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Handheld History

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Handheld History

A haven for enthusiasts and collectors of ancient coins, minerals, and gems

02/24/2026

Inside the museums, | Infinity goes up on trial | Voices echo this is what salvation must be like after a while
Bob Dylan

09/30/2025

In the Eleusinian Mysteries myth, the goddess Baubo cheers up the grieving Demeter, who is searching for her abducted daughter, Persephone, by telling humorous, b***y jokes and then lifting her skirt to flash her ge****ls. This act of unselfconscious, unseemly exposure brings Demeter to a hearty belly laugh, restoring her spirits and allowing her to continue her search, which ultimately leads to Persephone's return and the renewal of the world.

07/04/2025

I love the clean lay out of coincabinet.io. A simple user interface that allows me to quickly show whatever coins I want to show someone in real life without having to grab them. No need for clicking between unorganized photos and pulling attribution details from a spreadsheet or auction site!

04/19/2025

My auction last night was a great success on Whatnot. Special thanks to all who came and participated in my special Good Friday, biblical/holy land-themed auction.

04/16/2025

"Honorius became Augustus of the West at the age of ten at the behest of his father Theodosius I, who was intent on establishing the succession before his death. Given his young age, however, he was assisted by the valiant general Stilicho, who was half Vandal in origin and unlikely to have been aiming for the throne. The East, on the other hand, was entrusted to Honorius's brother Arcadius, and this was home to unrest because the two brothers did not like each other and were both assisted by cunning and manipulative advisers. By now there was no longer talk of a western and eastern part of the empire, but of two separate empires. Theodosius' project of a united empire in solidarity with the barbarian peoples, integrated into the Roman army, had failed. According to some historians Arcadius was the first Byzantine emperor. Stilicho faced great difficulties on the eastern front, mainly due to Alaric's Goths and other tribes crossing into Gaul. The situation precipitated and the Senate refused to pay a large sum of money to Alaric, further accusing Stilicho of conspiring with the enemy and condemning him to death in 408. It was the beginning of the end for the West, because the most valuable politician and general was lost. Honorius resided in Ravenna, where he treacherously attempted to murder Alaric, who was there to renew the 'foedus' with the emperor. This caused him to break off all negotiations and led to the famous 'sack of Rome' in 410, which marked the end of the city as capital. The news of Rome's fall represented a trauma for the empire and the collapse of the certainty of its invincibility. Honorius also did not recognize the marriage between his half-sister Galla Placidia and Ataulf, Alaric's successor. This marriage was strongly desired by the Goths and may have been a response to the crisis in the empire, as Ataulf intended to settle permanently in Roman territories by offering protection to the emperor instead of fighting him. In 413 General Flavius Constantius defeated four usurpers in the western provinces, succeeded in signing a peace treaty with Ataulf, and became associate emperor under the name Constantius III (421) but, unrecognized by the eastern empire, died shortly thereafter. In 423 Honorius also died, marking the final surrender, the birth of the Romano-Barbarian kingdoms and the first steps of medieval history"

Featured coin:

Roman Empire
Honorius (393-423)
AV Solidus, (20mm, 4.25g) Constantinople mint.

Obv: D N HONORIVS P F AVG.
Diademed, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing slightly right, holding spear and shield decorated with horseman motif.

Rev: CONCORDIA AVGG S / CONOB.
Constantinopolis seated facing on throne, head right, with foot set upon prow, holding sceptre and victoriola.

Refs: RIC 8; Depeyrot 55/2.

Annotations: Clipped. Grafito on obverse. A good, affordable VF example.
Available

04/15/2025

This early coin of Marcus Junius Brutus, later known as Q. Servilius Caepio Brutus, refers to the illustrious ancestry of the clan, which included one of the legendary first consuls of the nascent Roman Republic, L. Junius Brutus. Because of his name and reputation for integrity, Brutus was recruited by conspirators against Julius Caesar and became the figurehead leader of the assassins

Featured coin:

Roman Republican
Q. Servilius Caepio (M. Junius) Brutus
AR Denarius (19mm, 3.81 g, 4h)
Rome Mint, 54 BC.

Obv: Head of Libertas right, no jewels in hair. Hairstyle in rounded chignon.

Rev; The consul L. Junius Brutus walking left between two lictors, each carrying axe over shoulder, preceded by an accensus.

Refs: Crawford 433/1; Sydenham 906a; Junia 31a; RBW 1542.

Annotations: Wearing on the LIBERTAS legend. Deeply toned with iridescence. A single minor scratch obverse.

NGC Grading: Ch XF 4/5 | 4/5
SOLD

11/18/2024

Hercules, so strong,
Leader of the muses' song,
Arts in harmony.

"Hercules playing the lyre and the Muses, can be none other than the celebrated statue group by an unknown Greek artist, taken from Ambracia and placed in the Aedes Herculis Musarum, which was erected by M. Fulvius Nobilior in 187 BC after the capture of Ambracia in 189 BC (Plin. NH ###v.66; Ov. Fast. vi.812). By the second century BC Rome had overrun most of Greece and was captivated by Hellenic art and culture, not the least of which was its sculpture. Fulvius is said to have taken the statues to Rome because he learned in Greece that Hercules was a musagetes (leader of the Muses). Remains of this temple have been found in the area of the Circus Flaminius close to the south-west part of the circus itself, and north-west of the porticus Octaviae. An inscription found nearby, ‘M. Fulvius M. f. Ser. n. Nobilior cos. Ambracia cepit;’ may have been on the pedestal of one of the statues. The official name of the temple was Harum aedes, which Servius and Plutarch called Herculis et Musarum aedes." Source: CNG.

Featured Coin:
Roman Republican
Q[uintus] Pomponius Musa.
AR Denarius BC 66 (15mm, 4,11g)

Obv: Q. POMPONI MVSA, diademed head of Apollo right

Rev: HERCVLES MVSARVM, Hercules Musagetes, Conductor of the Muses, standing right, wearing lion skin on shoulders, playing lyre, club to right.

Refs: Crawford 410/1, Babelon (Pomponia) 8, Sydenham 810.
Personal Collection

11/04/2024

"In night's vast canvas,
Orbits dance in her splendor,
Urania's love glows."

Urania, the Muse of astronomy, represents the study of the stars and celestial bodies. Her name means "heavenly" or "of the heavens." Urania is often depicted with a globe and a compass, symbolizing cosmic navigation.

Featured Coin:
Roman Republic
Q[uintus] Pomponius Musa.
AR Denarius BC 66 (18 mm, 4.00 g)

Obv: Laureate head of Apollo, right. Behind, turtle.

Rev: Q•POMPONI / MVSA Urania, the Muse of Astronomy, standing front, head to left, pointing with a wand held in her right hand at a globe set on base.

Refs: Crawford 410/8; Babelon Pomponia 22. Sydenham 823. Sear 359.
Personal Collection

10/28/2024

"Terpsichore glides,
feet whispering secrets to the earth,
the heartbeat of movement, pure and free."

Mother of the Sirens, Terpsichore embodies the art of dance and choral song. Her name is derived from the Greek words "terpsis," meaning "delight," and "choreia," meaning "dance." Often depicted with a lyre, she inspires movement and rhythm, reflecting the joy and beauty of the human experience through dance and music.

Featured Coin:
Roman Republic
Q[uintus] Pomponius Musa.
AR Denarius BC 66 (18 mm, 3.82 g)

Obv: Laureate head of Apollo, right. Behind, turtle.

Rev: Terpsichore standing right, holding round lyre in left hand and plectrum in right. behind MVSA and before, Q·POMPONI.

Refs: Crawford 410/7a; Babelon Pomponia 18. Sydenham 819a. Sear 357.
Personal Collection

10/21/2024

Thalia
"Flourishing with laughs
Smiling eyes under her mask
Wear wreath of applause"

Thalia is the Muse of comedy and idyllic poetry. She is frequently depicted in art as holding a comedy mask. Thalia is often portrayed as the mother of the Corybantes, who were associated with the cult of the goddess Cybele and were known for their orgiastic dances and music.

Featured coin:
Roman Republic
Q[uintus] Pomponius Musa.
AR Denarius BC 66 (19 mm, 3.93 g)

Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right. Behind, sandal.

Rev: Thalia, the Muse of Comedy and Idyllic Poetry, standing left, holding comic mask and resting elbow on column. Q•POMPONI downwards to right, MVSA downwards to left.

Refs: Crawford 410/9b; Babelon (Pomponia) 19. Sydenham 821.
Personal Collection

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