Do you have a rare ancient coin?

I have read that in the old days serious collectors valued rarity more than most modern collectors who tend to concentrate on condition. An interesting rarity that is not in high grade is, today, probably not in high demand.

Nevertheless, I am still somewhat interested in rarities if they overlap my other collecting interests. When I saw this coin I immediately thought it was rare because I did not recognize the reverse and I have read the relevant references. I made an offer which was accepted.



Philip I, 244-249 AD. 19 mm. 4.93 grams. 6:00. Antioch mint.
The obverse is known, but the reverse is not in the major reference works. The seller knew it was "unpublished" and not in Butcher "Coinage in Roman Syria" nor McAlee "Coins of Roman Antioch" which are modern references attempting to be complete. He noted that CNG had offered an example (which many sellers would not have admitted)

http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=166229

So, it is rare, and maybe even in numismatic lingo "semi-unique" (only two known). The condition is not great, but the rare reverse is pleasing.

I invite you to share images and the stories of any rarities you may have, regardless of condition.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

oh nice, what a sweet looking coin. never seen anything with a reverse like that.

this Caracalla coin is published, but pretty rare..





this Elagabalus coins is unpublished, many similar coins but not just like it....

 

I have nothing rare, but the problem is people/ sellers throw around the word rare simply to make the coin sound better. It gets to the point that unless you know exactly what is rare, everything could be rare.

 

Rare is indeed overused, but here are a few coins from my collection which meet the vague definition:

Akragas obol, known from one pair of dies, and a very small number of examples: (Full thread here)



Oinoanda didrachm, one of four known from the first pair of dies: (Full thread here)



Colosseum sestertius, of the earliest type known from just one pair of dies with six examples available to private collectors: (Full thread here)



Zeus hekte, apparently unique: (Full thread here)

 

Interesting coin! I admit to being taken in by the allure of the 'rare' coin too, even when the condition of the coin is not great.

I think this Aemilian from Parium is quite nice though. The combination of condition, scarce ruler, general rarity and interesting architectural type drew me in.



AEMILIAN
AE21
4.44g, 21mm
MYSIA Parium, 253 AD
Extremely rare and unrecorded in major references; A. Boutkowski-Glinka, "Monnaies grecques inédites," NumCirc I.3 (February 1893), p. 79, 7.
O: IMP M AEM AEMILIANVS I, laureate draped bust right.
R: Triumphal arch consisting of large central bay with attic, flanked by two secondary bays; central bay surmounted by triumphal quadriga (of elephants?); each secondary bay surmounted by figure set on low basis, CGIHP (Colonia Gemella lulia Hadriana Pariana) in ex.

While the type being "extremely rare" is remarked upon in sales, in CNG's archives alone there are 3 examples, one as recent as their last e-auction two weeks ago :

http://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=269578

 

It's nice to find a rare coins that looks nice as well like yours.


Constans AE3. 335 AD. FL IVL CONSTANS NOB C, laureate, cuirassed bust right / GLOR-IA EXERC-ITVS, two soldiers standing facing one another, each holding reversed spear and shield set on ground, two standards between them, SMANE in ex.
RIC VII Antioch 89 (SMANΕ), R5 in RIC


Tranquillina, Augusta 241-244 A.D., Singara, Mesopotamia
Bronze AE 26, S 3867, BMC 14, Singara mint, 180°, 241 - 244 A.D.; obverse CAB TPANKVΛΛINA CEB, diademed and draped bust right; reverse CVP CEΠ KOΛ CINΓAPA, veiled and turreted bust of Tyche right, centaur Sagittarius above, discharging bow;


Vespasian, first issue of 71 with full name VESPASIANVS:
IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG P M T P P P COS III, bust laureate r. resting on globe and with aegis on shoulder

FIDES EXERCITVVM, S C in ex. , clasped hands before legionary eagle on prow.

"The obverse die is A23 in Colin Kraay's unpublished Oxford dissertation, the rev. die P75. Kraay didn't know this die combination, but it is recorded by RIC 70 from a single specimen in the Termopolio Hoard from Pompeii, published in 1997.

These are rare types: only one other obv. die of the issue shows this combination of aegis and globe for the bust, and this is the only rev. die of the FIDES EXERCITVVM type used in the issue, though a second such die was used later in the year with Vespasian's name abbreviated VESPASIAN (no -VS)."

 

I think this one may qualify as rare as well. Ziegler (Army and municipal money: Studies on the coinage of Anazarbos and other Eastern Cilician cities) records two examples - in the Levante and ANS collections.

I've found no other sale records anywhere for this type, and as I don't have the references would have been at a loss to confirm the legends and attribution without help from Dane at Wildwinds.



MAXIMINUS THRAX
AE Hexassarion
20.44g, 38mm
CILICIA, Anazarbus, 235 - 238 AD.
Ziegler 663 (Vs2/Rs4), SNG Levante 1480 (same obv. die).
O: AY K G IOY OYH MAZIMEINOC CEB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
R: ANAZ END MHTRO B-G CYNQYCIA OI KOYMENHC, (ME and NH ligate), female figure (Synthysia), holding bipennis over shoulder, standing left before bull standing left.
Ex Kelly J. Krizan, M.D. Collection.

 

Usually, I am exclusively focusing on high-grade coins but in case of rarity, I make quality concessions. Especially, for sestertii, it is particular difficult to reconcile both grade and rarity. One example is my Geta sestertius, which I acquired from a fellow collector in Paris. On the obverse, the portrait leaves something to be desired whereas the reverse depicts a particular nice reverse platform scene.

Curtis Clay mentioned in a forumancientcoins.com thread that this coin can be allocated to RIC 159b, to which in total 17 examples can be allocated. My example is the rarer of two variants that displays on the reverse two lictors instead of one. Three specimens are so far recorded.

before ...



after ...

 

@Marc Aceton, that Geta is a very special coin. Do you have a larger or in-focus and similarly lit "before" image? A better comparison photo might be enlightening.

I have several coins which qualify as "rare", one of which is in transit now. I am looking forward to posting it!

Meanwhile, here's one of my favorite rarities, a 15 shekel from Carthage:


ZEUGITANA, Carthage
early 2nd century BCE
AE 15 shekel, 45 mm, 95 gm
Obv: wreathed head of Tanit left
Rev: horse standing right, left foreleg up; solar disk with uraei above
Ref: Alexandropoulos J (2000) Les monnaies de l'Afrique Antique, 103; Müller L (1861) Numismatique de L'Ancienne Afrique, 131; Luynes 3782; Jenkins GK and Lewis RB (1963) Carthaginian Gold and Electrum Coins. Royal Numismatic Society, London, pl.28 12
from Great Collections, Aug. 2013. Graded Fine by NGC Ancients (strike 5/5, surfaces 2/5); not encapsulated (reason: size); certification number 3598288-002.

I've only seen one other example-- a catalog photo on magnagraecia's website, which lists a known population of four. There is a second type of 15 shekel on which the horse's foreleg is not raised. There are more known examples of that type and I've seen two or three for sale recently, all in terrible condition but that doesn't seem to deter bidders.

It's not going to win any coin beauty pageants but I am thrilled to have it. It's a monster, ~8mm thick.

 

Rarity =/= value unless there's a demand. A lot of coins are extremely rare but inexpensive because nobody really collects them. Remember, we are talking about 700BC - now. A lot of them were made.

I think the majority is artwork (including the minting), historical value, condition.

For me, I like electrum. From what I think I currently have with ancients:

some proto coinage
some swastika coinage
the satyr and nymph (of course, the naughty die variety)
EL stater from Mysia with dog and tunny
ATG tetrdrachm (I payed a good price but I really like the piece. I'm not sure if the return would be as high but probably close, especially if NGC gives it good numbers)
AR siglos from Croisus in XF* 4/5
I want the doube siglos and I see a nice one but don't want to pop 6 grand on that.

There's likely more but I'd have to check since it's all locked-up.

I had a trite (I wouldn't call that 'rare') and a pamphilia stater which was also a naughty variety. I'm looking for that one still. Also had a nice EL hecte, it was a common one but gEF I think, and one of the most well-centered ones I've seen. I've had 5 turtles but nothing as nice as the one I have, now. Also 5 owls I got for a bargain ($80 a piece / F-VF / countermarked and a few chops with nice iridescent toning). Also the boy and dolphin one from Calabria and probably others.

I guess I look for demand in addition to rarity.

I like the well-known issues, or someting rare in a series of popular coins.

 

A bronze disease survivor, this Caracalla sestertius comes in two versions according to Banti, I Grande Bronzi Imperiali Volume IV - 1. #11 was known to him from 2 specimens and has five tiers to the pyre. #12 has only four tiers and is listed only as "Disegno da Vaillant" and illustrated by a drawing idealizing the type rather than trying to show the coin from which it was copied in accurate detail. I suppose there is a possibility that my coin is the one seen by Vaillant and have not seen his book to see where he saw the coin. He died in 1706. Listings other than Banti do not mention the tier count but always show a 5 tier coin.


Triton VIII included a 5 tier coin considerably nicer than mine but it only sold for $1800 on a $3000 estimate showing that the high end sestertius collectors want more condition than rarity. I do wonder how many of the things there are. Denarii are relatively common but more have the eagle reverse.

 

I have two other photo with the lacquering on it.





BTW, maybe, your 15 shekel might benefit from gentle cleaning.

 

This Domna Emesa mint denarius with Victory seated reverse is listed in Cohen and later works based on a coin in the French National collection in Paris. A friend, now passed, told me that he had seen it there. Some might claim it is a mule but the type is not known with the VICTOR IVST AVG legend for Septimius. I really would like to see others. This one was a hoard coin. I had to buy 34 coins to get it as part of a junk group.

 

I did gently clean it with acetone. I did not however use a wax solvent. Perhaps I'll try that, although I doubt the details will become more clear. It won't hurt to try though!

 

Finally, there is this Alexandria mint Septimius denarius with the reverse INVICTO IMP and trophy of arms that is very common from Emesa. Roger Bickford-Smith, shortly before his death, told me that it was the one of my coins that he would most like and I told my wife to send it to him if I went first. I have no idea if others have come to light since then but I have not seen any.


I suspect that Martin and I could come up with a few dozen Severan minor variations that are known in very small (<10?) numbers. I also suspect that most specialties include a few such rarities. Ten is not all that rare in this game.

 

How much is such a coin whopping?

 

Are you asking what it cost? Let's just say it was an absolute steal. I found it on a site that primarily deals US coins so that probably explains why there were no other bidders. Based on recent comparable sales (of the second type of 15 shekel-- none of this variety have come to market from what I can find), I think I paid less than 1/5th of what it would cost if sold by a major ancient coin auction house.

 

Although RIC only lists this coin as R2, I have only seen a very few for sale:

CLAUDIUS AR Denarius
OBVERSE: TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P VI IMP XI, laureate head right
REVERSE: PACI AVGVSTAE, Pax-Nemesis advancing right, drawing out fold of robe at neck, holding caduceus above serpent preceding her
Struck at Rome, 46/7AD
3.6g, 19mm
RIC39, BMC40

 

Bing, that's a good point-- book rarity vs availability. Here's a good example of the opposite scenario. Emmett lists this Roman Egyptian dichalkon of Trajan as R5 (highest rarity) but I've seen several for sale in the last few months.

Many of the earlier Roman rulers have Alexandrian coins rated as R1 but they are very difficult to find in the real world.

 

I still think your coin is at least scarce TIF, if not rare. I haven't seen many like it.

I would say this Otho falls in nearly the same category as my Claudius, except that RIC lists it as R3:


OTHO AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, bare head right
REVERSE: VICTORIA OTHONIS, Victory standing left on globe, wreath extended in right, palm frond in left
Struck at Rome, Jan-Feb 69 A.D
3.179g, 18.7mm
RIC I 17, BMCRE I 25, SRCV I 2165 var (exergual line instead of globe)