...has just agained access into the Æthelingian collection. And with him comes another deity, this time the goddess Minerva (note the owl at her feet). So that's two gods now in the collection. I wonder who'll turn up next?






Minerva joins Jupiter; (with Septimus Severus)





and a totally none related coin of Antoninus Pius as it doesn't have the deity connection whatsoever, this one got in because it's pretty (nice tone);





All Denarii so far. Although i have a Follis of Licinius I depixcting Jupiter on the reverse, this is intended as a pocket piece.

As you'll note the first two coins are quite capably filling in for three colletions. Firstly a deity collection, secondly an emperor collection and thirdly they are part of a larger 'by century' collection.

Even though I have a gathering of Roman coins myself, I honestly know next to nothing about them. I've got a couple of books and I have to say that for me they have proven to be the best soporific I have discovered to date. Me and Roman coinage....I saw...I read..I fell asleep.

A couple of weeks ago I posted an image of a few denarii I have on alt.binaries.pictures.numismatic. Two different deniers from three different emperors. It was afterwards when I looked at the reverses in the image that I noticed for the first time that for each emperor, one coin was in coin rotation, and the other one was in medal rotation. Spooky!! Esapecially having picked the three emperors in question completely at random.

So, is there a significance to coin vs medal rotation in relation to Roman coins? Should we be noting whether the coins we have are in medal or coin rotation ? Is it possible that you could find same coin design in both rotations? Personally I presume that you can't, but I just don't know for sure (i've never been able to get that far in the books). I'm just intrigued to note that some coins were struck in coin and yet others were struck in medal. Something that just hadn't hit me before in relation to Roman coins.

I won't bore with images on this occasion. :-)

Ian

Romans come in all rotations in my experience. I've handled several Mark Antony denarii with 0º, 30º, 180º and 270º die alignments.

I had also noticed the rotation. I treat all coins as if they are in coin rotation (unless i know better) and thus i hold them at the sides and rotate the top to the bottom. I was amazed to find that some lined up correctly in coin rotation and evern more so when i found some in medal rotation!

I had honestly expected them to be like medieval coins, i.e rotations no important and all over the shop.

I am beginning to realise though that Roman coins are more like modern (or early modern) coins than medieval! Spooky.


I can say nothing of Greek at the moment though, because Greek really isn't capturing my imagination much. The reason why is because i can't relate to the history behind the coins yet, so therefore i can't appreciate the coins. Sure they're pretty, but who wants pretty?*

*Athenian Owls i can take exception to because i have studied a very brief overview of Athenian history before, Pesistratus (sp?), Cleisthenes, Solon etc. (Although i'm honest that i can't remember much about it at all!) But having studied it before i can appreciate a feeling for the times behind the coins. Which is to me the whole point of collecting coins.


So until i can find the time to pick up a book on Greek history i'll not be getting much Greek wise.

Owning an Athenian Owl is like having a very desirous and passionate relationship with a feminine attraction beyond compare... Afterwards you cannot think of anything else, all else is so ordinary