My two most memorable purchases of 2017

2017 was a memorable year for me in Coinland. Sometimes, it was not even the actual coins bought, but the purchase itself that was special and memorable.

Back in April, I noticed in the back of the Gemini XIII catalog an offering of some large group lots of Alexandrian coins, previously held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, with some of them further provenanced to the Dattari collection. Basically, stuff I would find tempting seven out of seven days of the week. The problem: they were unpictured, described very briefly in summary, and potentially pricey.

When I discussed the auction privately with @TIF, I wasn't surprised to find out that she was attracted to some of the same lots as I was, with one in particular - comprising 79 drachms and 1 diobol of Antoninus Pius - standing out for both of us. She also had misgivings and concerns about buying such a lot sight unseen, and it seemed that we might have done the sensible thing and talk each other out of buying it. Instead, we somehow ended up talking ourselves into buying it together.

If you're interested in reading about how it all went down, here's TIF's original thread about our buy:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/co-dependent-collecting.296758/#post-2745557

We split the cost of the lot equally, and after TIF had pictures and descriptions of all the coins done up (for my benefit since we live 10,000 miles apart - thanks again for all the work, TIF!), we took turns selecting a coin from the lot one by one until we each had our pile of 40. I haven't taken individual pics of more than a few of them as not even I want to see that many junky drachms up close, but here's a group shot of my half of the loot...



So, what's my assessment of this purchase half a year later? Well, it was decent lot with some interesting coins, even if none of them made it into my Top 10 for the year. TIF and I halved our risk by buying it together, but objectively speaking, our collections may have been better off if we had put the funds toward just one or two better coins. On the other hand, we would have missed out on all the fun we had on our little misadventure. This is a great hobby and even better when you can share it with friends. Sometimes, it's about more than just the coins. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one looking forward to having TIF ease back into the game and spend more time with us here on CT.

 

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This next purchase was not with a friend but from a friend...

I'm leaving out of my Top 10 these eight coins I bought from Steve's sale of his wonderful collection, not because they would just literally dominate my favorites list, but because I honestly still haven't come around to thinking of them as mine. I've seen, admired, laughed at, enjoyed, and been jealous of these coins so often here on CT that I'm not sure I'll ever stop thinking of them as "Steve's coins". Even though I love each and every one of these coins, my purchase of them was less about owning them than about supporting a friend in his sale. Maybe some day Steve will pick up collecting again, and if he wants any of these coins back, they're his. For now, I'm glad that these fantastic coins (and those that other members have bought) will continue to get their occasional showing on CT, even if that doesn't come slightly close to having the man himself here. He continues to be missed.

I've not done justice to some of these coins with my photography. I have these pics for now, but photographing them is a work in progress...

#8
MACEDONIAN KINGDOM, Philip V. AE21
Two goats; rather rude sign below.


#7
THESSALY, Trika. AR Hemidrachm
Ex x6 + ex BCD = two priceless pedigrees.


#6
TITUS. PHOENICIA, Berytus. AE25
That's not Titus, it's Guy Fieri!


#5
NERVA. CAPPADOCIA. AR Didrachm.
Can't decide which side I like better here, they're both equally fantastic.


#4
CARACALLA. AR Denarius
Most stylish galley ever bar none!


#3
ANTONINUS PIUS. EGYPT, Alexandria. AE Drachm
A feast for the eyes and a party in the hand. One of my all-time favorite Steve coins.


#2
MACEDON, Eion. AR Obol. Two geese + heart.
Awwww, surely this is the sweetest ancient coin ever struck?


#1
CARACALLA. AR Antoninianus.
David Sear says this coin is "outstanding". Do not argue with David Sear!


And there you have it! Hope you enjoyed the show, folks. Steve has always had impeccable taste in coins and his eye and intuition for just the right example never ceases to amaze. As I write this, there are still many of his coins on sale. If you want a piece of the x6 Collection ("A menagerie of ancient animals & awesomeness"), here's the link to the sale:
http://stores.ebay.com/Dionysus-Coi...id=182245341&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322&rmvSB=true

 

Great coins and stories.

I used to get interested in ancients every few years and be active buying a few and going to shows. There was so little opportunity to interact with other collectors that I would always lose interest again after a while.

Once I discovered cointalk and found this friendly, smart, and entertaining group of people to talk to I have stayed focused on collecting every day.

Thanks everyone on CoinTalk for keeping it interesting and fun!

John

 

love#2 so much

 

Absolutely and totally +1!

 

Great looking bunch my coin friend

 

Well done @zumbly ! You grabbed several that I was looking at ALSO! I have a few from his eclectic collection... and I keep going back looking at another, etc.

Here is his Philip II that I enjoyed from his various postings that I grabbed. Even though it was on his "lower end" of pricing, it was always a cool little coin that I loved from afar (spearhead):


Makedon Philip II AE 18 Apollo - Youth Horseback spear hd below 359-356 BCE 18mm 6.2g SNG ANS 850-1

 

Quote of the year! Awesome coins Z.

 

Looks like you had a good year, zumbly!
Being an 'imperial' guy, I like #4 and #1 best (you're right, that is one good looking galley, and the Caracalla is quite special).

I totally missed your buying adventure with TIF. What a great way to share with another person this numismatic hobby

 

Same here! I have a few more on my watch list and hopefully they’ll still be there when funds permit more purchases.

 

I like the Antoninus Pius drachm quite a lot. I bet it's a nice heavy coin. I'm still looking for an Antinuous since I visited the site at Antinopolis (as close as I could get to it since the villagers in the area think it's haunted by evil spirits/jinn), however these are quite rare.

 

We discussed many coins before purchase with my usual opinion being he was bidding too high. That is how you get nice coins. My favorite was #2. He still has several I would like but can not afford.

 

I agree with Mr. Sear. #1 is my fav.

 

Awesome stuff! yeah 2 looks pretty nice.

 

It seems my favorites are precisely as you numbered them

I was able to grab two Stevex6 coins and i'll post one. I hope my modest purchases helped in some small way....

Obverse : Head of Poseidon right, wearing oak wreath; monogram to left.
Reverse : Artemis, holding bow, seated left on prow; dolphin left; star surmounting akrostolion; two monograms right.

Date : circa 168-120 BC

Diameter : 18.66 mm
Weight : 4.20 g

References :BCD Thessaly II 415.2
Notes : Ex BCD Collection (CNG 395, 12 April 2017), lot 78: Ex Stevex6

 

Very cool post @zumbly !

 

A lot of the time it's the people you will remember and cherish rather than the coins. Those are two good examples of just that.

 

That’s the truth. My collection would be many very nice coins nicer had I bid “too high” for them. For at least some of them I’ll probably always regret not doing so.

 

Ooh, nice one!

 

good lot of coins z. i remember when you and TIF did and done that..