wheel
Tripod with globe on it.
Old RIC II p. 218, 27
Sear I 2926


Hadrian, 117-138
33 mm. 21.12 grams
Alexandria, Egypt

Isis Pharia advancieng right, holding sail and sistrum, the Pharos lighthouse before her.
LIZ for year 17 = 132/3

Sear Roman II 3775 (date variety LIH)
RPC III 5838
 
 

Septimus Severus
Abgar VIII, 179-214.
24 mm. 6.9 grams.

Mint of Edessa.

Bust of Septimius Severus right
CEOVHPO ATOVAP(?)

Severus Autokrater?

Bust of Abgar VIII right in cap
BACIΛЄΩC ABΓAΡOC  ["Abgar" begins at 1:00]
BMC Mesopotamia, Edessa 14.

 



Caracalla
19.6 mm. 3.65 grams.
Caracalla bust right, laureate
Turreted Tyche of the city right.
There are many minor legend variants. This one seems to be (From 1:00) approximately 
M AVR ANTONINIANA AVC AV
and (from 12:00)
COL MET ANTONINIANA AV
Edessa was a colony (COL) and Metropolis (MET) and took the name of Caracalla (ANTONIN...) . In the 2016 Numismatic Chronicle Dandrow proves it it really of Edessa and not Carrhae as previously repeated uncritically since the type was originally (mis)identified in 1828. 
This example is unusually nice for the type. 




Maximinus Thrax, 235-238
36.8 - 35.7 mm.
Very large provincial from Tarsos, Cilicia
SNG Levante 1100
RPC on line 7105 (temporary)

 
 


Otacilia Severa, wife of Philip I (244-249)
24.5 mm. 11.18 grams.
Nisibis in Mesopotamia



 


Claudius II, 268-270
21-19 mm. 3.20 grams.
VICTORIA GOTHIC
SPQR mint, said to be Cyzicus

RIC V.I. 252

 


Aurelian, 270-275
CONSERVATOR AVG

SERD
RIC V.I Aurelian 258. Serdica mint

This is the first imperial issue with a mintmark which identifies a city clearly.
 



Diocletian, 284-305
23.5-20.4 mm. 4.07grams.
Radiate
VICTORIA AVGG
XXI B
Victory between Diocletian and Maximian, all standing
Types with three full-size figures are rare.

RIC V.II 280v (has B, not F)
 
 
 
Diocletian, 284-305
26-24.3 mm. 8.21 grams.

RIC VI Antioch 52a "c. 299-300"

Wonderful orange cover over black patina

 
 



Galerius, as Augustus
at Heraclea Thracia

30-27 mm. 9.42 grams.
RIC VI Heraclea 24a


Galerius, as Augusus
at Cyzicus
27 mm. 8.49 grams.
Cyzicus, unlike the other mints, used the legend
GENIO AVGG ET CAESS NN
for Caesars, so get 
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI for Galerius at Cyzicus it has to be a Second Tetrarchy piece when Galerius was Augustus.

RIC VI Cyzicus 27b



 


Constantine as Caesar, 306-307
26.5-25.4 mm. 8.08 grams.
Struck at Lugdunum

RIC VI Lyons 214b

 


Crispus, 317-326
18.7 mm. 2.77 grams.
ALAMANNI-A DEVICTA
SIRM

RIC VII Sirmium 49 "324-5"

 


Fausta, wife of Constantine. d. 326
19.4-18.1 mm. 2.90 grams.
SALVS REIPVBLICAE

A
CONS

RIC VII Constantinople 12 "r3" 
Sear III 16551


 


Delmatius, 335-337
19 mm. (Large for the type) 2.40 grams.
Two standards
RIC VII Siscia 239

 


 


 
ROMA
P  R
15.4 mm. 1.40 grams.

RIC VIII Rome 104 "R4" c. 348 (However, it is much more common than R4 was when RIC VIII was written.
Sear V 17544


 
 


Byzantine:

Justin, 518-527
32-31 mm. 16.10 grams.

*         *
K M Y
  INSЄ
Dated by indiction number! 
Struck 526/7 during indiction 5 at Cyzicus.
I saw one of these in a collection at a monestary in Oregon that I visited in 1984. I have coveted the type ever since. Finally I found one I could afford. I have not seen any that are much better.


Sear 96.
Rare!




Justinian, 527-565
34-32 mm. 17.63 grams.

Struck 531-537
Antioch

Sear 214
 



Justinian, 527-565
34 mm. 18.08 grams.
Antioch

Rare for having stars either side of the M, unlike the star and cresent of the previous coin.
Sear 215A

 



Justinian, 527-565
42.5 mm. 21.98 grams.

Nicomedia
Year 13

Sear 201

Huge flan!


 

 
Justinian, 527-565
27.6 mm. 9.10 grams.
Struck 537 at Rome immediately after its reconquest--earliest style

ROMA

Sear 292



 
 


Tiberius II, 578-582
34 mm. 12.76 grams

XXX
CONA

Sear 432

Wonderful color.




 


Maurice, 582-602
20 mm. 4.94 grams.
Thessalonica
Sear 509

 


Maurice, 582-602
18-17 mm. 2.59 grams.
Antioch
Sear 536
 


Maurice, 582-602
14.7-13.1 mm. 1.23 grams.
Pentanumium
Not in Sear, but similar to Sear 540
Which has the monogram "A" crossed, where this one does not.


Maurice, 582-602
12.6 mm. 1.35 grams.

Pentanumium
Sear 542. Line-drawing in Sear. Only one cited in MIBE. 
 

Maurice, 582-602
15.6 mm. 3.13 mm.
    SE
LI      A
    CI
for SICΙLIA
Strck 588-602 at Syracuse
Sear 583

 
 
 


Revolt of the Heracli, 608-612 
30-27 mm. 9.11 grams
Alexandretta mint
Rare.

The Heraclei take the title "Consul" during their revolt, not "Augustus."
Sear 722



Heraclius, 610-641
17 mm. 3.03 grams.

    +
  X  X
  ROM

Sear 889 Rome mint.
DOC 2.1 Heraclius 261


Philippicus, 711-713
21.5 - 19 mm. 
SCL for Syracuse mint

Sear 1460A

(I think this is the finest on the web.)

 


Leo III and Constantine V, 720-741
22.6-19.4 mm. 2.87 grams.

Sear 1516.
This is a rare type. It could be much nicer, but at least it has the critcial and distinctive right arms across the bodies.


Leo III and Constantine V, 720-741
18-17 mm. 2.41 grams.
The half-follis companion to the above follis.

Sear 1520
Very rare in better condtion than this one.


Michael I, 811-813
23-21 mm. 4.95 grams. Small.

It is uncertain if this really is Michael I with Theophylactus or 
Michael II and Theophilus. ("ΘEOF" could be for either.)  See the next coin.
The smaller size is more like the coins from just before the reign of Michael I and the larger coins of this design are known to be of Michael II. 

Sear 1618



 
 



Michael II and Theophilus, 821-829
30 mm. 7.72 grams.

 

Sear 1642

 

Constantine VII, 913-959
26-25 mm. 
Struck 920-931


Sear 1759

Rare with the standard.


Constantine VII (913-959) and Zoe (914-919)
25.5-24.8 mm. 6.98 grams.

Sear 1758

Unusual heavy green patina 
 
 

Michael II, 842-867, alone
23-21 mm. 3.67 grams.
Syracuse mint

Sear 1697

 


Nicephorus II, 963-969
26-25 mm. 6.98 grams.

Sear 1782
Unusually large and full flan for type.


Constantine X, 1059-1067
27-24 mm. 8.08 grams.

Unusually nice bust of Constantine X on the reverse, with a legible legend.

Sear 1854

 
 

Turkoman:

Rukn al-Din Mawdud, Artuqid ruler of Hisn Kayfa and Amid
AH 619-629. AD 1222-1232.
27 mm. 10.32 grams.
Two-headed eagle in circle in square in circle

S&S 19

 



Turkoman. Begteginid.
Muzaffar al-Din Kokburi [Gokburi, Gokbori]
AH 563-630
AD 1168-1233
(coins 1193-1233)

Enthroned facing figure

3-line legend in square. Legend outside square.

SSS Beg-3


Qilij Arslan II
AH 551-588
AD 1156-1192
20-29 mm. 2.98 grams.

Enthroned figure facing slightly right
3-line legend

Not very nice, nevertheless, the nicest one on the web. 
 

Shams al-Din Isma'il b. Ibrahim
AH 559 - 567
AD 1164 - 1172
30-29 mm. 7.58 grams.
Danishmendids of Sivas



Seated figure in circle, feet on the ground, legend around.

SSS Dan-8

One of the nicest and most legible of its type. 
Nice rust-colored surface.


Sultanate of Egypt
al-Nasir I Salah al-Din Yusuf (Saladin)
AH 564-589, AD 1169-1193
30-29 mm. 7.58 grams.
No mint given, perhaps Harran. Mesopotamian style.
Dated 582

Lion seated ("sejant") left in circle, legend around
"Constellation of the lion [Leo]"

4-line legend in circle, legend around
This type is rare, but it does come nicer. 

 


Crusader:

Baldwin I, AD 1098-1100. 25 mm and 6.89 grams. Struck at Edessa. 
Obverse: The bust of Christ facing, nimbate (i.e. with a halo), holding the gospels. IC XC (for Jesus Christus) either side. No other obverse legend.
Reverse: A cross on two steps, large pellets at the ends ("cross pattée"), wedge in each angle, with letters for Baldwin in the quadrants. 
  B   Λ      
  Δ   N   for BAΛΔOINOC  "Baldwin")

This first type resembles contemporary Byzantine coins. It is rare. I have not seen one in better condition in any reference or on the web.
CCS Edessa 1b. Metcalf --. Metcalf has no examples, but the type is discussed on pages 33-35 with a line drawing.

 
 


Tancred, regent at Antioch, 1101-1112. 
23.4 mm. 4.48 grams.
Obverse: Bust of St. Peter facing, nimbate, with scroll in left and diagonal long cross in right. 
Θ/ΠЄ to left and POC down the right (Identifying St. Peter)
Reverse: Legend in four lines:
KЄBOI
ΘHTOΔV
ΛOCOVT    (His name begins here: T-ANKRI[D])
ANKRI+
"Oh Lord come to the aid of thy servant Tancred"
CCS Antioch 3 (page 199) Tancred's first type of four. 
Metcalf 49-62. Also page 25, type 6.


 

Tancred, regent at Antioch, 1101-1112. 1101-1112. 
22 mm. 4.18 grams.
His fourth type of four.
St. Peter, standing, with right hand extended in blessing and left holding a long cross.
S PE  TPV  either side, for "St. Peter"
Square cross with
D  S
F   T  in the quadrants, for
"Domine Salvum Fac Tancredum"
"Lord, save Tancred"
CCS Antioch 6, Tancred's fourth type.
Metcalf 71-80 (all not as nice as this one), Type 5 page 27. 



Baldwin II, at Edessa. Second reign, 1108-1118.
25 mm. 3.90 grams.
Struck after c. 1110, his third type.
Count in armor walking left, holding cross in right hand with his left hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist. Legend around, usually flat and illegible but on this example much can be seen. Notice the armor.
(From 1:00) BAΓΔOVNOC ΔO-YΛO CATV (some letters ligate) ("Baldwin, servant of the cross") By the way, the reason for this spelling of "Baldwin" on these coins is Armenian influence which is discussed by Murray in NC
Cross with floral ornament at the base, much like a Class I Byzantine anonymous follis. Pellets in the angles and pellets alongside the ends of the cross. 
CCS Edessa 9a. The first issue of the "light series" of Baldwin II which follows two much heavier types (not shown here) which are very rare and always very poorly struck.
Metcalf 109-111 (111 has the same obverse die.)

 

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