If you could have any Ancient coin what would you pick?

The only condition I’m going to add is that the coin you pick cannot be sold since otherwise people would obviously pick the most expensive ancient coin they could find and then sell it for one they want and this game would be boring.

This is my pick!


Gold Croeseid, circa 561-546 BC. Heavy series: 10.76 grams, Sardes mint.

 

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I've always wanted to get one of those shipwreck coins.

 

So many to pick from, probably an Eid Mar though.

I keep checking my couch cushions to see if one drops in them by mistake, but no luck so far.

 

You mean this one right?

 

Good choice!

Fortunately those ones can be had for a reasonable price so you could own your dream coin one day.

 

I'd love to have a Hadrian Aureus preferably:

 

Well, since you said I can have any coin, I'll take the gold 20 stater from Eukratides I.

I'm sure La Bibliothèque Nationale de France would let me have it.

Alternatively, my wife's family is from the area (Bukhara) where they found it. She told me her family was wealthy and owned a number of gold coins, but they couldn't bring them to the US, because everyone was searched and all valuables (even jewelry) were taken by the police at the airport. Because they were so upset at the situation, they buried the coins along with all of the ancient religious books.

So I'd love to dream that they buried a sister coin somewhere...

 

Any reason you chose Hadrian specifically?

 

One of those nice big Antinous drachms or medallions - which are NOT tooled or altered (almost all of them are!). Maybe this one:

 

It varies over time.

This month's dream coin is Lampsakos stater another member posted a few days ago. It left me speechless for a few minutes...Awe is the only word to describe it. The sheer beauty of the obverse, the weathered cracks of time in the pale electrum on the reverse...
I guess this one will stay with me for a long, long time...

https://www.colosseocollection.com/p168103053/h39d97f02#h39d97f02.

I hope he doesn't mind me posting the link. If he does I'll remove it.
(alternatively, you can find the coin in the thread: 'Share your Ancient electrum coins?')

 

I would choose a coin once owned by a first century ruler. I would love to own a coin that any Flavian emperor once possessed.

 

@Gam3rBlake that gold coin is definitely high on my wish-but-way-over-my-budget list.
My choice, is a Roman Republic Janus Aes Grave As, with a nice, green patina, created from 225 BC to 217 BC, which was when the largest of the Janus asses were created.
The pre-211 BC Janus asses were cast coins, not struck. A typical diameter is 60 mm. A typical weight is 265 grams. These coins are way over my budget. They usually cost over $3,000.
Note that, in 217 BC, the weight of the as was decreased to 132 grams. From 217 BC to 211 BC, the weight of the as decreased as time went by, finally bottoming out at 44 grams. In 211 BC, the as coin was changed, from a cast coin with a weight of 44 grams, to a struck coin with a weight of 44 grams. This changed the appearance of the coin, to a more refined looking coin. After 211 BC, the weight of the struck Janus as decreased as time went by.
Here is a photo of an example of the largest type of as, from 225 BC to 217 BC. This coin has a nice, green patina. This is not my coin. I only have one of the post-211 BC struck Janus asses, which are much less expensive.

 

Faustina Snr, Medallion...

 

Why the Flavians?

I think a coin once owned by Julius Caesar would be awesome!

 

Free to choose any one? Sold, then I would choose this one

https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=1787&l=1938932

 

Nope! I said in the first post that the coin couldn’t be sold specifically because it would be boring seeing everyone pick the most expensive coins. Nice try!

 

sorry I wanted to say sold at that auction. Will edit my post

 

The short answer is that The Flavian dynasty is my focus as a collector. The deeper answer is that this dynasty ended the chaos of 69
CE and set the stage for over a century of
Stable rule. In other words, these emperors changed history. Another reason concerns the history altering impact of the Judean conquest. It is a fascinating and important time and these rulers had an influence on these events.

 

Id have to go with an antoninianus of Silbannacus. However, I might have a hard time finding one, as it seems only two exist...


A slightly less out-of-reach coin would be an antoninianus of Pacatian; especially one with the "ROMAE AETER AN MIL ET PRIMO" reverse, which dates his revolt to "The Thousand and First Year of Eternal Rome"