Share your rarest coin

This is not really a rare coin but a victim of circumstances. It was believed to belong in the period of RIC VIII (Julian II) when RIC VI was written but by the time that RIC VIII came out, the type was realized to be from c.313 rather than the time of Julian II so it was not listed in VIII either. It was listed in Vagi (page 516) who priced it at $15 to $100 (F to EF). At one time I was trying to get the whole set of officiae but I still am missing one and have not been putting effort into that lately. They tend to sell too high because dealers (of deceit or ignorance?) pump them up as more rare than they are. The rare one below is third down, officina B with reverse mispelling SANSTO.

I need an I (officina ten).

 

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True, not rare but they are scarce. Once upon a time they sold for just a few dollars as they were quite misunderstood, and, well, just unpopular. This is not so these days, and I see decent ones selling around $50 on average, though can be had much cheaper.

 

Great coins all! I guess I look for rare coins more than most and the condition is not as critical if it fits my collection.


Achaea. Zacynthus, Island off Elis. Marcus Aurelius AE20. Pan with infant Dionysus
Zacynthus; Achaea; Peleponnessus (District: Zacynthus). Date 161–180. Obverse design laureate head of Marcus Aurelius, r. Obverse inscription ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Μ ΑΥ ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝ ΑΥ
Reverse design Pan standing, r., nebris over shoulders, holding bunch of grapes and infant Dionysus
Reverse inscription ΖΑΚΥΝΘΙΩΝ
BMC 93-4


Lycaonia, Iconium. Nero Æ20. Head of Perseus
Nero Æ20 of Iconium, Lycaonia. 54-68.
Obv: NEPWN KAICAP CEBACTOC Laureate head r.
Rev: KLAYDEIKONIEWN Head of Perseus r., harpa over shoulder.
RPC 3545. 4.3g, 20mm



Paphlagonia, Sinope. Hadrian AE17. Athena
Obv: IMP C TRAI HADRIANVS / Laureate bust of Hadrian r.
Rev: C IF ANN CLXVIII (year 168) / Athena standing head l., spear and facing circular shield lowered at her sides.
17mm and 3.86g.
WADD RG S207A,107(1) / COLL PARIS(1)

Thanks to Mark Fox for Identification.


Phoenicia, Sidon. Severus Alexander Æ26.
Obv: Laureate and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind.
Rev: Three standards.
26mm., 8.3g.
BMC -; SNG Copenhagen -; AUB -.

Pisidia, Pednelissos. Hadrian AE13, 2.62g.
Obv: ADRIANOS / laureate bust of Hadrian r.
Rev: PEDNH / Apollo nude, standing beside column, holding bow in r.
von Aulock, Pisidiens I, 1187

 

I'm collecting coins of Peloponnesos... Needless to say that there are a lot of rarities.

My very last acquisition:


Heraia, Peloponnesos. AR Obol (11 mm, 0.70 g), c. late 4th - early 3rd century BC.
Obv. Head of Athena left, wearing Corinthian helmet.
Rev. Straight-sided H over bow right.
BCD Peloponnesos 1368 (this coin). Traité III, 1016, pl. CCXXVIII, 1

In BCD Peloponnesos, A. Walker qualified it as 'extremely rare'.

 

Wow Prokles! That is nice. Are you buying Roman also? <edit>

 

Nice collection Doug! Officina I and you have a completed theme!

 

My three rarest coins:


1. Thermai Himerensis, Sicily tetradrachm, 370-350 BC
Jenkins in his work on Punic coins (1972) knew of only four examples, all from the same dies.
In a diligent search of internet resources, I found only one other specimen and it is from the same dies, too.


2. Katane, Sicily tetradrachm, c 461-450 BC
CNG says "fewer than 20 specimens known...of which this is among the finest."


3. Loas, Lucania stater, c 490-470 BC
A very rare coin with perhaps 25 specimens known in all conditions.

 

Those are some incredible coins, ancientnut! Two man-faced bulls on one coin!

 

Thanks, ancientone! The coin was discussed more fully in this thread:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/man-faced-bull-times-two.275086/

 

I really like this coin. A fine example.

 

A provincial of Trajan issued in Cilicia Diocaesarea with a Triskeles reverse:



Sometimes the most simplistic designs attract me the most.

 

My rarest coins (all of which I've posted before) are my Uranius Antoninus large bronze provincial (featuring the Emesa stone), and Libius Severus "Ricimer" monogram:

 

Thanks! I am mainly buying greek coins but, from time to time, I happen to buy a Roman (Republic).

 

I agree! Anepigraphic coins always appeal to me, and coins with tons of legends (especially with multiple rows of vertical letters such as on many Seleukids) seem too "busy".

 

I am like @TIF, because of my collecting niches, I probably have a dozen or more Rare items. However, I have several that are "called" Rare such as some early Roman Republic Quinarii, etc. that I am curious if they really are. A few coins that I would share that I feel are "Rare":


Marsic Confederation
AR Denarius.
Corfinium mint (Capital of the Marsic Confederation), 89 BC.
3.60g, 20mm, 8h
Obv: Laureate head of Italia right, wearing pearl necklace; ITALIA behind, X (mark of value) below chin
Rev: Italia, seated left on shields, holding sceptre in right hand and sword in left, being crowned with wreath by Victory who stands behind; retrograde B(?) in exergue.
Ref: Campana 105 (same obverse die); HN Italy 412a
Comments: Cleaning marks to rev.
Very Rare.


India - Shakya Janapada
AR 5-Shana
6th-5th Century BCE
25mm x 21mm, 7.05g
Obv: Central Pentagonal punch plus several banker's marks
Rev: Blank
Ref: Hirano Type I.8.29
Coinage from the Ghaghara Gandak River region.
Buddha Coin - struck during his lifetime and from the Janapada that he was Prince before becoming the Enlightened One.
Rare - Less than 20 known.

At this time, any of the 16 "Janapada" was defined as a tribe, country, kingdom, or a republic in northern India. Shakya was a Republic (ah, I love the Republics!), in northern India near present day Nepal.



China
Western Han Dynasty
206 BCE - 25 CE
4 Zhu
Obv: Yan Xiang
Rev: Shi Zhu
Ref: Hartill 13.53 except with hanger (like H.13.57) below (unlisted)
Rare

HEY @Mikey Zee ... this ain't a washer!!!



Roman Republic
Anonymous 157-156 BCE
AE triens (21.7 mm, 6.72 g, 1 h)
Rome mint.
Obv: Helmeted head of Minerva right; four pellets above
Rev: ROMA, prow of galley right; four pellets below.
Ref: Crawford 198B/3; Sydenham 302b. VF,
Comment: cleaned.
Very Rare


Sri Lanka, Anuradhapura
Anonymous, 1st C. BCE
PB 1/8 Lakshmi
1.1g, 14.1mm x 7.8mm
RARE
OBV: Hindu Goddess Lakshmi facing. She is the goddess of wealth, fortune, and prosperity. She was a beauty and the wife of Vishnu
REV: (blank)

 

Woooooooow! The tetradrachm of Katane is really beautifull! I love the style of this coin.
At the same period, the city of Elis (Olympia) struck staters with the same pattern on the reverse (i.e. with the Nikè running left). For comparison (BCD Peloponnesos 7):

 

Wow, Brian, the Trisekles looks like the monogram for 'SC' (Senatas Consulto) as a mis-strike! Really interesting!

 

Probably as predicted, I have no fricken idea which one of my coins is actually the rarest ...

Ummm, but I do know that I've never seen one of you dudes post one of these cool early Rhodes babies (yah, I love this coin)

Hey, it may not be my most expensive coin, but again, I've never seen one these babies "and" David Sear gave it the thumbs-up!! (chicken-dinna)



=> oh, and these two are probably also amongst (among?) my rarest as well ...

 

Oops, forgot to add this one since it would round out what looks like my "everywhere rare" collection niche...


Roman Empire
Johannes
AE nummus
Obv: DN IOHANN-ES PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: SALVS REI-PVBLICAE, Victory holding trophy and dragging captive, Chi-Rho to left
RM in ex, Rome mint (struck 423-425 AD)
Ref: RIC X 1913
Rare Emperor
Ex: @ValiantKnight

 

My top rarest rulers (in no particular order):

Jovinus, Western Roman Empire
AR siliqua
Obv: D N IOVIN-VS PF AVG, Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: VICTOR-IA AVGG, Roma seated left on stylized cuirass, holding Victory on globe and reversed spear
Mint: Lugdunum (Mintmark: SMLDV); struck 411-413 AD
Ref: RIC X 1717



Galla Placidia, Western Roman Empire
AE nummus
Obv: D N GALLA PLA-CIDIA P F AVG, female, pearl-diademed bust right, wearing necklace and earrings
Rev: SALVS REI-PVBLICE around cross, T in left field
Mint: Rome; Mintmark: RM in ex
Ref: RIC X 2111



Majorian, Western Roman Empire
AE nummus
Obv: D N IVL MAIORIANVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: VICTORI-A AVGGG, Victory advancing right, holding palm branch and trophy
Mint: Milan; Mintmark: MD; struck 457-461 AD
Ref: RIC X 2642



Libius Severus, Western Roman Empire
AE nummus
Obv: D N LIBIVS SEVERVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: Monogram of Ricimer within wreath
Mint: Rome; struck 461-467 AD (Libius Severus reigned 461-465 AD)
Ref: RIC X 2715



Aelia Verina, Eastern Roman Empire
AE2
Obv: AEL VERINA AVG, diademed, draped bust right
Rev: SALVS RE-PVBLICAE, Victory seated right, inscribing chi-rho on shield
Mint: Constantinople (Mintmark: CONE in ex)
Ref: RIC X 656