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Andy's Ancient Coin Collection
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Greek bronze, Sear 1636 (minted 400-350 B.C.)
Minted for Maroneia in Thrace. Maroneia was named after Maron, a priest of
Apollo, who features in the Odyssey. Maroneia was well known for the fine quality of
its wine.
Obverse: Horse prancing right, with a monogram below.
Reverse: Linear square containing a vine, with a monogram beneath,
inscribed: MAR ONI TON. Another example |
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Roman silver denarius RSC (Roman Silver Coins)
Trajan #105 (minted AD 114-117)
Obverse: Portrait of Trajan facing right, inscribed: IMP TRAIANO OPTIMO
AVG GER DAC PM TR P, meaning: IMP = Imperator ("commander in chief"), TRAIANO =
Trajan, OPTIMO = Optimo Principi ("best of rulers"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor),
GER = conqueror of Germany, DAC = conqueror of Dacia, PM = Pontifex Maximus, TR P =
Tribunicia Potestas ("power of Tribune")
Reverse: Genius holding a patera and ears of corn, inscribed: COS VI PP
SPQR meaning: COS VI = consul for the 6th time, PP = Pater Patriae ("father of
his country"), SPQR = Senatus Populusque Romanus ("senate and the people of
Rome") Store picture |
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Roman silver denarius RSC (Roman Silver Coins)
Hadrian #1065 (minted AD 117-138)
Obverse: Portrait of Hadrian facing right, inscribed: IMP CAESAR
TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, meaning: IMP = Imperator ("commander in chief"), TRAIAN
HADRIANVS = Hadrian, AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Minerva standing left, holding a spear and sacrificing
from a patera over a tripod, inscribed: PM TR P COS III, meaning: PM = Pontifex Maximus,
TR P = Tribunicia Potestas ("power of Tribune"), COS III = consul for the 3rd
time |
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Roman silvered-bronze denarius, Julia Domna
(minted AD 196-211, 19mm)
Julia Domna was the second wife of Emperor Septimius Severus
Obverse: Portrait of Julia Domna, facing right, inscribed: IVLIA AVGVSTA,
meaning: IVLIA = Julia, AVGVSTA = Empress
Reverse: Fortuna standing left, holding cornucopiae and rudder,
inscribed: FORTVNAE FELICI, meaning: "luck and happiness", or "happy
fate"? |
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Roman bronze Diocletian (minted AD 284-305)
Obverse: Portrait of Diocletian, radial crown facing right, inscribed:
IMP CC VAL DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG, meaning: IMP = Imperator ("commander in chief"),
CC = consul ??, VAL = ?, DIOCLETIANVS = Diocletian, PF = Pius Felix ("dutiful and
wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Diocletian receiving victory on a globe from Jupiter, inscribed:
CONCORDIA MILITVM, meaning: unity of the army. |
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Roman bronze Maximianus (minted AD 285-310 at
Siscia, 19mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Maximianus, laureated facing right, inscribed: IMP
CMA MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, meaning: IMP = Imperator ("commander in chief"), CMA =
Consul ??, MAXIMIANVS = Maximianus, PF = Pius Felix ("dutiful and wise"), AVG =
Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Genius half naked and wearing modius, standing left, holding a
cornucopia and patera, inscribed GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, meaning "Genius of the Roman
people" |
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Roman bronze Constantine I ("The Great")
(minted AD 306-337)
Obverse: Portrait of Constantine, helmeted, laureated, and cuirassed
facing right, inscribed: IMP CONSTANTINVS PF AVG, meaning: IMP = Imperator
("commander in chief"), CONSTANTINVS = Constantine I, PF = Pius Felix
("dutiful and wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor).
Reverse: Two Victories resting on shield inscribed: VOT PR, meaning: VOT
= Votis ("because of the vows"), PR = ?. Circumference inscribed:
VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP, meaning: "Joyful victories of the long-lived
princes" |
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Roman bronze Constantine I ("The Great")
(minted AD 306-337 at Nicomedia, 18mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constantine, diademed and facing right, inscribed:
CONSTANTINVS AVG, meaning: CONSTANTINVS = Constantine, AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Wreath enclosing the inscription VOT X.X, meaning "because
of the vows, a successful 20 years". Circumference inscribed: DN CONSTANTINI
MAX AVG, meaning DN = Dominus Noster ("our lord"), CONSTANTINI = Constantine,
MAX AVG = Augustus (Emperor) |
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Roman bronze Constans (minted AD 333-337, 16mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constans facing left, inscribed: FL I
CONSTANS NOB CAES, meaning: FL I CONSTANS = Flavius Julius Constans, NOB CAES = Nobilitas
Caesar ("royal prince")
Reverse: Two soldiers, standing either side of one standard,
inscribed: GLORIA EXERCITVS, meaning: "glory of the army" |
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Roman bronze Constans (minted AD 337-346, 17mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constans, diademed and facing right,
inscribed: CONSTANS PF AVG, meaning: CONSTANS = Constans, PF = Pius Felix ("dutiful
and wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Two soldiers, standing either side of one standard,
inscribed: GLORIA EXERCITVS, meaning: "glory of the army"
I'm not totally sure about this one. Could be Constantine or Constantius
II. |
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Roman bronze Constantius II (minted AD 330-337 at
Antioch, 16mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constantius II facing right, inscribed: FL IVL
CONSTANTIVS NOB C, meaning: FL IVL CONSTANTIVS = Flavius Julius Constantius, NOB C =
Nobilitas Caesar ("royal prince")
Reverse: Two soldiers, standing either side of two standards, inscribed:
GLORIA EXERCITVS, meaning: "glory of the army" |
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Roman bronze Constantius II (minted AD 330-346 at
Siscia, 16mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constantius II facing right, inscribed: CONSTANTIVS
PF AVG, meaning: CONSTANTIVS = Constantius II, PF = Pius Felix ("dutiful and
wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Two soldiers, standing either side of one standard, with
christogram on standard, inscribed: GLORIA EXERCITVS, meaning: "glory of the
army" |
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Roman bronze Constantius II (minted AD 330-346 at
Thessalonika, 16mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constantius II facing right, inscribed: CONSTANTIVS
PF AVG, meaning: CONSTANTIVS = Constantius II, PF = Pius Felix ("dutiful and
wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Two soldiers, standing either side of one standard, with
christogram on standard, inscribed: GLORIA EXERCITVS, meaning: "glory of the
army" |
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Roman bronze half-centenionalis Constantius II
(minted AD 348-361 at Siscia, 18mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constantius II facing right, inscribed DN
CONSTANTIVS PF AVG, meaning: DN = Dominus Noster ("our lord"), CONSTANTIVS =
Constantius II, PF = Pius Felix ("dutiful and wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Soldier spearing fallen Persian horseman, inscribed: FEL TEMP
REPARATIO, meaning: "the restoration of happy times" |
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Roman bronze half-centenionalis Constantius II
(minted AD 348-361 at Siscia, 18mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constantius II facing right, inscribed DN
CONSTANTIVS PF AVG, meaning: DN = Dominus Noster ("our lord"), CONSTANTIVS =
Constantius II, PF = Pius Felix ("dutiful and wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Soldier spearing fallen Persian horseman, inscribed: FEL TEMP
REPARATIO, meaning: "the restoration of happy times" |
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Roman bronze Constantius II (minted AD 348-361 at
Sirmium, 16mm)
Obverse: Portrait of Constantius II facing right, inscribed DN
CONSTANTIVS PF AVG, meaning: DN = Dominus Noster ("our lord"), CONSTANTIVS =
Constantius II, PF = Pius Felix ("dutiful and wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Soldier spearing fallen Persian horseman, inscribed: FEL TEMP
REPARATIO, meaning: "the restoration of happy times"
This one is an odd size for this type, and the obverse legend isn't complete,
so I'm not sure about this attribution. |
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Roman bronze Gratian (minted AD 367-383 at Siscia)
Obverse: Portrait of Gratian facing right, inscribed: DN GRATIANVS PF
AVG, meaning: DN = Dominus Noster ("our lord"), GRATIANVS = Gratian, PF = Pius
Felix ("dutiful and wise"), AVG = Augustus (Emperor)
Reverse: Gratian walking right, holding standard and dragging a captive,
inscribed: GLORIA ROMANORVM, meaning: "glory of the Romans" |
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I'm not sure what this is. There's almost no
inscription on it. On the obverse side we see an Emperor wearing a radial crown,
facing right. On the reverse, we have what looks like a female diety standing left,
holding a cornucopiae in her left hand and a spear in her right. The inscription on
the reverse probably read: VICTORIA AVG. |
Here are some fakes that we brought back from Turkey
(thinking they were real of course)
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Fake Greek bronze. The obverse is a bust of
Hercules in a lion-skin headdress. The reverse shows Zeus seated, holding an eagle.
Note that the counterfeiter went to the trouble to glue dirt into the coin. Here's a real one, in silver. |
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Fake Roman bronze, attributed to HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS
PP (Hadrian) |
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Fake Byzantine bronze. Like the counterfeit
Greek coin above, note the dirt on the surface |
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