My latest acquisition- Roman Provincial of Augustus

Hi everyone,

I just received my latest auction win from the Classical Numismatic
Group sale, and I decided to try again with my coin photography so I
could share it with you. The photo is he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23911267@N06/2536988949/

Reverse is slightly blurred- sorry, that's the best I could do over
many tries- but I think it's not too terrible.

The coin is a provincial dupondius issued under Augustus in the city
of Sabratha in the North African province of Syrtica (currently part
of Libya). Syrtica was not a particularly important city, but there
are apparently some well-preserved ruins there, and it is designated
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city was founded by
Phoenicians, and the obverse makes this clear with an inscription in
Punic lettering (naming a local magistrate) and the depiction of the
god Ba'al-Melqart. The reverse, however, makes it clear that the
Romans are in charge now, with the bust of Augustus, laurel wreath,
CAESAR inscription, and to the right a small lituus (a staff used by
augurs in their ceremonies, and possibly a reference to Augustus' role
as Pontifex Maximus- head priest of all Roman religion.) Quite a
nice coin overall, plus there is just something in Ba'al-Melqart's
portrait that appeals to me. Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

-Robert A. DeRose, Jr.

On May 30, 9:07�pm, wrote:
Hi everyone,

I just received my latest auction win from the Classical Numismatic
Group sale, and I decided to try again with my coin photography so I
could share it with you. �The photo is he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23911267@N06/2536988949/

Reverse is slightly blurred- sorry, that's the best I could do over
many tries- but I think it's not too terrible.

The coin is a provincial dupondius issued under Augustus in the city
of Sabratha in the North African province of Syrtica (currently part
of Libya). �Syrtica was not a particularly important city, but there
are apparently some well-preserved ruins there, and it is designated
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. � The city was founded by
Phoenicians, and the obverse makes this clear with an inscription in
Punic lettering (naming a local magistrate) and the depiction of the
god Ba'al-Melqart. �The reverse, however, makes it clear that the
Romans are in charge now, with the bust of Augustus, laurel wreath,
CAESAR inscription, and to the right a small lituus (a staff used by
augurs in their ceremonies, and possibly a reference to Augustus' role
as Pontifex Maximus- head priest of all Roman religion.) � Quite a
nice coin overall, plus there is just something in Ba'al-Melqart's
portrait that appeals to me. �Hope you enjoy as much as I do!

-Robert A. DeRose, Jr.

Hi, Robert!

Nice find! Isn't it amazing that *most* imperial subjects are readily
identifiable by their coin portraits, even ones created in the
provinces? There are a few here and there that deviate from the
ideal, I suppose, but your Augustus is not one of them. I can't say,
however, that Ba'al's portrait is appealing. Scary, maybe. ;-)

Was this a CNG auction item?

By the way, I thought of you as I browsed VCoins this morning.
There's a slew of Parthians listed as new under Canmoose Coins.

Thanks for sharing...

~Anka

On Jun 1, 9:33*pm, Anka wrote:

Hi, Robert!

Nice find! *[snip]. *I can't say,
however, that Ba'al's portrait is appealing. *Scary, maybe. *;-)

I think it's the eye combined with the expression around the mouth- it
looks like he's slightly smiling. Oh well, I guess it's in the eye of
the beholder. One person looks at the Mona Lisa and thinks, "She is
smiling because she is thinking of her lover," while another viewer
thinks, "She has indigestion from a heavy lunch."


Was this a CNG auction item?

Yes, Sale 78, lot 1541. This sale featured a ton (roughly) of
provincial coins of Augustus. The first part of the Augustus
collection- non-provincial coins- was in their previous sale. I put
in a few bids on that, and as usual got outbid on all. But I got
luckier this time, I guess because provincial coins are
underappreciated by many other collectors.

By the way, I thought of you as I browsed VCoins this morning.
There's a slew of Parthians listed as new under Canmoose Coins.

Thanks for sharing...

~Anka

And thanks for reminding me to check VCoins- I hadn't done so in a
couple of weeks and didn't see the new Parthians. I ended up buying
one of the new listings there, which I probably wouldn't have seen
otherwise until someone else snatched it up! So thank you, Anka!

-Robert A. DeRose, Jr.

wrote in message
...
On Jun 1, 9:33 pm, Anka wrote:

Hi, Robert!

Nice find! [snip]. I can't say,
however, that Ba'al's portrait is appealing. Scary, maybe. ;-)

I think it's the eye combined with the expression around the mouth- it
looks like he's slightly smiling. Oh well, I guess it's in the eye of
the beholder. One person looks at the Mona Lisa and thinks, "She is
smiling because she is thinking of her lover," while another viewer
thinks, "She has indigestion from a heavy lunch."

Gas




--
*
/?\
/___\
-O=O-
^
AS & His Magic Hat

A conclusion is simply the place
where you decided to stop thinking.
-Robert A. DeRose, Jr.