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Posted (edited)

I recently bought a lot of antoninianii and did a doubletake when picking this one up the first time. It's a hefty guy, and has a great feel in the hand. I also picked up an overweight Geta denarius last year - always fun to get these little surprises within bulk lots.

Post your heavy/overweight ancient coins!

 

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Gordian III AR antoninianus, 240AD. 23.5mm, 6.20g (the ANS OCRE database gives an average weight of 4.32g for this type)

IMP CAES GORDIANVS PIVS AVG, Bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right.

LIBERALITAS AVG IILiberalitas, draped, standing front, head left, holding abacus in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand

IMG_6138.JPG.a4fc1e2ffd2ae10461039ed1fae60e69.JPG

^ An edge shot of the coin in between two more typical Gordian ants.

 

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Geta AR denarius, 209AD. 20mm, 4.64g (OCRE average of 3.01g)

P SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES, Bust of Geta, bare-headed, bearded, draped, right

PONTIF COS II, Geta, standing left, holding globe in extended right hand and short sceptre in left hand

IMG_6142.JPG.1013f1b47841f93d3e44970e12b33108.JPG

And an edge shot next to another Geta denarius.

Edited by Original Skin Coins
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Posted (edited)

Those are beautiful examples, as well as being over standard weight.  It seems that the more generous flans allowed for deeper strikes.

Here's a rather overweight antoninianus of Herennia Etruscilla.

Herennia Etruscilla, BI antoninianus,  250 AD.

RIC 58b

5.6 grams

D-CameraHerenniaEtruscillaAntoninianus250ADPVDICITIAAVGRIC58b5.6g11-12-20.jpg.09d4c5201c9ff9df487da5b1acae14cc.jpg

 

And an over standard weight Pi-style III owl, at 17.47 grams.  Folded flan.

Athens, owl, intermediate Pi-style III, circa 353-340 BC.  From Roma E-Sale 99, lot 115.

These coins were produced at the Attic weigh standard of 17.2 grams, though in reality there was considerable variation oftentimes.  Based on my experience collecting this type, I'd say that the average is around 17.0 grams.

D-CameraAthensowlintermediatePi-styleIIIc353-340BC17.47gheavyRoma991157-17-22.jpg.7e24c6e2fd936cf67b2c7d4e143b6c3b.jpg

 

Edited by robinjojo
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Posted · Supporter

Beautiful examples @Original Skin Coins

The heaviest antoninianus I have is

Marcus Julius Severus Philippus (Philip the younger). Struck under Philip I

Philip II, AR antoninianus. 22.4 mm, 4.91 g.(Thick flan), Rome mint, 249AD.
IMP PHILIPPVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. / LIBERALITAS AVGG III, Philip I, holding short sceptre, and Philip II seated left on curule chairs, extending right hands. RIC 230; RSC 17, Sear 9265.

oGt8Jc7csB33sa5WM4QiZr9HnPH26X-Copy.jpg.721728fd0465c350b38d87f4f8aa166f.jpg

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Posted · Supporter

I love overweight coins. That pair you posted @Original Skin Coins beats out anything I've ever been able to acquire though!

This coin is not only quite heavy, but also beautifully struck on a wide, one might say medallic, flan:

SeverusAlexanderdenariusSol.jpg.a9e1bc9d1d42f39bd0d0e2817969a8e0.jpg

SEVERUS ALEXANDER, AD 222-235
AR Denarius (20.28mm, 3.95g, 6h)
Struck AD 233. Rome mint
Obverse: IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, laureate and draped bust of Severus Alexander right
Reverse: P M TR P XII COS III P P, Sol, radiate with cloak over left shoulder, advancing left, holding whip in left hand and raising right hand
References: RIC IV 120, RCV 7915
A superb specimen, with lovely old cabinet toning, sharply struck on a broad and heavy flan.

 

And one of my most recent purchases was bought in part because of its good hefty weight at 3.82 grams. This flan is more thick than broad:

SeptimiusSeverusdenariusPalladium.jpg.9fd5c8b0a340e641ea01836dcf4a6ee6.jpg

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, AD 193-211
AR Denarius (18.10mm, 3.82g, 12h)
Struck AD 195-196. Rome mint
Obverse: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VII, laureate head of Septimius Severus right
Reverse: P M TR P III COS II P P, Minerva standing left, holding transverse spear and round shield (i.e., Palladium.)
References: RIC IV 68, RCV 6326 var. (titular dates)
Lightly toned. Struck on a heavy flan. The reverse of this coin depicts the Palladium - an archaic wooden cult statue of Athena, said to have been carried off from Troy by Aeneas, the legendary founder of Rome. The statue was kept in the Temple of Vesta.

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Posted · Supporter

I have always liked these heavy Ants. Thanks for posting!

Gordian III, AD 238-244. AR Antoninianus (22mm, 6.26g, 12h). Rome mint, 2nd officina, 5th-6th emissions, struck AD 239-240. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: ROMAE AETERNAE; Roma seated left on shield, holding Victory and scepter. Ref: RIC IV 70; RSC 314. 

image.jpeg.69e28df7a61d6078fedae0e2014a7c26.jpeg

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A Volusian that’s a pig at 6.44 grams… with a kinda blurry and hastily taken photo.

VolusianRomeRICIV-140.JPG.72e31c73f7d4a97a4a16746c62cb6cbb.JPG

Volusian
IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
P M TR P IIII COS II, (emperor as?) Genius of the Senate, standing left, holding branch and sceptre.
RIC 140, RSC 92; Sear 9762.

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Posted (edited)

image.jpeg.e01c5418879bbf5f2bf4644663389208.jpeg
 

RIC 130a, Very Fine+, 19.6mm, 3.61 grams, Struck Circa. 201 - 206 C.E., Rome Mint Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG around laureate and draped, youthful bust of Caracalla to right Reverse: Dea Caelestis riding on lion to right over waters gushing from rock, thunderbolt in right hand and scepter in left, INDVLGENTIA AVGG around, IN CARTH in exergue Nice coin and interesting type with substantial weight for a third century denarius.

Ex. Zuzim

 

Edited by MrMonkeySwag96
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Posted (edited)

This coin of Septimius Severus, featuring his wife Julia Domna, is my heaviest denarius, at 4.22 gm. 

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Roman Empire. Julia Domna. 194-217 AD. AR Denarius (4.22 gm, 19.7mm, 6h) of Rome, 198 AD. Diademed, draped bust right. IVLIA AVGVSTVA. / Cybele enthroned left between two lions, holding branch and sceptre. MATER DEVM. EF. Bt. Herakles Numismatics, 2007. RIC IV #564 (S. Severus); BMCRE p 163 #51; CSS 340; RSC III #123; SRCV II #6593.

The ANS OCRE average of 27 coins came out to 3.28 gm, with the heaviest at 3.89 gm. 

Edited by Anaximander
Doh! It's Septimius, not Septimus.
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Posted (edited)
On 7/5/2024 at 4:13 AM, AncientCoinnoisseur said:

Rhodos plinthophoric drachm, Anaxidotos magistrate, Jenkins Group A.  
3.07g (when these coins are almost exclusively under 3g). It has a lovely iridescent toning, one of my favourite coins!  
IMG_4398.jpeg.abcc637b6f2ae3573257ae642e6e64e7.jpeg

I'll keep you company, @AncientCoinnoisseur. My plinthophoric drachm has Kaleizenos as magistrate, Jenkins Group E, also with iridescence. 

Caria.Rhodes.SNG-Keckman-684_bg.jpg.e8cf0921c61450575918b78bbccf92aa.jpg  

Asia Minor. Caria. 88-85 BC. AR Plinthophoric Drachm (3.36ᵍᵐ 16.1ᵐᵐ 12ʰ) of Rhodes. Radiate head of Apollo Helios right. / P-O flanking rose in bloom, kerykeion (caduceus) to left. ΚΑΛΛΙΞΕΙΝΟΣ (magistrate Kaleizenos). EF. HGC 6 #1461; Jenkins Rhodian Group E #244; SNG Cop 5 (Caria) #819 var ("winged caduceus"); SNG Keckman 684 = HNOnline (Rhodes) 157 (specimen #2); BMC (Rhodus) 267. 

PS: New pedigree discovered: CNG Coin Shop, inventory #783397 (n.d.).  New attribution: Ashton et al. The Köycegiz Hoard of Late Rhodian Plinthophoric Drachms, Ch.8 #23.

Edited by Anaximander
New pedigree and attribution discovered today!
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16 minutes ago, Anaximander said:

I'll keep you company, @AncientCoinnoisseur. My plinthophoric drachm has Kaleizenos as magistrate, Jenkins Group E, also with iridescence. 

Caria.Rhodes.SNG-Keckman-684_bg.jpg.e8cf0921c61450575918b78bbccf92aa.jpg  

Asia Minor. Caria. 88-85 BC. AR Plinthophoric Drachm (3.36ᵍᵐ 16.1ᵐᵐ 12ʰ) of Rhodes. Radiate head of Apollo Helios right. / P-O flanking rose in bloom, kerykeion (caduceus) to left. ΚΑΛΛΙΞΕΙΝΟΣ (magistrate Kaleizenos). EF. HGC 6 #1461; Jenkins Rhodian Group E #244; SNG Cop 5 (Caria) #819 var ("winged caduceus"); SNG Keckman 684 = HNOnline (Rhodes) 157 (specimen #2); BMC (Rhodus) 267.

Oh, wow, that’s a heavy specimen for sure! I accept the defeat 😉 Lovely iridescence too! I have always found fascinating how different the head of Helios looks depending on the engraver. I feel like there are two main styles (but there might be more I am not aware of): one that is more ‘round’, like mine, and another that is more ‘spiky’, like yours. I feel like they are quite consistent among them but very different from each other. I wouldn’t know how to put it in words, but I can immediately categorise the plinthophoric drachms in one category or the other.  
  
Again, stunning specimen and gorgeous color! 🙂

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Wow, I had no idea that there were antoniniani weighing more than 6 grams! My heaviest, at 4.94 g., is this Caracalla, which also happens to be my earliest antoninianus:

Caracalla AR Antoninianus, 215-217 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen half from behind, ANTONINUS PIUS AVG GERM / Rev. Venus standing left, holding scepter in left arm and Victory on right hand, resting left elbow on round shield set on helmet, VENUS -VIC-TRIX. RSC III 608(c), RIC IV-3 311(d), BMCRE 80-81, Sear RCV II 6784. 22x24 mm., 4.94 g. Ex: Stephen M. Huston Sale 153, Lot 126 (ca. 1997).

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My heaviest denarius is only 4.25 g.:

Roman Republic, Aulus Plautius, AR Denarius, 55 BCE, Rome mint. Obv. Turreted head of Cybele right, A. PLAVTIVS before, AE[D CVR S C] behind [portion in brackets off flan] / Rev. “Bacchius the Jew” [ = Aristobulus II of Judaea?],* in attitude of supplication, kneeling beside saddled camel (dromedary - one hump) standing right, extending olive-branch with right hand and holding camel’s bridle with left hand, his cape flowing behind him; BACCHIVS in exergue, IVDAEVS on right. RSC I Plautia 13, Crawford 431/1, Sydenham 932, Sear RCV I 395 (ill.), Harlan, RRM II Ch. 18 at pp. 145-149, BMCRR 3916. 18x20 mm., 4.25 g.  (Purchased from Harlan J. Berk, Ltd., 211th Buy or Bid Sale, May 2020, Lot 183.) 

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* See Sear RCV I at p. 148: “Aulus Plautius strikes as curule aedile. The problematic interpretation of the reverse type appears to have been most successfully resolved by [Michael] Harlan in RRM [see Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins 63 BCE-49 BCE (2nd Revised Edition 2015), Ch. 18 at pp. 146-148] . . . who identifies the kneeling figure as Aristobulus [= Judah Aristobulus II of the Hasmonean Dynasty, d. ca. 49 BCE], the Jewish high priest, then held captive by Pompey in Rome.” 

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