Top 5 Coins (With Honorable Mention)

Now that the year's about to end and I don't plan on receiving anymore coins until the new year (I ordered three coins from Canada but they were held up for weeks by a postal strike and none of them would appear on this list anyway), I think it's time to rank the best coins I've collected this year. I tried limiting it to my Top 5 but there's one coin that I couldn't help but add to the list just for how significant a figure the person represented is so it's on here as an honorable mention. I decided this year to start taking my stab (no pun intended) at the Twelve Caesars so that will comprise most of the list. So without further adieu let's get started!

Honorable Mention: Julius Caesar (Half of) Dupondius



Translated from French:
LUGDUNUM - LYON - JULIUS CAESAR and OCTAVIAN Dupondius c. 36 AC. Lyon R1 copper
Obverse: [IMP./ CAESAR./ DI]VI. IVLI./ [DIVI. F.] Laureate head of Caesar left; behind head, trace of palm
Reverse: [COPIA] Remains of ship's prow right
Commentary: Exemplar with significant wear, legible and identifiable. Light green patina

Country: LUGDUNUM - LYON - JULIUS CAESAR and OCTAVIAN
Year: c. 36 AC.
State/Grade: VF
Nominal: Dupondius
Weight (g): 7.50
Material: copper
Catalog number: LT.4669 RPC.515 RPC.515 Giard/L1.7

Here he is, the man himself! It's a posthumous portrait and only one half of a coin that would've featured his nephew Octavian, the future Augustus, but this was probably my best chance at acquiring any representation of Julius Caesar at all without having to blow a hole in my budget on his more famous lifetime portraits, elephants or Venus pieces. It's not the prettiest coin or anything, but it scratches the Julius Caesar itch for me so I'll take it.

5. Julian Double Maiorina



Julian, 361-363 CE
Æ Double Maiorina (28 mm, 8.23 grams)
Obverse: DN FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG
Rosette-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Reverse: SECVRITAS REIPVB / (palm branch) ANT-Δ(I think) (palm branch)
Bull, head facing, standing right. Two stars above
Antioch mint

Here is the first piece I collected from this year and as some of you might recall was my first run-in with the dreaded bronze disease. I was ultimately able to treat it after soaking it in distilled water for several weeks and as unpleasant as that process was for me it was definitely a valuable learning experience and I want to thank everyone who advised me on how to treat it if I haven't already. As of now, the coin itself is fine (there's no more green powder anyway) which is good because this is a piece I've always wanted to have in my collection! It's a great design and represents a sort of last hurrah for traditional Greco-Roman polytheism before it was ultimately snuffed out by Theodosius I a generation later. It's a pretty big coin for the era and this was right about when the Empire would mint gradually smaller and uglier slugs the more impoverished it became in the years leading up to 476. It's definitely a standout among my Late Roman bronze coins that's for sure.

4. Caligula Diassarion



Pontus. Comana. Gaius (Caligula), 37-41. Diassarion Orichalcum, 23 mm. 11.5 gm. CY 4 = 37/8. Obv: ΓΑΙΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑP, Laureate head of Gaius to right. Rev. ΚΟΜΑΝⲰΝ - ЄΤΟΥϹ / Δ Radiate and draped male bust to right, club before. Amandry-Rémy, Comana 3-7. RPC I 2158. Rare.

This one is pretty special for me because it's not only my first provincial coin (one of the only ways I could afford a piece of the infamous Caligula) but it's apparently one of only 15 coins of this specific type (RPC I 2158) that have been found thus far! The obverse is cool and I like how the Greek translation of his name "Gaius" is still visible but the reverse is particularly striking (I'm usually the type to focus on obverses so that's saying something). I'm not sure if this is a representation of the city where this was minted in or if it's a god sharing attributes of other gods like the radiate crown and Herakles-esque club but it's lovely. It shows signs of the patina having been stripped so that might be a turn off but I still enjoy the piece for what it is regardless (it probably helped make it more affordable for me anyway). Also it reminds me of the coin on the cover of the infamous 1979 Caligula film starring Malcolm McDowell (bit of a guilty pleasure imo).

3. Claudius As



Claudius
Reign: A.D. 41-54.
Denomination: Æ As.
Diameter: 28 mm.
Weight: 10.09 grams.
Mint: Rome, A.D. 41-42.
Obverse: Bare head left.
TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP
Reverse: Libertas standing right, holding pileus and extending hand.
LIBERTAS AVGVSTA SC
Reference: RIC 97.

Here's an emperor I have quite a soft spot for, dear old Clau-Clau-Claudius! I remember being shown a few episodes of "I, Claudius" in school, which convinced me to buy the whole show for myself and it really endeared me to this guy. It's remarkable what he was able to accomplish after being mocked and dismissed by everyone his whole life until he serendipitously found himself the new emperor upon the death of his nephew Caligula from the coin I showed before this. I love the style of this piece, the way the legends just elegantly circle around the main figures in the middle on both sides has such eye appeal. It's lovely imperial artistry that is one of the main reasons why I find ancient coins such a joy to collect. It has a proud place amongst my Twelve Caesars set without a doubt.

2. Augustus Denarius



Augustus. 27 BC - 14 AD
AR Denarius
Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck 2 BC-12 AD
Laureate head right / Caius and Lucius Caesars standing facing; shields and spears between them with simpulum and lituus above
3.58 g, 18 mm, silver, chipped
References: RIC I 207; RSC 43

And now we move on to precious metals with my next piece, this denarius of the OG emperor Augustus. It's a more common type of his but it's still historically significant as Augustus was promoting the legitimacy of his intended heirs, Gaius and Lucius, before they tragically died and he was forced to recall Tiberius from exile to reluctantly place him next in line for succession. I love the portrait on here as it reminds me a lot of the famous Prima Porta sculpture. The side was chipped a bit but still a beautiful coin.

1. Philip The Arab Antoninianus



Obverse: IMP PHILIPPVS AVG. Bust radiate, draped, cuirassed right.
Reverse: SAECVLARES AVGG. Cippus inscribed COS III.
EF condition (very little circulated coin), conserving full details on both sides, very bold reliefs and quality silver. Besides it's a large specimen: 23,5 mm
RIC 24c. Rome mint, AD 248. 4,1 g - 23,5 mm

This for me is the standout piece of the year. Not only is it in pristine, almost uncirculated condition, not only does everything fit perfectly inside the flan, but the historical significance of this piece is fairly momentous as it celebrates the 1000th anniversary of Rome and may be one of the last depictions of Rome in anything resembling its old, glorious self as this was right before the very worst of the Third Century Crisis would rear its ugly head (plague, emperors dying/captured in battle, ramped up coin debasement/inflation, countless usurpers, the secession of Gaul and Palmyra, etc.). The fact that this coin shows very little signs of circulation indicates this must have been hoarded away almost immediately given how rapidly the silver supply was being depleted at the time, making it all the more striking in appearance compared with those of Philip's successors. Everything about this coin really speaks to me as both the quality of this piece and the historical moment in which it was created seem to be intertwined with each other. All in all, it's a gem.

 

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Torn between the Julian and the Philip. Both
nice pieces, especially for their rarity.

 

Knowing very little about ancients, I tend to just look at the pictures and the design(s) that catch my eye or the overall eye appeal to me is what factor in to me saying “wow, I like that coin!”.

 

Love that Claudius portrait!

 

All nice coins but your Philip The Arab Antoninianus, is a stand out with it's exceptional condition congrats.

 

I like Tibor love the Julian II and the Philip I best

John

 

If I could vote for more than one candidate I'd pick the Philip I antoninianus and the Julian II double maiorina. The Philip I antoninianus is my pick.

Nice acquisitions!