sulla80
Which Ptolemy is this?
Roman republican denarii are pretty easy to attribute - for most types, there are lots of them, and there's been a lot of research...
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sulla80
- Nov 20, 2022
- 6 min
Top 10 for 2022
"CXXXII. The offering is to be made in this way: Offer to Jupiter Dapalis a cup of wine of any size you wish, observing the day as a...
189 views
sulla80
- Nov 16, 2022
- 3 min
Tiberius' Cucumbers
Wandering again from Sulla, and the Roman republic, I stumbled on a debate amongst botanists about Tiberius' favorite food. The ancient...
87 views
sulla80
- Nov 5, 2022
- 3 min
Provenance Rediscovered
This week a short post to share this coin - a rare and unusually well preserved tetradrachm from Gallienus' 15th and final regnal year....
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sulla80
- Aug 13, 2022
- 2 min
Who's bidding?
Have you ever asked yourself: who are the collectors that I am bidding against? A search in ACSearch turned up some interesting...
130 views
sulla80
- May 16, 2022
- 6 min
Roman Interference in Egypt
During the time of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Rome was already beginning to interfere in the governance of Egypt. Cicero references an...
30 views
sulla80
- Mar 17, 2022
- 5 min
Nero, "Periodonikes"
Nero was a fan of Greek Athletics. He tried to set up the Neronia, a Roman counterpart of the Olympics and other Pan-Hellenic festivals...
80 views
sulla80
- Feb 27, 2022
- 5 min
Antiochus IV "Egyptianizing"
The coin I initially used to illustrate this was pretty ugly, nearly unidentifiable. I have since replaced it with a much nicer coin:...
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sulla80
- Nov 7, 2021
- 2 min
Ancient artwork
This week I am adding an extra "Note" commemorating 3 years of "Notes on Ancient Coins" and post number 160. The photos celebrate the...
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sulla80
- Jul 18, 2021
- 4 min
Galatians in Egypt
The struggle for power was intense in the years after the death of Alexander III the Great, as the diadochi, his generals and successors,...
104 views
sulla80
- Jun 11, 2021
- 3 min
Gallienus Regnal Year 8
Image source: Promptuarii iconum insigniorum, AD 1553 I've been looking for this coin for about a year (since April/May 2020) to...
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sulla80
- Apr 17, 2021
- 3 min
Coins from the Dattari Collection
Today's coins of interest are both published "plate coins" from the Giovanni Dattari collection. For an excellent article on Giovanni...
121 views
sulla80
- Apr 10, 2021
- 3 min
Ptolemaic Coins of Egypt
I have quite a few Roman provincial Egyptian coins, but have not ventured much earlier into the Ptolemaic era. This first coin is one...
114 views
sulla80
- Mar 21, 2021
- 2 min
69 AD - The Year of Four Emperors
This silver tetradrachm from Alexandria, Egypt, of Vespasian finally made it through the mail system after a couple of months. It dates...
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sulla80
- Feb 27, 2021
- 3 min
Galba : First of Four Emperors in 69 AD
Dionysos leading the Horae (Seasons), marble, Roman 1st century AD (image public domain) My coin of interest today is a tetradrachm of...
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sulla80
- Dec 8, 2020
- 4 min
Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt
The mailman brought an interesting tetradrachm that highlights the detailed inspection that can be required to differentiate between...
97 views
sulla80
- Nov 22, 2020
- 6 min
Top 10 for 2020
While it is possible that one more coin might show up this year, it seems unlikely that I will displace any of the coins listed below, so...
38 views
sulla80
- Oct 11, 2020
- 2 min
Hadrian's statue of Osiris Hydreios
"Nile water had always played an important role in the cults of Sarapis-Osiris and Isis. Both he and Isis were believed to summon...
86 views
sulla80
- Sep 26, 2020
- 4 min
Hope by any other name...
Public Domain: Painting by John William Waterhouse (1847-1917) Elpis (ἐλπίς) with a flower in hand is depicted on this Alexandrian...
28 views
sulla80
- Sep 19, 2020
- 4 min
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...
27 views
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