Orielensis' Top 10 of 2021

Many important things, most of them good or even excellent, happened in my life in 2021. For example, my wife and I bought an apartment in a beautiful 19th century building in the historic city center of the town we live in. Currently, we are renovating to turn this place into our permanent family home. After years of moving again and again, this has been an important step to us.

Unfortunately, the costs of this project also meant that my coin budget seriously decreased. I bought much fewer coins in 2021 than I did in previous years. But looking at this year’s top ten, I think that it nonetheless has been a good collecting year:

1. This is the oldest Greek coin in my collection. Legend often credits Croesus, the last king of Lydia, with the invention of minted money. Though that is old fake news, Croesus certainly had a huge influence on the early development of coinage. He was the first to mint pure gold coins and introduce a bimetallic monetary system. (More in my write-up on this coin.) I had wanted a Croeseid coin for a long time and am happy to have spotted this example in a mixed lot:

Kings of Lydia, under Croesus, AR ⅙ stater, 565/53–550/39 BC. Obv: confronted foreparts of lion and bull. Rev: two incuse square punches of unequal size. 8–11mm, 1.76g. Ref: Berk 25; SNG Kayhan 1019; Sunrise 13.

2. Here is my first incuse reverse coin from Magna Graecia. As a medieval bracteate collector, I’m partial to this somewhat strange coin design. As I wrote elsewhere on this board, the tripod on my coin likely is a reference to the Delphic Oracle, and earlier scholarship has speculated about a Pythagorean connection.

Bruttium, Croton, AR nomos, ca. 480–430 BC. Obv: retrograde ϘPO; tripod with legs terminating in lion’s feet; to left, heron standing r. Rev: incuse tripod with central pellet. 18mm, 7.92g. Ref: HN Italy 2102; SNG ANS 261-2.

3. This coin represents another Greek type that I had wanted to have in my collection for a long time. The Corinthian Pegasi are iconic, and this one in my eyes gets extra points for good style and an interesting as well as rare field mark that according to Ravel likely depicts a now lost statue of Poseidon. Thanks to @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ' generous help in this thread, I was able to find the correct catalogue number:

Corinthia, Corinth, AR stater, c. 414–387 BC (Ravel: period IV, series XI). Obv: Pegasus galloping l.; below, Ϙ. Rev: head of Athena wearing Corinthian helmet l.; in field r., statue of Poseidon standing r., holding dolphin and hurling trident. 22mm, 8.52g. Ref: Ravel 737; Cammann 99d (reverse die).

4. This chunky stater was my personal highlight in AMCC 3, my favorite auction not only of this year. The obverse design with the cow suckling her calf is simply adorable. Dyrrhachion, now Durrës in Albania, was one of the richest Greek colonies in Illyria and an important trade harbor at the Adriatic coast.

Illyria, Dyrrhachion, AR stater, ca. 340–280 BC. Obv: cow standing r. with suckling calf; above, ME. Rev: double stellate square; around, Δ-Y- retrograde P and club. 21mm, 10.61g. Ref: Maier 28; HGC 3, 33; Meadows CH 140 (forthcoming, this coin). Ex AMCC 3, lot 28; ex @Chris B collection; ex CNG, e-auction 429, lot 79.

5. Republican coins struck by moneyers from the Metelli family can be identified by the family badge, an elephant that refers to the Roman victory over Hasdrubal at Panormus in 250, in which a Metellus captured Hasdrubal's elephants. This coin was my first true auction win in 2021, and I didn’t regret this purchase. You can read more about the coin here.

Roman Republic, moneyer: presumably L. Caecilius Metellus Diadematus, or L. Caecilius Metellus Delmaticus, AR denarius, 128 BC, Rome mint. Obv: head of Roma r., helmeted; behind, crossed X. Rev: [ROMA]; goddess (Pax or Juno Regina) in biga r., holding sceptre and reins in l. hand and branch in r. hand; below, elephant’s head with bell attached. 17mm, 3.88g. Ref: RRC 262/1.

6. The jugate portrait on the obverse and the scene on the reverse make this Republican type rather special. On the obverse, we see the dei penates, the Roman deities of domestic affairs and guardians of the storeroom. The reverse probably shows a scene from the Aeneid: Aeneas and his companions find a white sow along with her litter lying under an oak tree, which according to an earlier prophecy marks the location where they are supposed to build the city of Lavinium.

Roman Republic, moneyer: C. Sulpicius, AR denarius serratus, 106 BC, Rome mint. Obv: D. P. P; jugate, laureate heads of the dei penates publici l. Rev: C. SVLPICI. C. F; two male figures standing facing each other, each holding spear in l. hand and with r. hand pointing at sow which lies between them; above, control-letter C. 20mm, 4.00g. Ref: RRC 312/1.

7. Germanicus was a key figure of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, designated heir to Tiberius, and one of the most celebrated generals of his time. Before getting the chance to ascend to the throne, he died of a mysterious illness in 17 AD. My coin was struck posthumously during the rule of Germanicus’ brother Claudius. I had wanted a portrait of Germanicus for a long time, and the red patina on this example convinced me that this was the right coin for me:

Germanicus (postumus issue under Claudius), AE as, 40–54 AD, Rome mint. Obv: GERMANICVS CAESAR TI AVG F DIVI AVG N; head of Germanicus, bare, r. Rev: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P; large S C. 27mm, 10.81g. Ref: RIC I (second edition) Claudius 106.

8. My favorites are not necessarily the most expensive or rare coins in my collection. This denarius, which is rather common, is a good example. I simply find the portrait style extremely attractive. As I wrote in my thread on this coin, RIC describes the figure on the reverse as Sol, but due to the lack of a radiate crown or other typical attributes, this interpretation appears doubtful. The reverse could also be read to show Caracalla as rector orbis (“master of the world”), making for one of the most megalomaniac Roman coin types.

Caracalla, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 201–206 AD, Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; laureate head of Caracalla r. Rev: RECTOR ORBIS, emperor standing facing, laureate, holding globe and sceptre or spear pointing down. 18mm, 3.35g. Ref: RIC IV Caracalla 141.

9. This is not my best preserved nor my most perfectly struck antoninianus of Postumus, yet it probably is the most interesting. On the reverse, we see Rhenus, the personification of the river Rhine, accompanied by the legend salus provinciarum (“health of the provinces”). Shortly after Postumus took power and seceded from the rest of the Roman empire, he communicated a political statement with this coin. As I elaborated on in my write-up on this coin, the image on its reverse was likely meant to assure the population that the new emperor was going to deliver on the promise of keeping the Rhine border and thus keep the western provinces safe.

Postumus, Gallic Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, mid–end 260 AD, Trier mint. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS. P. F. AVG; bust of Postumus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: SALVS PROVINCIARVM; river god reclining l., head horned, r. hand resting on knee, and holding pitcher and anchor in l. hand; to rear, l., forepart of boat. 23mm, 3.15g. Ref: Mairat 14; RIC V Postumus 87.

10. 2021 was not a very good year for my collecting interest in medieval bracteates. At auction, a number of coins that I was very seriously interested in went far beyond my financial limits. Yet, I was able to get this colorfully toned lion struck for William Longsword, the youngest son of Henry the Lion, the great Welf rival of the Hohenstaufen emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and the English princess Matilda:

Brunswick-Lüneburg, under William of Lüneburg (aka William Longsword, William of Winchester), 1195–1213 AD, Lüneburg mint. Obv: Welf lion passant l. Rev: negative design (bracteate). 22mm, 0.55g. Ref: Berger 373; Bonhoff 77.

Please post your comments, pick your favorites, and show your related coins!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I really like the Stater from Corinth - one of those has been on my list for some time. And of course, I love the Bracteate. I bought my first Bracteate this year - I intended to get a second before the year ended, but holiday finances said otherwise.

Frankfurt am Main
Adolf von Nassau, r. 1292-1298
AR Bracteate, 22.55 mm x 0.57 grams
Obv.: King enthroned, holding scepter and orb
Ref.: De Wit 2150, cf. Hannover 2371, cf. Svensson 175

 

That Caracalla bust is great. I think my favorite of your 10 is the William Longsword. I don't have much (any) experience with these types of coins but the ones I have seen tend to be mushy and none I have seen have been so beautifully toned as yours.

 

outstanding O...i love that Lydian electrum

 

Thanks for the compliments!

I sure wish my coin was electrum, but it's unfortunately only silver...

 

Between Postumus and the bracteate I chose the latter.

 

That was one heck of a mixed lot!! I love that Croesus and can't believe such well-struck and well-preserved example was in a mixed lot!

The Corinth and Illyria staters rank high for me. The bracteate is remarkably well preserved and beautiful and the Postumus has an interesting reverse.

Looks like you had a fine year!

 

I LOVE the year you had
And hate (love) to be pretentious about it but STRONGLY, back up your #2 (which I may have ranked as numero uno) and believe if folks knew more about the coins of Magna Graecia, the fact that Pythagoras himself may have contrived the GENIUS process of giving the illusion of a coin with a mirror reverse with a twist, that mother loving beauty would've gotten waaaaay more votes.
Ps, your Croesus is dope AF. And I had to pick #6 for religious reasons
Now here's my restored Magna Graecia:

 

Lovely coins, all of them! You made some fine choices to add to your collection this past year. My favorites include the bracteate, the Postumus Rhenus, the sow of Lavinium and the Pegasus!

 

Excellent list! I voted for 3, 6 and 9. As a fan of Colts, I have to endorse your choice of Corinthian staters. It's a lovely example with an interesting control symbol. Also, congrats on the home purchase, it sounds like the best acquisition of all.

 

Very interesting list! Some of these types I have not seen before - always learning

My favorites are
# 10: an incredibly well-preserved bracteate
#8: a lovely youthful portrait of Caracalla
#4: the Sulpicius serrate denarius with breathtaking heads of the dei penates and all the details to be seen on the reverse.

You had a great 2021

 

Great coins. I like #3, #6 and #8.

 

Maybe you had a smaller budget than usual, but you certainly didn't compromise in style or taste! Some very nice coins. My favourite is probably the Kroisos fraction. Sharply struck, great toning and a fascinating overall shape. Perhaps I should begin looking into mixed lots as well?

Happy coin hunting in '22.

 

I'm partial to #4 but like them all. #'s 1 & 7 are the others that I voted for.

The bracteate is nice as well. It reminded me of this one. I haven't pulled it out in a while.

 

I like the selection. Choosing 3 wasn't easy as all the coins have their appeal.
I chose #1 - "I had wanted a Croeseid coin for a long time and am happy to have spotted this example in a mixed lot:" - I need to pay more attention to mixed lots!

#3 - one of the iconic ancient Greek coins. I love Athena's portrait and the field mark.
I was happy to get a Corinthian coin this year, although a drachm and with an Aphrodite who doesn't look exacty like the queen of beauty.

#6 is my last choice as I find coins depicting legends extremely interesting.
I also bought a L. Papius Celsus denarius I am very happy about, depicting another legend from Lavinium (or perhaps Lanuvium as the truth is not clear).

Overall, a very good top 10.

 

Hope your new house renovation goes smoothly, @Orielensis.

You have a great selection this year. Your coins #1, 3, 5 and 6 are my favorites. Really like your Lydia stater. Such archaic feel.

 

Great Brakteat from my home town
I always wondered how these are attributed to either Henry the Lion, William of Lüneburg and Otto the Child. They all show the same lion motif.

 

Nice selection! I voted for 3, 6 and 10, though I liked the sixth stater immediately too. And I had initially voted for the Dyrrhachion stater too, so a difficult choice.

ATB,
Aidan.

 

I gave a vote for your calf and cow coin. It's a design I really enjoy, and yours is an excellent example.

Mine is slightly earlier than yours, c. 400 BC, from Korkyra (modern day Corfu). You can't tell from the photo , but this coin is struck in quite high relief.

Also, the photo doesn't quite do it justice, more attractive in hand.

 

Cow, sow -- one of the best I've seen -- and the very cool bracteate.