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sulla80
Sep 19, 20202 min read
A Tetradrachm of Philip II of Macedonia (almost)
Compared with a Roman republican denariius, my latest coin seems impressively large and three dimensional. This is not a Macedonian...
133 views
sulla80
Sep 19, 20204 min read
Father of the Country
"Whenever you desire to cheer yourself, think upon the merits of those who are alive with you; the energy of one, for instance, the...
46 views
sulla80
Sep 19, 20204 min read
Transition of Power
Democracy is fragile. The Roman Republic became an autocratic empire when loyalty to individuals became more important than the rule of...
49 views
sulla80
Sep 19, 20203 min read
Dating Caracalla
No, not that "Dating" I realize my title may be a bit ambiguous, this thread has nothing to do with Caracalla's love life, or Plautilla...
17 views
sulla80
Sep 19, 20201 min read
Aristotle on Mytilene
Aristotle lived on Mytilene during the period in which these coins were minted. The dates are variously reported, somewhere between...
43 views
sulla80
Sep 19, 20201 min read
Invite to a Birthday
During the time of Trajan in Roman Britain, AD 97-103, this is what an invitation to a birthday party looked like. From Vindolanda, a...
13 views
sulla80
Sep 19, 20203 min read
Greeks, Wolves, and Cleopatra?
Public Domain Image Some of my favorite coins have been random auction finds, rather than the result of careful planning. This coin is in...
24 views
sulla80
Sep 19, 20205 min read
Prusias II and the Roman Republic
Prusias II, King of Bithynia, Reduced to Begging (Public Domain Image, with thanks to the Getty Museum Open Content Program) In a...
92 views
sulla80
Sep 19, 20203 min read
Sibylline Books
Suetonius, Julius Caesar, 79.3 The Sibylline books were consulted by Romans from the time of the republic through to the end of the...
57 views
sulla80
Sep 11, 20204 min read
Romans vs. Parthians
After a number of diversions in Anatolia, and a bit of a Roman Republican drought, this week I added another Roman Republican coin to my...
60 views
sulla80
Sep 8, 20203 min read
Cappadocia : Vespasian Hemidrachm
With the evolving global pandemic, it seems unlikely that much leisure travel will be part of my near term plans. The phrase, "may you...
26 views
sulla80
Sep 7, 20204 min read
Make Haste Slowly
Today's coin of interest starts with a symbol that takes on new meaning as we move from a mosaic in the Trident House in Delos, Greece...
201 views
sulla80
Sep 7, 20203 min read
Mt. Argaeus, Gordian III, and Shapur I
In the words of Tom Petty, “even the losers get lucky sometimes”. You have to love an auction where you lose and still get the coin you ...
43 views
sulla80
Sep 7, 20204 min read
Perseus, St. Paul, and Antoninus Pius
What do Perseus, St. Paul, and Antoninus Pius have in common? My coin of interest this week is another AE from Asia Minor, the Roman...
52 views
sulla80
Sep 7, 20203 min read
Tropaion : Turning Point to Victory
This "Greek" coin from Pergamon is the coin of interest for this week. Mysia, Pergamon, 159-133 BC, Æ (16.6mm,5.36g, 12h) Obv: Helmeted...
51 views
sulla80
Sep 6, 20204 min read
Between a rock and a hard place
I will start the story of this coin with Homer's Odyssey, and the passage where Odysseus and his crew are navigating between Charybdis, a...
30 views
sulla80
Sep 6, 20202 min read
Roma, She-wolf and Twins
It's been a while since I last purchased a Roman republican coin. Although my interest hasn't moved away - the coins that I am looking...
65 views
sulla80
Sep 6, 20203 min read
Pontic Olbia: Greek and Scythian
Greeks and Scythians were different cultures, my most recent coin comes from the intersection of these cultures at Olbia. Plutarch shares...
293 views
sulla80
Sep 6, 20204 min read
The Votive Deposit in Field 49
As I was updating this post, written earlier this year, I stumbled on a 2014 blog entry with a photo that seems to be the two votive...
29 views
sulla80
Sep 6, 20202 min read
A Rare Roman Provincial
Rare is not rare in Roman Provincials, and affordable condition and rarity are benefits of wandering off the most well worn paths of...
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