KoRnholio Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Bought a man's collection earlier today, it had a few ancients in it and I am not too familiar with them and would just like to check with others here. Sorry in advance for the poor photos, they came out rather dark, in hand both are very silvery (too silvery even?). The first coin he had attributed as Gordian III. It weighs 4.53g. I have a similar type and it looks good to me, although perhaps overcleaned a bit. It also has a coinage (rather than medal) die axis orientation. I don't recall ever handling a Roman coin with that die axis. All the ones I can remember have been more or less a medal alignment, within a reasonable margin of error of perhaps 40 degrees in each direction. This second coin he had attributed as a silver siglos of King Xerxes, Circa 480-450 BC. It weighs 5.53g. It too looks overcleaned slightly. The 3rd photo is a side view, the flan is quite fat. I couldn't find anything that looked like this on my favorite ancients seller's website, but it does somewhat resemble a number of Royal Persian Coinage. ca. 450 to 330 BC. Silver Siglos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Art Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Nice pickups. I don't have any information of use except that I really like them especially that little silver guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NumisMattic2200 Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 The first one is just a Gordian III Antoninianus with Laetitia reverse, "IMP GORDIANUS PIVS FEL AUG : LAETITIA AUG N" The spiky wreath defines it as an ant., or double denarius. http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/sear5/s8675.html#RIC_0113 Second coin, is odd... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoRnholio Posted October 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 One more slightly better photo: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KoRnholio Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Did a little Vcoins searching and this is the only thing close that I found. The large lips/lips, and round areas under the arms look quite similar. PERSIA. Achaemenid Empire. Time of Artaxerxes I - Darius III: AR Siglos http://www.vcoins.com/ancient/marcantica/s...p?idProduct=956 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccg Posted October 11, 2009 Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 Nice pieces. The siglo is fine. The only two I've seen both have that bean-ish kind of look (small thick oval flan) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougsmit Posted October 12, 2009 Report Share Posted October 12, 2009 Both look normal and overcleaned as is common for both types of these common coins. Roman coins come in all variations of die axis. I currently have 27 Gordian III examples with 13 'medal' and 14 'coin' orientation (more or less - some are 1 o'clock etc. rather than really upright). Gordian III The Persian silver sigloi were issued for a couple hundred years. Styles vary; workmanship really varies. Students attempt to force them into date periods by comparing styles and details (like whether the king has a spear or a dagger) but a lot of this is educated guessing. Collectors prefer coins with the whole king on the flan but these were turned out at a fast pace and that is not always found. My page on them was from the early period of my website when I had little to say: Running Kings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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