If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Ancient coin identification- HELP!
A friend asked me identify a coin he had inherited which he assumed
was Roman. Since I've had a little experience with Roman coins, I thought I'd be able to do it, but I've never seen the likes of this coin and I was wondering if someone here could help me. It's dark and about the size of a quarter. The obverse has a picture of a bushy-bearded man facing right. He looks like Zeus or Neptune. To the left of the head is what looks like a long branch of palms perhaps. To the right of the head is a snake coiled around a staff and above that is the letter "L" with a smaller letter "I" sitting between the two lines of the letter "L". On the reverse is a man standing on a little mound facing towards the left with his right arm upraised. In his left hand is a shield. Letters begin near the bottom left and go clockwise. They are "PMTPPX". On the right side of the coin going down are the letters "HCOSIYP". At least they look like those letters. The "I" is slanted and the "Y" is kind of odd looking. And that's all that's on the coin. It's in very good condition and all the pictures are raised up. Any ideas? |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
|
#3
|
|||
|
|||
|
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Harold wrote:
"PM is Pontifex Maximus, which I thought stood for high priest." Here's a good explanation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontifex_Maximus Anka |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Didn't the tetradrachms of Roman Egypt have Greek legends? If so, this
translation would not work. A picture would solve this question in a hurry! - John A. "Michael E. Marotta" wrote in message ... All of this is conjectural without a picture to go by. The coin is from Alexandria in Egypt under Roman rule. L I stands for Year 10. Iota is 10. PM is Pontifex Maximus, the guy in charge of all the bridges in Rome and a title still held by the Pope. TRP X means Tripotens 10. "Thrice-powerful" being an honorific granted by the Senate, in this case for the 10th time, which corresponds to the Year 10 of Rule. COS is short for CONSUL and if IY is really IV, the fourth of successive 2-year consulships would square with this being the 10th year of reign. Unless it is the IX 9th year of 1-year rubberstamps. The "H" means nothing offhand without more letters. I am surprised that there is not another inscription or more words. The emperor's name is pretty much a requirement. The obverse image sounds like Aesculapius, the god of Health and Medicine. Certainly those are his implements. The snake on a staff is his symbol and is still seen today. The reverse image might be Apollo seated on the Omphalos of the World, but he wouldn't be carrying a shield, though a lyre perhaps. Again, however, Roman emperors usually put themselves on the obverse. So, it is hard to say... Michael ANA R-162953 MSNS 7935 |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Actually, I did find a picture of it on the internet and I guess I got
a few of the letters wrong. You were all correct about the god depicted. Check it out- http://www.coinsofromanegypt.org/htm...s/fantasy.html The only thing is it's listed under the category of "fantasy", but I don't know what that means. Is it this coin collector's fantasy to own this coin or is the coin a modern fantasy piece, a la dungeons and dragons pieces? I still don't have any information about it though, i.e. When was it minted, the meaning of all the letters, the value. Very confusing. "John A." wrote in message nk.net... Didn't the tetradrachms of Roman Egypt have Greek legends? If so, this translation would not work. A picture would solve this question in a hurry! - John A. "Michael E. Marotta" wrote in message ... All of this is conjectural without a picture to go by. The coin is from Alexandria in Egypt under Roman rule. L I stands for Year 10. Iota is 10. PM is Pontifex Maximus, the guy in charge of all the bridges in Rome and a title still held by the Pope. TRP X means Tripotens 10. "Thrice-powerful" being an honorific granted by the Senate, in this case for the 10th time, which corresponds to the Year 10 of Rule. COS is short for CONSUL and if IY is really IV, the fourth of successive 2-year consulships would square with this being the 10th year of reign. Unless it is the IX 9th year of 1-year rubberstamps. The "H" means nothing offhand without more letters. I am surprised that there is not another inscription or more words. The emperor's name is pretty much a requirement. The obverse image sounds like Aesculapius, the god of Health and Medicine. Certainly those are his implements. The snake on a staff is his symbol and is still seen today. The reverse image might be Apollo seated on the Omphalos of the World, but he wouldn't be carrying a shield, though a lyre perhaps. Again, however, Roman emperors usually put themselves on the obverse. So, it is hard to say... Michael ANA R-162953 MSNS 7935 |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
We must be careful how quick we are to call something a fake just because we have not seen one. I value this coin to be 750.00 us because of its rarity. |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
|
#10
|
|||
|
|||
i am new to this sight cause i have this coin as well and i have been lookn for years for what this coin is so if anybody has any other info other then it being fantasy would be great how is it fantasy when more and more people are turning up with them
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
How to avoid getting cheated on eBay -- periodic post | Reid Goldsborough | Coins | 29 | July 16th 04 03:22 PM |
How to select a coin holder -- periodic post | Reid Goldsborough | Coins | 0 | March 14th 04 05:35 PM |
Counterfeit detection primer -- periodic post | Reid Goldsborough | Coins | 51 | February 15th 04 12:36 AM |
How to avoid getting cheated on eBay - periodic post | Reid Goldsborough | Coins | 1 | August 16th 03 01:30 AM |