Today is my first anniversary on Coin Talk and would just like to thank each and everyone on such enjoyable and great and learning experience, a bit reluctant to join at the start but as has been mentioned by various members over the last year patience, politeness and comradeship is second to none. To help me celebrate my first year I would appreciate it if everyone would post their favorite coin. P.S. stevex6 if your watching we can't wait to get you back onboard and see your favorite coin on return. (as long as it's not that Alexandria Zodiac coin, they don't like it) And my favorite coin. Let's see yours......And a big THANK YOU. Heliopolis, Syria, Septimius Severus. IOMH/ COL HEL Temple of Jupiter Heliopolitanus seen front and side. Circa 200 AD, 15.56gm, 24.1mm, BMC 290.
Happy CT Anniversary, AA! That Heliopolis Temple of Jupiter is the best I've seen. I have so many "favorite" coins. Three+ years after its acquision, this one is still on top because its beauty. Some of my other favorites are far less pretty though . SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles (317-289 BCE) struck 310-305 BCE AR tetradrachm, 17.40 g, 24 mm Obv: head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing grain wreath, earring and necklace; around, three dolphins; under, monogram (NK?) Rev: ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, fast chariot charioteer leads to left, holding reins and kentron; above, triskeles; in exergue, monogram Ref: Ierardi 12 (O2-R8); SNG Copenhagen 573 var., SNG ANS 637 The story of its acquisition is here.
Good on you, Ancient Aussie! I had no idea you weren't an oldtimer, actually. I joined in 2007 but did not start actively posting until around last September, so in many ways you have "seniority" on me. That temple in perspective on the reverse of your coin is amazing! I wonder if that type is illustrated in Tameanko's Monumental Coins? (I wouldn't know - I loaned out my copy of that years ago and let the other person keep it.) I don't have a single favorite coin. Since we're on the Ancients forum, do I have a single favorite ancient coin? Yes, most of the time I'd say this little beauty I got from @AncientJoe would be #1 amongst my ancients. Ancient Greece (Kingdom of Macedon), silver "Mercenaries" drachm of King Perseus, ca. 175-170 BC But even that isn't so simple. I am also very, very fond of my latest newp. It too is quite small, but the owl on it is so perfect. In hand, it looks as though it's ready to fly right off the reverse of the coin. So here's my "favorite of the week" -month. Ancient Greece (Spartans in Taras, Calabria, Italy): silver drachm, Athena and owl, ca. 302-281 BC
Happy 1st. anniversary, Ancient Aussie! It is good to have you in this forum. I have noticed your appreciation for architectural issues. That is a passion I also share. I will post some of my architectural issues a bit later (have to cook lunch for the family now..)
A shout out for @Ancient Aussie: congrats on your first anniversary; may you have many more. I applaud your appreciation of CT when posters exhibit the patience and knowledgeable sharing you mention. CT is no place for snide comments and rancor, IMHO; the world is full enough of that. I can't post my favorite ancient at this time because I just returned from a month of work abroad and have no idea where I even hid it . Too many irons in the fire (and I'm supposed to be retired). I, too, am waiting for @stevex6. @TIF, that is a beauty! Steve
@TIF - I'm off to read your magnum opus now. Had to chuckle when I heard you'd accidentally bumped up against the "max characters per post" limit. I have yet to do that on CT but did it on CU once. I did discover pretty quickly that the max number of images per post on CT is 20. Now that my Eclectic Box collection has exceeded 20 pieces, I've had to break the posting of that into separate categories, just as you had to break up your story about the Syracusan tet. ... which I'm going off to read now.
Happy anniversary! Years ago I declared this denarius of Septimius Severus to be 'My Favorite Coin' and have written more than one page explaining that choice. I first published an article on it in 1966 but those having any interest in why the coin is special to me can read my page: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/f01.html I'm sure that this opinion is shared by absolutely no one else but that is of no importance; after 54 years, I still like the coin. Actually I'm glad there is so little demand for this coin since in fifty years of collecting I have seen only a few specimens of this coin offered for sale. I bought this coin for $13.50 (a rather high price in 1963) from a dealer since deceased. In 1972 hard times forced me to sell my collection but I could not find a dealer who considered this coin worth even as much as I had paid. I kept this coin and two others that I alone considered special. How I wish I had never sold the others. Had I not kept those three coins I doubt I would have returned to the hobby when my financial situation had improved to the point I could buy coins again. Septimius Severus - Silver denarius - early 194 AD - 'Emesa' mint IMP CAE L SEP SE - V PEPT AVG COS I - Laureate head right VICTOR IV-ST AVG - Victory walks left holding wreath and palm
@gregarious - I remember seeing your coin. Those concentric striations on the reverse really caught my eye. @dougsmit - though I'm a mere dabbler in ancients and will never match y'all's encyclopedic knowledge of die varieties, I do remember reading your article about that coin, several years ago. (Wow - you bought that during the Kennedy era - when silver still circulated! I was born with the advent of clad coinage in 1965, which now makes me an "over the hill" fifty-something myself. I find it an interesting perspective that you've been at this so long. It is also strange to sometimes find younger collectors deferring to me, after my 40 years of numismatics. I never specialized much. Ten years into collecting ancients, I still consider myself a greenhorn in that arena. Maybe not a total novice anymore, but far from seasoned. The more I learn, the more aware I become of my own ignorance.) But I digress. I'd best go off and read TIF's tale now, like I said I would, lest I sink AA's anniversary thread beneath my blather.
Happy 1st CT Anniversary, AA! It's been a real pleasure coining with you and admiring your excellent collection of coins. I'll always be a fan of architectural-themed coins and yours are a real inspiration for me to pick up more. My favorite coin is a fairly recent addition, but likely to retain its top spot for some time. CRETE, Gortyna AR Stater. 11.77g, 29.8mm. CRETE, Gortyna, circa 330-270 BC. SNG Cop -; cf. Svoronos 58f (rev as Svoronos 62). O: Europa seated right in plane (platanus) tree, resting her head pensively on her left hand. R: Bull standing to right, head turned back left to lick its flank. Notes: Overstruck on a stater of Knossos, circa 425-360 BC (cf. Svoronos 23), with undertypes of the Minotaur and Labyrinth of Knossos visible. Here's my original thread on this coin: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/gortyna-stater-bull-in-the-labyrinth.285907/
You just described me even though I've been collecting Ancients for over 35 years. Congratulations on your first Anniversary @Ancient Aussie
Congrats on the milestone! I think my favorite con changes all the time - this one might be the current favorite though: Crusader - Antioch Tancred, Regent, r. 1101-1103, 1104-1112 AE Type 2 Follis, 20.3 mm x 3.3 grams Obv.: Bust of Tancred facing, wearing turban, holding sword Rev.: Cross pommetée, fleuronnée at base; IC XC NI KA in quarters Ref.: De Wit 4079 Note: Overstruck on a First type follis of Tancred (CCS 3b)
Thank you for being here with us ! Severus Alexander, Sestertius struck in Rome in AD 231 IMP SEV ALEXANDER AVG, Laureate bust of Severus Alexander righ, with light drapery on left shoulder IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding thunderbolt and sceptre, with a small figure of the emperor at his feet, SC in field 14.75 gr Ref : RCV #7966, Cohen # 74 Q
Narrow it down to one? Lordy. I suppose this sestertius of Agrippina I: Agrippina I, 14 BC - AD 33 AE Sestertius 27.92 gm, 34.8 mm. 7h Rome mint. Struck under Claudius, 42-54 AD Obverse: AGRIPPINA M F GERMANICI CAESARIS, bare-headed and draped bust right. Reverse: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P around large SC. Refs: RIC I 102 (Claudius); BMCRE 219 (Claudius); Cohen 3.