Each of these coins cost me, including shipping, under $100. These ten are listed in order of purchase during the year: #1 12-10 mm. 1.13 grams. Thrace. Thasos. c. 510-480 BC. no legend. Archaic style ithyphallic Silenos "running" right quadripartite incuse square. Sear Greek I city of 1356ff but not listed. Hoover Handbook 6 "Islands" 333. I like cute Greek silver fractions. However, there is no "focus" on them in my collection. #2 Dynast of Lycia, Mithrapata 15-13 mm. 1.14 grams. lion's scalp/triskeles with letters around SNG Copenhagen supplement Lycia 476v "c.40-1st half of fourth C. B.C." Sear Greek 5228 I do have a focus on folles of the tetrarchy. This is a left-facing bust I did not have: #3 Maximian (286-305). Follis. Trier mint. Left-facing bust. 26-25 mm. 9.62 grams. IMP MAXIMIANVS PF AVG Laureate head left B Γ in fields. TR in exergue RIC VI Trier 176bB, page 182 Severus II (305-306-307) became Caesar in 305 in the second tetrarchy and participated in the GENIO POPVLI ROMANI series as Caesar from 305-306 and as Augustus from 306-307. #4 27 mm. 9.54 grams. FL VAL SEVERVS NOB CAESAR RIC VI Serdica 13a Sear IV 14633 (with a different portrait style--curly hair). "Scarce, c. 296-7" One of the first ancient coins I bought in the US was a follis of Severus II from a local coin dealer in Montana in 1977. At the time I thought Severus II was rare and special. That imprinted on me. Now I know I paid too much and they are not rare. Nevertheless, now, whenever I see a nice Severus II follis which I don't have and that costs less than my first one did in 1977, I think about buying it. This one got bought. I love Byzantine AE and buy distinctly different types I don't have if they are inexpensive (one reason for collecting Byzantine AE). This next coin is not so different, but it does have an interesting mintmark. My page tells the story of the Antioch mint under Justinian and why its mintmarks changed from abbreviating "Antioch" to abbreviating "Theopolis.": http://augustuscoins.com/ed/interesting/Justinian.html The new coin has Theopolis abbreviated with the abbreviation beginning in Latin (TH, not Θ, and ending in Greek (Π, not P). The slash at the end is like the ' in "don't" #5 35-34 mm. 18.73 grams. Sear 221, year 26. Sear 219 through 223 are quite similar but have (slightly) different mintmarks, each issued in certain years only. This mintmark was used in years 24 through 29. Sear 221 lists the years of officina numbers for each. Δ is not recorded there or in MIBE. A minor rarity! Here is another Byzantine coin: #6 Byzantine emperor Theophilis, 829-842. 28 mm. 8.19 grams. Sear 1667 Another tetrarchal follis: #7 Constantius I. Augustus of the second tetrarchy, 305-306. 29-27 mm. 8.74 grams. FIDES MILITVM AVGG ET CAESS NN, Fides seated left, holding standard in each hand AQS in exergue RIC VI Aquileia 62, page 320. "C" I got that one because I love folles of the tetrarchy and this Fides seated (as opposed to standing) type is rare. Another Byzantine follis, this one an upgrade: #8 27 mm. 8.46 grams. Byzantine emperor Leo VI and Alexander, 886-912 +LЄOҺ-S AΛЄΞAҺGROS, Leo VI on left, smaller Alexander on right, both crowned and wearing loros, labarum between [The letter that looks like a G may be a version of Δ] 4-line legend +LЄOҺ /SALЄΞAҺ/GROS BASIL/ROMЄON Leo VI was the elder son of Byzantine emperor Basil I and assumed the throne in 886 when Basil died. Alexander was the younger son. Another Greek fraction: #9 Cyzicus (Kyzikos) hemiobol. c. 450-400 BC. Head of Hemes right wearing winged petasos KY IZ (Z shaped differently than my fonts allow) around tunny right 7 mm. 0.25 grams. (That is very small.) The attribution to Kyzikos is obvious, both from the lettering and the tunny. But, the attribution would not be so obvious from checking the major catalogs. SNG Copenhagen -- Supplement --, BMC Mysia --, SNG France Mysie -- Sear Greek --, Klein --, Rosen --, Boston --, Dewing --, SNG Turkey I Kayhan -- and SNG von Aulock 7338 (It's in there!) Another Byzantine follis: #10 Byzantine emperor Basil I and Constantine, 867-886. Struck winter 867/8. 26 mm. 7.60 grams. Sear 1761. The average cost was $67, including shipping. Your comments are welcome!
Love the coins 4, 5 and 8.....You did well picking up some of these coins for under $100 with postage well done!
Well, Warren, a good year for you. All of these below $100! All bargains! I don't collect Byzantine but I can appreciate them. Some very nice ones. My favorites are the Cyzicus hemiobol, Dynast of Lycia and the Thasos. The Thasos has great detail and I've been after a Dynast of Lycia coin, but haven't been able to find one with a good obverse and reverse together. This one has both. The Cyzicus hemiobol's reverse is just plain outstanding. Makes me want fish for dinner.
Warren, You've got a sharp eye for bargains . Your follis of Severus II is a nice looking coin . His folles are scarce compared to other members of the Tetrarchy. The coin pictured below sold at the last CNG auction for $413.00 (including buyers premium) on an estimate if $150.00 ! The follis pictured below of Maximinus II from the London Mint, from the same sale, fetched $708.00 (including buyers premium) on a $150. estimate ! High quality folles are finally bringing high prices. Your follis of Justinian I is a beauty .
All great additions! I think my favorite has to be the Leo VI and Alexander. Well centered, nice looking design, and I like that chocolate patina.
I think that from this time period the coins of Trier have the best and most realistic style. That can explain some of their premium. Here is a Constantine as Caesar from Trier (from 1987, not a recent purchase): 29-28 mm. Struck as Caesar c. Spring 307. RIC VI Trier 694. I think the face is very well done.
Nice to see the Byzantines get some representation on the "best of" lists! That the dual bust coins are great!
You scored some exceptional coins! Sledom, does one get such pristine coins for bargain prices Thanks for sharing, Warren Really like the Byzantine examples! John
Nice group for ea. under $100! I like the Kyzikos and the Lykia the best, @Valentinian . Great idea, under $100...
Love this list! I like all the Tetrarchic coins, the Thasos and the Lycian, but my favourite here is the Kyzikos. Not only are the details impressive for such a little coin, the condition it’s in is outstanding for a silver fraction from this region and period. What a score!
For someone who doesn't focus on small cute Greek fractions you sure know how to buy quality and at a great price, I love your 1,2 & 9, fantastic coins.
@Valentinian great set of coins - nice to see some Byzantine coins and the good looking lion's scalp/triskeles! Best wishes for 2020.
It is good to see some byzantines, including common types, getting into the top 10, and for a price that many could afford. These are nice coins, and #5 is very interesting. AJ's coins (taking him as a random example) are nice to watch, but getting any single one of his top 10 will mean using my budget for many years (afraid to calculate).
I really enjoy these under $100 lists, I hope we see many more of them. My favourites here are the Thasos and the Justinian Antioch.
Mine is Ticinum with shorter legend. I bought it long ago because I 'needed' a Constantius I as Augustus. He died so soon after his elevation to Augustus that any of those coins seems a bit special despite RIC rating this one C2. I have never followed the rarities within groups out of my specialty so I do not know how hard they are to find. That strikes me as a better reason than I had to buy my Severus II. I had a few hundred Septimius Severus and a dozen Severus Alexander (Who was Severus I?) so I thought I needed a Severus II. Years later, I bought a second one (from Rome) but I suspect the reason was mostly that the Moneta reverse was not a Genius.
Mine is Ticinum with shorter legend. I bought it long ago because I 'needed' a Constantius I as Augustus. He died so soon after his elevation to Augustus that any of those coins seems a bit special despite RIC rating this one C2. I have never followed the rarities within groups out of my specialty so I do not know how hard they are to find. View attachment 1035240 That strikes me as a better reason than I had to buy my Severus II. I had a few hundred Septimius Severus and a dozen Severus Alexander (Who was Severus I?) so I thought I needed a Severus II. View attachment 1035243 Years later, I bought a second one (from Rome) but I suspect the reason was mostly that the Moneta reverse was not a Genius. View attachment 1035242