What was your first ancient coin?

Mine was an antoninianus of Gordian III I bought back in 1980 when I was ten. I was hooked!

 

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Still, own it and can't part with it.



Septimius Severus (193 - 211 A.D)
AR Denarius
O: SEVERVS AVG PART MAX, Laureate head right.
R:RESTITVTOR VRBIS (Restoration of the City), Severus in military attire, spear in left, sacrificing over a tripod altar with right.
Rome mint, 201 A.D.
3.3g
18mm
RIC 167a, RSC 599, BMCRE 202

 

My first ancient coin was actually a box of coins. It was a "Coins of the Holy Land" collection that I saw advertised in the back of a Biblical Archeology magazine. It contains Judaean prutot of the Hasmonean Dynasty, coins from the time of Herod the great, his son Herod Archelaus, and coins of the period of Pontius Pilate. It has a Seleucid Kingdom Antiochos IV bronze drachm, and an Aretas Nabataean bronze drachm, and a coin from the Roman War (Masada period coin). I was definitely hooked after I had this collection for a while. I was under the ancients spell and I've been there ever since.



I also must add that the collection contained a very elegant looking Certificate of Authenticity signed by the distinguished ancient coin numismatist—Robin L. Danziger of ANA

 

First Coins (one purchase)





Greece Athens Owl Tets


Makedon Alexander III 336-323 BC AR Drachm

 

Wow, @Alegandron ! You started off with the crème de la crème of ancient coins!

 

Mine was a GLORIA EXERCITVS of Delmatius.

 

My first Ancient purchase was just a couple of months ago:




TRAJAN AR DENARIUS, 114 - 117 C.E.
RIC 318, RSC 154, Very Fine, 19.2mm, 3.59 grams
Obverse: Laureate draped bust of Trajan to right, IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC around
Reverse: P M TR P COS VI P P SPQR around Fortuna seated to left, holding rudder in right hand and cornucopia in left, FORT RED in exergue

 

@Deacon Ray is always an overachiever.

 

Superb purchase, Gerard! If you acquire denarii of Nerva, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, and Antoninus Pius—you'll have a fine and complete collection of what is called "The Five Good Emperors" I'm working toward that goal myself rather gradually. You have a beautiful Trajan!

 

I forgot my manners! Thank you for a great thread, @ancient coin hunter ! We're glad you're here with us on the CTAF!

 

Great first coins everyone.

If I remember correctly I purchased this little fella back in 2011. Elagabalus Antoninianus

Not my prettiest one but, hey, who doesn't love a coin with a sex crazed, zealously deranged narcissist on it?

 

Wow! Can't wait to get myself a Athenian owl. Mine was a Roman Imperial Constatine II.

Sorry I don't have pictures I'm out of town and currently can't get to them. I'll post some in a couple days.

EDIT: Oh I forgot to add it came from the generous hands of @Sallent


Thanks,
Jacob

 

I loved the bankers marks, and of course, the History of the Attica Tets. And, grabbing the Greatest General after Philip II, was a bonus in one purchase back in the 90’s...

 

My first ancient purchase was a FTR fallen horseman.

 

My avatar!

 

One of several LRBs I picked from a $3.00 junk box, but the first one I was able to identify, purchased in 1992/3:

 

5 quid in the UK, 1985: AE as of Severus Alexander, purchased unidentified. (I remember thinking "what the heck does 'PIVSA' mean?!? Had hours of fun figuring it out.)

 

Not sure of the year. Either 1981 or 82.

 

Not my best but this is my first ancient and one of the coins to which I'm most sentimentally attached. My first ~50 ancients were all < $40 each, then I slowly ratcheted it up to acquiring my first denarius, then bought US coinage for a while, and have since been bitten hard by the coins I buy today.

I recently pulled this out of the safety deposit box to finally photograph:

 

Got this Philip V in March of last year.