Post Your Favourite Coin and Favourite Book

LOL. I bet that was hidden from your parents under your mattress... Produced by @TIF Heffner...

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I only got it for the articles.

 

ROFL

 

You guys still paying for that stuff? Come on guys let's move into the 21st century here

Oh and remind me never to borrow a magazine from you @John Anthony

 

Well my favourite coin is my gold stater of Alexander III. Although Greek coins aren't my main thing, I could not resist this one:


Alexander III (the great) gold stater
336-323 BC
Obverse: helmeted head of Athena
Reverse: Nike standing
Mint: Babylon
Reference: Price 3748


I'm not a great reader of fiction. I tend to read biographies and history. But I am a lover of Tintin, and if I had to pick just one book, it's Red Rackham's Treasure:




I almost forgot Asterix too! How can you be an ancient coin collector and not love Asterix? I think "Asterix in Britain" is my pick:

 

I want this!!!!

 

Here's a favorite book paired with a somewhat relevant coin:

Jitterbug Perfume, a fantastical tale spun by one of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins, who apparently has indulged liberally in psychedelic substances



Pan is a prominent character in the novel, so here's a coin with Pan:


ARKADIA, Arkadian League
340-330 BC, Megalopolis mint
AR Obol, 11 mm, 0.77 g
Obv: head of Pan left
Rev: large Arkadian League monogram; syrinx below
Ref: BCD Peloponnesos (Megalopolis) 1517-8; HGC 5, 930
ex BCD Collection. Ex Vinchon (11-13 April 1988), lot 463

 

Tom Robbins is great. My favourite was "Another roadside attraction"

 

I do like that one as well-- hilarious premise.

My favorite of his, which was the first one I read, is Skinny Legs and All. Have you read that one? One of these days I'm going to make a homage to it for my living room wall: small individual framed pictures, hung in a straight line, of a can of beans, silver spoon, dirty sock, painted stick, and conch shell

There are many coins which pair well with this book. Conch shells, various stick-like objects, Anubis or jackals (Boomer Petway's weird metal sculpture), etc. Since the book's story revolves in part around the Israel-Palestine conflict, coins of the Levantine would also work.

Here's a somewhat relevant pairing (jackal):


EGYPT, Alexandria. Philip II as Caesar
Regnal year 4 of Philip I, CE 246/7
billion tetradrachm, 22 mm, 12.8 gm
Obv: MIOVΦIΛIΠΠOCKCEB; cuirassed bust right, bare head
Rev: Hermanubis standing facing, head right, winged caduceus in right arm and palm branch in left hand; jackal left at feet; L-Δ
Ref: Emmett 3592.4(Caesar), R1; Milne 3676

 

I never really read the 'favorite coin, favorite tune' thread, so I'm a little unclear as to whether our coin and book here should relate, or if it's just a random association. Relating coins to what I read (fiction wise) is difficult for me, because I love historical fiction, but have to stay away from the Middle Ages, because I become too critical of the text (someone brought up brother caedfel- I think I got through two of those and had to quit...). So, I tend to read Renaissance and Early Modern - particularly the works of Rafael Sabatini. So here's a good work of his and a coin from the same time period (although different part of Europe...)

Rafael Sabatini, Chivalry (takes place in Italy)

England
Henry VII, r. 1485-1509 (1494-1501)
Durham Mint, mm 76b, AR Penny, 14.88mm x 0.6 grams
Obv.: Henry enthroned facing, holding scepter and globus cruciger, throne pillar on either side surmounted by saltire cross
Rev.: Coat-of-arms over long cross pattée, mitre above
Ref.: SCBS 2234
Ex. R.D. Frederick, Ex. Tradewinds Collection

 

I think it's just an excuse to share a little bit about our individual likes and interests outside of coins, with the accompanying coin shown to keep the thread "legal"

 

My avatar and Lord of the Rings......

 

Ya, what @TIF said. It's fun to see what everyone listens too and reads while sharing coins we like. I don't know that I could pick one coin as my favorite, or book. I have declared an all time favorite song though.

Well, in the spirit of the the thread here is another addition - today's pick up from the post office:


Thurium, Lucania, BC 270-240
AE13, 2.65g
Obv.: Laureate head of Apollo left
Rev.: ΘOYPIΩN; winged thunderbolt, TH monogram below

I know some of you know this, but I'm an avid collector of military trade tokens. Well I received a couple today and tonight I'll be spending some time attributing them and updating my spreadsheet. Maybe I'll get lucky enough to photograph them...the one from Hunter AFB has a very nice color to it. I like this reference book a lot and it brings me quite a bit of pleasure from studying it. Between the two volumes they're my (so far) most favorite numismatic reference.

 

I collect Humpty Dumpty. LOL, fave nursery rhyme as a kid... Ma would have to read it OVER and OVER to me when I was a wee tad...






British Nursery Rhyme... So, post a TRUE British Ancient... (not that invading Roman "schtuff"...)

CELTIC BRITAIN
the Inceni
Queen Boudicca, 61 AD.
AR Unit
1.03 g
Obv: Celticized head right
Rev: Celticized horse galloping right.
Ref: vArs.794.

 

Interesting Humpty Dumpty collection, Alegandron. Have you seen the one at Storyland in NH (USA)? Here is my daughter (far left), niece and nephew posing with him last summer.

Nick

 

LOL, Awesome! You have a cute daughter! I have not been to Storyland, but MANY years ago I lived in VT for about a year, and traveled the whole of New England on several weekend mini-trips... had no children then.

 

Not a wee lad?

 

Everyone else has pic's of ancients but, I really like the Moderns. It's awesome what the mint can produce today.
As for books...I really love this book... A good light read.. Not too heady...

 

Tadpole / poliwog... Hoosier Boy

 

Ahhhh