Sulla80 Posted August 6 · Supporter Share Posted August 6 Welcome @The Ant Man - some lovely Antoniniani in your collection. Here's a Pupienus : 13 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor DonnaML Posted August 6 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted August 6 A very nice collection, @The Ant Man! Here are my earliest and latest antoniniani: 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). Diocletian, AE Antoninianus, 293-294 AD, Antioch Mint (7th Officina). Obv. Radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right, IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG / Rev. Jupiter stdg. left, holding long scepter, presents Victory on globe to Diocletian, CONCORDIA MILITVM; Z in lower middle field (= 7th officina of Antioch mint), XXI in exergue. RIC VI 322 (p. 256), Sear RCV IV 12637, Cohen 34. 20.87 mm., 4.75 g. 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qcumbor Posted August 6 · Supporter Share Posted August 6 Interesting series of antoniniani @The Ant Man, thanks for showing them A few of mine : Q 10 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heliodromus Posted August 6 · Member Share Posted August 6 (edited) 16 hours ago, The Ant Man said: Also to whoever originally posted the Diocletian secret message. I could't find the message anymore. It was referring to your Diocletian "CONSERVATOR AVGG" type from Siscia. Note how your coin has the officina "A" marked in field**, but also an extra letter "I" in the exergue (i.e. not only the XXI = 20:1 purity indication, but XXI.I). If you look at this type for Diocletian, you'll find a few different "extra" letters after the XXI, depending on officina. Officina A (1) has "I", officina B (2) has "O", and officina Γ (3) has "BI". If you put these letters together in order they spell "IOBI". Similarly, on the same type for Maximianus, there is a different set of letters, "HP", "KOY" and "AI", spelling "HPKOYAI". These "secret" words, "IOBI" and "HPKOYAI" are references to the Latin names of the gods Jupiter (IOVI) and Hercules, transliterated into Greek. These gods are associated with Diocletian and Maximianus respectively since this was part of Diocletian's conception of the diarchy/tetrarchy - associating himself, and the eastern imperial house, with the most senior god Jupiter, and associating his junior partner Maximianus, and the western imperial house, with the second most powerful god Hercules. There are quite a few references to these Jupiter/Hercules associations on the tetrarchic coinage, both in terms of individual Jupiter reverse types for Diocletian, and Hercules ones for Maximians, as well as joint references such as this "IOV ET HERCV CONSER AVGG" ant from Antioch. These coded IOBI and HPKOYAI types follow a similar preceding coded "EQVITI" series for Probus. You can read more about these series here: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/NumisWiki/view.asp?key=Codeword ** Note that while the "secret" code letters, on this type, always appear in exergue following the "XXI", the officina letter (A, B or Γ) is variously seen in left or right field, or left or right exergue (all variations exist). Edited August 6 by Heliodromus 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ant Man Posted August 6 · Member Author Share Posted August 6 Here are two xceptional examples of emperors that usually are known for making bad quality coins. Gallienus Rome Mint, 257-258 CE Obverse legend: IMP GALLIENVS AVG Reverse legend: SALVS AVGG Reverse diety: Salus 22mm, 4.42 grams RIC V Gallienus 397C For an emperor who later had to debase his coinage into oblivion, this is a exceptional early example of his earlier coins. While the reverse design is weakly struck. His obverse is well made with great detail. Claudius II Gothicus Antioch Mint: 268-270 CE Obverse legend: IMP C CLAVDUVS AVG Reverse legend: IVNO REGINA Reverse diety: Juno RIC V Claudius II 212 21mm 3.03 grams Claudius Gothicus minted some extremely low quality coins, but this example from the Antioch mint is well made and the desert patina enhanced the details. There are still traces of silvering left. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ant Man Posted August 6 · Member Author Share Posted August 6 10 hours ago, Qcumbor said: Interesting series of antoniniani @The Ant Man, thanks for showing them A few of mine : Q Your Valerian and Gallienus are exceptional. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ant Man Posted August 6 · Member Author Share Posted August 6 19 hours ago, ominus1 said: 2 treats.jfif 15.86 kB · 1 download Blimey, those are some nice Aemilian, one with the same reverse too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ant Man Posted August 6 · Member Author Share Posted August 6 16 hours ago, Sulla80 said: Welcome @The Ant Man - some lovely Antoniniani in your collection. Here's a Pupienus : That is a really nice Pupienus 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dafydd Posted August 6 · Supporter Share Posted August 6 Welcome @The Ant Man You have some amazing coins. Here is my Pupienus. Pupienus, 238. Denarius (Silver, 19 mm, 3.30 g, 11 h), Rome. IMP C M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Pupienus to right. Rev. P M TR P COS II P P Felicitas standing to left, holding caduceus in her right hand and long scepter with her left. BMC 52-54. Cohen 26. RIC 6. Ex - Nomos AG And a Balbinus, Balbinus, 238. Antoninianus (Silver, 23 mm, 5.07 g, 6 h), Rome. IMP CAES D CAEL BALBINVS AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Balbinus to right. Rev. PIETAS MVTVA AVGG Two clasped right hands. BMC 74. Cohen 17. RIC 12. Ex- Nomos AG This is my Aemilian. Not of the quality of yours! Roman Empire Aemilian (Jul-Oct 253) Antoninianus, Rome Obv: IMP AEMILIANVS PIVS FEL AVG Rev: ERCVL VICTORI, Hercules standing r., resting on club and holding bow and lion's skin on left arm. 3.06g, 21-22mm dia. RCV 9832, RSC 13. Good Very Fine and rare. Ex Baldwin, October 2005. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteB Posted August 6 · Member Share Posted August 6 (edited) On 8/5/2024 at 1:09 PM, The Ant Man said: Nice Pupienus unfortunately it is sold. Sorry. I posted the wrong fixed image. It was coin #91. I deleted it. The video is the correct image for #92, but unfortunately, it is a denarius, which is still for sale. Edited August 6 by PeteB correct posting error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ominus1 Posted August 7 · Supporter Share Posted August 7 18 hours ago, The Ant Man said: Blimey, those are some nice Aemilian, one with the same reverse too. ...they are special...they are the work of Carl Becker, one of the most prolific and (in)famous forger, perhaps of all time..:) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ant Man Posted August 7 · Member Author Share Posted August 7 5 hours ago, ominus1 said: ...they are special...they are the work of Carl Becker, one of the most prolific and (in)famous forger, perhaps of all time..:) Well he would have certainly fooled me for sure. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ant Man Posted August 7 · Member Author Share Posted August 7 Here are some more antoninianus. Gordian III Antioch mint: 242-244 CE RIC IV Gordian III 216E Obverse legend: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG Reverse legend: SAECVLI FELICITAS Herennius Etrucus 249-250 CE, Rome Mint RIC IV(III) 147C I swear whoever made the dies of Herennius Etrucus just saw old dies of Gordian III and was like "great idea let's use them". 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ant Man Posted August 8 · Member Author Share Posted August 8 Something not quite an antoninianus but still very interesting. Double Antoninianus Tacitus Antioch Mint, 275-276 CE Obverse legend: IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG Reverse legend: CLEMENTIA TEMP Reverse design: Tacitus, standing right, holding sceptre and receiving globe from Jupiter, standing left, holding sceptre. This is a failed monetary reform attempt of issuing a double antoninianus similar to how the antoninianus was supposed to be a double denarius. The difference is the size and weight were the same as a normal antoninianus but the silver content is doubled to 10% hence the lettering "XI" to indicate 10 parts base to 1 parts silver. This attempted failed because of how similar they are to antoninianus. Interestingly tho, Carus also apparently made double antoninianus, but there are extremely rare and as far as I am aware, only two in existence. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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