Saturday, December 18, 2021

rrd's top 10 of 2021, or panic buying in a pandemic

 

rrd top 10 2021

1.     Aes Grave Dupondius 230-220 BC, Semi-Libral standard. Volaterrae (Etruria) mint. Obv - Janiform head of Culsans, wearing pointed petasus; Rev - Club; I I (mark of value) across field; around Etruscan retrograde legend - FEΛA-OΔI (velaθri); 266 grams, 73 mm


2.     II VNCIA, B bronze barrell weight - commercial scale weight, late Roman or early Byzantine, Sextans or two VNCIA; on the top, the value is shown in Greek script, B. The Latin II VNCIA is extremely unusual and shown on the side; 24.6 mm max dia X 20.5 mm min dia X 14.5 mm tall; 53.23 grams (319.4 eq As)

 

3.     Cast AE Nummus (As), Apulia, Luceria, 225-217 BC; Obv - Head Apollo left, hair tied with ribbon; below chin – mark of value: I; Rv. Rooster standing left. Most books list 3 variations on this coin. Two types have letters around the rooster: L.SEXTI.SEP.BABI or M.LAVINIO. A third type, this coin, has no letters; 214.5 grams, 66 X 14.6 mm

4.     27 Nomismata (4.5 uncia) Byzantine bronze coin weight, octagonal, disc-shaped; Obv: N° KZ, decorated with two double circular lines, above the N is a small zero. Nomistmata weights place the zero above or to the right of N. 116.9 grams, 49.3 X 7.3 mm. The denomination is rare. There are no examples in Pondera. The weight is similar to a 17 N weight purchased in the same lot. The weight is shown with a denarius of Geta for comparison.

 


27 N (N° KZ) and 17 N (N° IZ)

 

5.     Roman Republic, Aes Grave, Apollo/Apollo Series, Cast Triens, Rome, 270 BC; Obverse - Head of horse r.; below, °°°°; Reverse - Same type l. 114 grams, 50 mm, 12 H, Crawford 18/3. I wish the 4 dots were more prominent. Otherwise the coin is excellent.

6.     Olbia AE 68 Gorgoneion Eagle - The coin below covers 3 and a half of the fingers on my hand. It is big. CNG notes the patina was removed. That is not obvious at first glance, but is glaring when I take pics. I think Medusa sticking out her tongue is neat. The coin was sold twice by CNG.

7.     Roman / Byzantine Four Ounce Commercial Scale Weight; 100 - 500 AD  Obverse – 4 dots; the rest of the surface is hard to see. If the scale weight is 4 uncia it would have Гo Δ. Reverse – Cross? +? The mark on the weight, +,  is similar to the mark on a Semis of C. Curiatius f. Trigeminus, see below. Dating depends on how you read the reverse. 105.7 grams.

a.      I found this weight at H Berk online while searching for other 4 ounce scale weights. I had to have it.... so it is #7.a. Byzantine Round Commercial Bronze Weight; 4-Ounces (Triens) or 24-Nomismata / Solidii; 6th-7th cent. AD. I wish there was a way to convert Bф into 4 or 24.   

8.     Double Struck Ptolemaic Kings of Egypt, AE Oktobol, Hockey Puck; Ptolemy III Euergetes; Obv: Laureate head of Zeus Ammon right, border dots. Rev: Eagle with open wings standing left on thunderbolt, looking right; E between legs. ΠTOΛEMAI[OY] BAΣIΛ[EΩΣ]; 80.8 grams; 46 mm dia X 7.5 mm thick

9.     Roman Republican struck Uncia, Obv: Radiate and draped bust of Sol facing slightly right; pellet (mark of value) to left. Rev: Pellet (mark of value) and two stars within crescent, in ex ROMA; Crawford 39/4; 12.75 grams, 23 mm


10.  APULIA, LUCERIA, AE Aes Grave semuncia, 268-250 BC; Obv: Crescent, Rev: Thyrse adorned with a garland.19.20 grams. I like this coin because it has an equivalent Nummis (or As in 10 ounce system of Luceria) of 384 grams which is well above one Roman pound. Heavy indicates an early series.


1. Dupondius Etruria Volterrae

2. Two VNCIA barrel weight

3. Nummus Apollo Rooster

4. 27 Num/Sol coin wt, 17, 12, 10

5. Triens Horse Head / horse head

6. Olbia AE 68 Gorgoneion Eagle

7. Four Uncia commercial weights (two pieces)

8. PTOLEMAIC KINGS OF EGYPT. Octobol

9. Uncia Sol / moon and stars

10. Luceria Cast Semuncia heavy series Crescent Thyrsus 400g equiv As

Next few:

11. Teruncius Stingray Dolphin

12. Sextans wolf & twins

13. one As commercial weight & half As commercial weight - the top two were bought as a lot from Gorny & Mosch. Shown below are weights from previous years. 






Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Byzantine Coin Weights

 Roman and Byzantine scale weights are broken into two groups by denomination marks, or the weight of the piece when no marks are visible. Coin weight denominations are in solidus (the standard gold coin from late Roman times) & Nomisma. The table below gives coin weights and their symbols. Most of the weights abbreviate Nomisma with a large N and a small o and follow with a number symbolized by Greek letters. Commercial weight denominatios are in units of Roman pounds (Libra or Ass) and ounces (VNCIA or Uncia). One pounds equals 12 ounces or 72 solidi.

The top pic shows recent acquisitions. From top left: 27 Nomisma, No KZ; 17 Nomisma, No IZ; 12 Nomisma, No IB; 10 Nomisma, No I; 6 Nomisma, No S; 5 Nomisma, Δ; 3 Nomisma, No Γ; 2 Nomisma, No B; 1 Nomisma, No (sometimes shown as NA. 

I am not sure of the denomination of the weight marked T. I thought it might be for a light weight solidus, but the weight is heavier than the other N weights. 


The pic below adds a few duplicates to the pic above. The only new denomination is the half Nomisma, IB; in the lower left corner. 


Sol

Letters

       23/24

XXIII

1

N, NA, T; S, SOL-I

2

NB

3

NΓ; SOL-III

4

NΔ; Δ

5

NE;

6

NS; S, SOL-VI; SOL- ζ; -I / SOL- ζ

7

NZ

8

NH

9

10

NI

12

NIB

15

NIE

17

NIZ

18

NIH, SOL XςII

20

NK

24

NKΔ

26

NKS

27

NKZ

30

 

36

NAS; S-XXXζ

72

NOB; SOL LXXII


Saturday, July 24, 2021

Roman Scale Weight and Aes Grave collections

 

Largest to left (one As) and oldest to top (VNCIA series)

Obverse
Reverse
Aes Grave on 3 pages. On each page the oldest is to the top and largest denomination is to the left. Some pieces and extras are shown on the bottom of the 3rd page.

At the start of cast bronze coinage, the weights of coins and scale weights were probably the same. Scale weights stayed about the same for a millennium. Coin weights dropped quickly due to inflation and bronze use in the Carthaginian war.  


Monday, March 29, 2021

An early and heavy semuncia of Hatria

 H AΣ Hatria Semuncia



ROMAN REPUBLIC

PICENUM, HATRIA, AE semuncia, vers 280 av. J.-C.

Obverse - H

Reverse - AΣ

H. pl. 76, 17-19;

Sydenham, Aes Grave, 193;

T.V. 187.

CGC Huntarian, Picenium, Hartia #3

18.03 grams; equivalent As = 20 X 18 = 360 grams, see note below

28.7 X 27.3 mm

3 H, see note below

Patine verte.

Beau à Très Beau

Fine - Very Fine

 Notes

1.  Roman Republican bronze coins were based on an As of 327 grams that was divided into 12 ounces, VNCIA. Hatria based their bronze coins on 10 units to the As. A semuncia is half an ounce. 

2.  Most of my Aes Grave, cast bronze coins, have a die rotation of 12 o'clock. This is the only coin I have that has a rotation of 3 o'clock.

Purchased from Jean Elsen & ses Fils S.A.

http://www.elsen.eu/




Thursday, March 11, 2021

Cast Bronze Money from the Roman Republic and Central Italy

 The attached talk is one I gave to the ANA 

Cast Bronze Money from the Roman Republic and Central Italy

Rome was founded in 753 BC and started producing coins in about 300 BC. Cast bronze in several forms was used for money in Republican Rome and Central Italy before coins were struck from gold, silver, or bronze. This talk will cover some reasons for the use of money. Cast bronze in several forms will be shown - irregularly formed as rude, cast bars and other shapes, and finally cast bronze coins. Some of the important books on the subject will be discussed and shown.

ANA eLearning Academy - Cast Bronze Money from the Roman Republic and Central Italy - YouTube 

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Shells and Knucklebones in Cast Bronze

Apulia, Luceria Biunx

TV284, 220 BC



Apulia, Luceria Biunx circa 217-212, Æ Aes Grave

Obv - Scallop-shell

Rev - Knucklebone; above, two pellets and below, L

Very Fine, Nice green patina, both obverse and reverse have excellent details, I have not seen a shell this well formed. The two dots are weak. The L is often missing, but is well formed on this coin. With grade inflation, I do not see why this coin isn’t at least gVF.

·       According to M Crawford and I Vecchi, cast coins were produced from 280 to 210 BC. The Shell / Knucklebone coins are from two date ranges. The older series is dated 269 – 225 BC and weighs 47 – 80 grams. The newer series is dated 220 BC and weighs 15 – 24 grams. This coin is on the smaller side on the second series.

15.52 grams

25.6 mm

Haeberlin pl. 71.

Sydenham AG 141.

Thurlow-Vecchi 284.

ICC 348.

Historia Numorum Italy 677d.


I have a few of this style coin. It is fairly common and inexpensive. 

the seller's pic



examples from two date ranges and sizes

Knucklebone coins and Knucklebones

Shells and Coins with Shells