Furryfrog's Top 10 for 2019

With the Baltimore Whitman winter show over and no more coin shows to attend in 2019, I do not anticipate getting any more coins for the year. I figured I would get ahead of the game and post my top 10 for the year.

2019 was my first full year of collecting ancients and while I have found a few things that really interest me, I still haven't found a dedicated "This is what I want to focus on" thing as is evidenced in my Top 10.

These are in no particular order besides the order that they are in my folder so I will write a little blurb about why it made the Top 10.

Without further ado:

1)
This was offered to me at a show earlier in the year but I instead chose to buy something more costly (which also made the top 10) and leave this one behind. I really liked it and was super excited when, a few months later, it was still available.

Carthage, Zeugitana
Circa 300-264 BC
AE 20mm
Obverse: Head of Tanit left, wearing wreath of grain ears
Reverse: Horse's head right; dot before

2)
This was given to me by @Randy Abercrombie and is officially FFIII's first ancient coin. It will always have a place of honor in our collection and I hope that some day it will spark an interest in history and coin collecting in FFIII.

Constantine X
class E anonymous follis
1059-1067 AD
Obverse: IC-XC to left and right of bust of Christ, nimbate, facing, holding book of Gospels in both hands
Reverse: IS XS bAS-ILE bAS-ILE in three lines, -+- above, -crescent- below


3) I won this in Frank Robinson's auction over the summer. It is a beautiful coin and has one of my favorite reverses for any coin: Victory. I am a sucker for anything with Victory on it.

Gordian III
AR Antoninianus
Obverse: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right
Reverse: VICTORIA AVG, Victory advancing left with wreath & palm.


4) I picked this up from Harlan J. Berk's "junk pile" at the Baltimore Whitman winter show. This thing is a beast. Easily the biggest and heaviest coin in my collection. It also has about a 90 degree clockwise rotation on the reverse that is not easily captured in the picture. Maruice Tiberius was pretty awesome too IMO. After listening to "The History Of Byzantium" podcast, I really took a liking to him. He was a strong military leader who was finally able to claim victory over the Persian Sasanids.

Maurice Tiberius
582-602 AD
AE Follis
Constantinople
Obverse: DN MAVRIC TIBER PP AVG, Helmeted and cuirassed bust facing, holding cross on globe and shield
Reverse: Large M, ANNO to left, cross above, regnal year 9, officina Γ below; mintmark CON.



5) I picked this up from Frank Robinson's fixed price list. I didn't really know what I was getting when I bought it but I was really happy when I arrived. It is a nice thick flan and has an interesting stylized bust on the obverse and the fire altar on the reverse.

Gadhaiya Paisa
Drachm
ca: 1000 AD
Obverse: Sassanian style bust right
Reverse: Fire Altar

6) This is the coin that beat out the first coin on my list. I originally had the Carthage in my "to buy" pile along with a few others, but then this was brought out and I decided that I would rather have this one coin than the 3 or 4 others. I love denari and I didn't have one of Nerva so it was nice to add to my "5 Good Emperors" list. He has a great portrait as well with a massive hook nose! I'm not sure, but I think I may have overpaid at $95 for him. This is the most expensive ancient I have purchased and I had a bit of a heart attack when I handed over the cash. But in the end, I really like it.

Nerva
Denarius
Struck 96 AD
Obverse: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P COS II P P, laureate head right
Reverse: AEQVITAS AVGVST, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae.


7) This coin was gifted to me by @Sallent from one of @John Anthony's auctions. He gifted it with the intention of getting me and my kids more hooked on ancients and it definitely did the trick. This was my daughter's first ancient coin. She kept showing it off to the pets and her stuffed animals. What also makes this coin a "Top 10" is that it rounded out the Severus Family denari set. We now have Dad, mom, and both sons.

Septimius Severus
AR Denarius
Emesa Mint
AD 193
Obverse: IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, laureate head right
Reverse: FORT REDVC, Fortuna-Pax, polos on head, seated left, holding branch and cornucopiae.


8) I really liked this coin for the great looking crab. It was a must buy for me since I live in Maryland and this state seems to revolve around crabs (even though I have never been to a crab boil).

Akragas, Sicily
c425-406 BC
AE Tetras
Obverse: AKΡA, eagle, with head lowered, standing right on hare; crab behind
Reverse: Crab, crayfish left below; three dots below crab


9) I won this from the Frank Robinson summer auction and was really happy with it. I am in the Navy so Poseidon/Neptune has a special place in my heart. I put a low bid on it and was surprised that I won. IMO the coin is way better than the pictures that were on the auction page - perhaps that is the reason I won?

Syracuse, Sicily
Hieron II
275-215 BC
AE19
Obverse: Head of Poseidon left
Reverse: IEΡΩNOΣ, Trident between two dolphins.


10) There isn't anything particularly special about this Trajan denarius but I absolutely love the portrait and I was beyond happy to get this coin. Trajan is my 2nd favorite emperor just behind his adopted son, Hadrian.

Trajan
Denarius
115-116 AD
Obverse: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC, laureate bust right with bare chest, folds of aegis on shoulder front and back
Reverse: PM TRP COS VI PP SPQR, Bonus Eventus standing left, holding patera and wheat ears.

 

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Awesome coins! Please provide us the mm or a comparison photo with a quarter or something next to it to help us understand how big that beast is.

I'm going to have to go with #2 as my favorite. I've got a handful of ancient coins, with several busts of Christ, and hope to add to that collection down the road.

 

Nice ones, @furryfrog02 ! My favorites are the Emesa mint Severus, the Trajan and the Nerva -- but I'm kinda partial to Roman coins. I hope 2020 is good to you, to FFJr, and to your collection.

 

You talking about the size for #4?

 

I do love Roman coins but you can't deny that the Greeks had some amazing artist talent. Their engravers were top notch!

 

Yes. I'm always intrigued by large coins.

 

Awesome top 10 list @furryfrog02 . Glad you are enjoying the one I gifted you. It's always good to hear feedback, especially when the feedback is that the coin got you and your family even more into ancient coins, which was my intention.

 

nice bunch ff..i dont reckon i'll be getting any more either...

 

Every time we pull the book of ancients out, my daughter asks to see her coin

 

Then you’d better get your top 10 list started

 

Ok, when I get home from work tomorrow I will get some pictures for you.

 

Nice coins @furryfrog02 . My favorites are.

#6 - A very handsome portrait of Nerva and I think you got it for a good price.

#4 - Big ol’ coins are fun.

#3 - Nice reverse with quality engraving on both obverse and reverse dies.

Congrats on a great year!

 

Great buying furryfrog02, very nice diverse set of coins all great in their own right but I love Your Nerva Denarius and off course you can't go past the Iconic Akragas Tetras. Congrats.

 

Great list FF, I enjoyed it. My favourite is your Nerva, which has a beautiful early portrait with a great deal of Domitian in the features along with the epic nose. Definitely a decent price for the condition imo.

 

What an amazing first year... well done! I think my favourite is the humongous Maurice follis. Is it overstruck on an earlier coin? A close second would be @Sallent's generous gift - a very appealing Emesa portrait on that coin, I love it.

Congrats on your healthy new addiction, and to FFIII too!

 

Nerva is fine but #8 is my favorite. I have always liked the dining eagle series. I lived in Maryland for 23 years and only had crabs a couple times. I will never forget getting them for my then 6 yo daughter and a couple of her friends and having to work hard helping them get to the meat. They are probably more fun if you get to eat some yourself.

 

Nice batch of coins, FF02 - I like the breadth of that collection. I like them all, but the Maurice Tiberius follis especially - there is something about those big, somewhat sloppy, somewhat elegant Byzantine bronzes that really appeal to me.

Here is one from Nicomedia, one of my '19 finds:



Maurice Tiberius Æ Follis
Year 8 (589-590 A.D.)
Nicomedia Mint
N MAV TIb PP, helmeted and cuirassed bust facing w/ globus, cruciger and shield / Large M, ANNO left; regnal year ς II (8) right, cross above, Officina B below; NIKO in exergue.
SB 512; MIB 75D var.
(11.19 grams / 30 x 28 mm)

 

Love all of them FF, my two faves would be #3, The obverse portrait is superb and reverse isn’t so bad either. And #1, Just seems to ooze quality, don’t know why but it really appeals to me.
Bravo.

 

I’m partial to the Nerva and Akragas, but that’s altogether a very nice list and a great way to chalk up your first full year in ancients. It’s such a diverse selection of coins that I’m already keen to see how your and FFIVN’s collections develop next year.

 

Congrats on a great ensemble for the year! Your son will ejoys these for years to come. I like them all. Carthage and Akragas are two coins that I am attracted to. Looking forward to your son’s contributions for 2020.