Top 10 2020 - Eparch

I have much enjoyed the Top 10 posts so far and thought it was time I joined in. My focus has mainly been on Greek coins this year which I have only been collecting for 5 years (as opposed to 45 years for Roman ). However I did add some Romans too (7 to 10 below). In fact, stuck at home in lockdown, I have bought far more coins than usual.

They are not in any order – please tell me your favorites.

1.


CILICIA. Nagidos. Circa 400-380 BC. Stater

Silver, 21 mm, 10.48 g, 6 h

Bearded head of Dionysos to right, wearing ivy wreath

Rev. Ν[ΑΓΙΔΕΩΝ] Head of Aphrodite to right, her hair bound with a broad band, wearing an elaborate pendant earring and a pearl necklace.

Terence Cheeseman has also posted one of these in his top 10, and comments on Dionysos’s tipsy eye. This is a different die, but also has an interesting half-closed eye with what appears to be a large shaggy eyebrow.




2.

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·

Mysia, Kyzikos AR Tetradrachm. Circa 400-330 BC.

Wreathed head of Kore-Soteira to left, wearing pendant earring and necklace, hair bound in sakkos; ΣOTEI above

Lion's head to left, tunny fish below, olive branch behind; KY-ΖI around.

Von Fritze (silver) Group III (this symbol not listed); Traité II, 2811 (this symbol not listed), pl. CLXXVIII, 18 (same obv. die).


This joins my small sub collection from Kyzikos.


3.









Ionia, Teos AR Stater. Circa 485-475 BC.

Griffin seated to right, with left forepaw raised; small heron before.

Balcer, SNR 47, 13 (same dies). Boston 1937 (same obverse die); Dewing 2312 (same obv. die).

11.91g, 21mm.

I just like griffins

4.

Lucania, Thourioi AR Triobol.



Description

Lucania, Thourioi AR Triobol. Circa 400-350 BC.

Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with Skylla.
Bull charging right; ΘOYPIΩN and I above, tunny fish in exergue.

HN Italy 1814; SNG ANS 1155.

Athena’s helmet appealed to me.


5.



Description
Thessaly, Gyrton Æ Dichalkon. Early-mid 4th century BC.

Head of the hero Gyrton and head and neck of a bridled horse right

ΓΥΡΤOΝΙON, head of the nymph Gyrtone left.

Rogers 228; BCD Thessaly II 78 (same dies); HGC 4, 370 (same dies as illustration). 4.15g, 17mm, 11h.
Ex BCD Collection

The design of this little AE appealed to me.


6.



Kingdom of Mauretania, Juba II with Cleopatra Selene AR Denarius. Caesarea, Circa 20 BC - AD 24.

REX•IVBA, diademed head of Juba right

BACIΛICCA KΛЄOΠATPA, crocodile standing to left on ground line

. MAA 104; Mazard 340; SNG Copenhagen 592.

3.19g, 20mm, 6h.

Another of my little sub collections – Juba is an interesting character.


7.



Caracalla, with Julia Domna, Æ28 of Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior. AD 198-217.

ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝΟΣ ΑΥΓΟΥΣΤΟΣ ΙΟΥΛΙΑ ΔΟΜΝΑ, laureate head of Caracalla facing draped bust of Julia Domna

ΥΠ ΚΥΝΤΙΛΙΑΝΟΥ ΜΑ-ΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, Athena standing near tree holding patera and poppy, shield and spear behind; Є (retrograde) in right field.

AMNG I 699; Varbanov 1010.

13.29g, 28mm, 1h.

Very Rare.

While the owl is the sacred animal attribute most frequently associated with the goddess Athena, the snake is also a practically omnipresent figure in Athenian visual culture, particularly on pottery and statuary from the Archaic to the Hellenistic periods, even if often overlooked, and has been commonly understood to have an association with the earth, autochthony, death, and domestic affairs.

Lena Streisand (Liminality & the Fantastic: Snakes in Ancient Athenian Visual and Material Culture from the Archaic to the Hellenistic Periods, University of Colorado 2015) relates that "during the Panathenaia, a young boy would feed Athena’s snake honey cakes, a food often fed to underworld animals. On accounts outside of the Panathenaia, Athenians also fed Athena’s snake cakes and food offerings as a part of their worship of the goddess."

8.



Trajan Æ Sestertius. Rome, AD 114-117.

IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P, laureate bust right, slight drapery over far shoulder

Emperor seated on platform right, accompanied by two officers, addressing six soldiers below; three standards in the background, IMPERATOR VIII S•C in exergue.

RIC 656; Woytek 548v; Banti 78; BMCRE 1017.

27.01g, 34mm, 6h.

Sestertii with interesting reverses are ever popular.

And I end with 2 Republican denarii – my main and original interest

9.



L. Rubrius Dossenus AR Denarius. Rome, 87 BC.

Helmeted bust of Minerva right, wearing aegis; DOS behind

Triumphal chariot with side panel decorated with eagle on thunderbolt; above, Victory in chariot to right; L•RVBRI in exergue.

Crawford 348/3; RSC Rubria 3.

3.67g, 17mm, 5h.


10.



Octavian AR Denarius. Cyrenaica, provincial governor L. Pinarius Scarpus, circa 31-29 BC.

Open right hand reaching left, IMP•CAESARI above, SCARPVS•IMP below

DIVI•F on right, AVG•PONT on left, Victory standing right on globe, holding wreath.

Crawford 546/6; RIC 534; CRI 413; Sydenham 1282; RSC 500.

Ex Alba Longa Collection.


According to Crawford, this coin represents the last denarius of the Roman Republic. L. Pinarius Scarpus commanded four legions for Marc Antony in Cyrenaica against Octavian's African army, which was under the command of Cornelius Gallus. After learning of Antony's defeat at Actium, Scarpus changed his allegiance to Octavian. This issue was struck shortly after the battle of Actium, the open hand signalizing a gesture of friendship toward Octavian

 

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Exactly what I think

 

All lovely! I like the Lucania charging bull and the Trajan sestertius, but my favorite is the dual portrait pentassarion of Caracalla and Domna of Marcianopolis because of the reverse type. That one is truly an exceptional example.

 

All of these are excellent coins that I would love to own but I want to mention the #5 Gyrton. This is a relatively common type that appeals to me but there is a lot of variation in artistic and technical quality. This specimen strikes me as having a nicely balanced obverse with good expressions on the faces. I would prefer the reverse centered a bit more to the right but difficulty finding this type with everything spot on perfect in style and striking has kept me from buying one.

My other favorite is the Caracalla/Domna with that excellent reverse scene.

 

I love the Kyzikos tetradrachm. I've been looking for one for a long time but most of them seem to be pretty corroded for some reason. Maybe they were buried near the Mediterranean and suffered from salt contamination?

Your example is super nice!

John

 

Nice coins and I like them all. Since you asked for favorites I suppose I would pick 2, 5, 6 and 10, but realistically they would look very nice in my collection.

 

eparch, These are wonderful additions for 2020 ! My favorite is #3, the Ionian stater with the handsome Griffin & tiny Heron . My 2nd favorite is #8, the sestertius of Trajan with the complex & finely engraved reverse. The bronze of Caracalla & Mom #7, is a wonderful composition with interesting symbolism.

 

Great group! I really like the Juba/Cleopatra Selene (#6). The clear BACIΛICCA KΛЄOΠATPA ("Queen Cleopatra") reverse legend is great, and I like the crocodile as well. The Trajan sestertius and Caracalla/Domna provincial are my other favorites. Beautiful group of coins!

 

OMG. Such a nice grouping.

Question: on the #1 Aphrodite (reverse) which is such an awesome strike. Were they all struck so well, or is this just a well-struck specimen?

 

Great selections! Coins #2,3 and 7 are my favorites. I love #2 and 7's beautiful reverses, and #3 griffin obverse. Reminds me the reason to collect ancient coins. Thanks for sharing.

 

..museum quality pieces!...very nice!

 

Quite a few cool animals here. The griffin and the crocodile are to die for. The Trajan isn't bad either

Q

 

I'm not into ancient coins, but I know what I like and a few of those coins were nice, as far as my limited knowledge is. I do have a question though about the ancient coins. There was mentioned "bronze" for one or set of coins. I'm trying not to sound too ignorant, but what are the coins made of?

 

Hard to pick a fav., they are all really nice and have great "eye appeal". Thanks for sharing those marvellous new additions/ John

 

Some really cool coins, @eparch! Very nice!

 

Wow nice coins I'll take one of each okay... Thanks for the post

 

All excellent quality coins, although I really like the Juba and Trajan. Absolutely great all of them, congrats.

 

#3 I like griffins... German States/Baden

 

Amazing coins! If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the Trajan sestertius. No, I mean the Teos stater... well.. no, the... ehm.. I can't pick!!