[Ancients] Top 10 Index

You can always put out your list and add the to-be-delivered or purchased to next year’s mix.

 

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Here's one that won't make it into my top 10...
Lack of detail is a common trait of these tiny Parthian Bronzes the only reason this one isn't top 10 is there is another at position 6...With the same pedigree as this one..
Parthia, Vologases VI (208-228 CE) AE chalkous, Ecbatana, 8mm..1.07gm..12hr
Obverse...Bearded, diademed bust of king left, wearing torque and tiara decorated with hooks, a line with pellets and an ear flap, dotted border around.
Reverse...Eagle standing left with wings open......Sellwood 88.29, Shore 640
Ex-Tom Mallon collection. Published on his website, The Coins and History of Asia.
This coin is also published on the Parthia.com website:
http://parthia.com/vologases6.htm .

 

I had not tried museum wax. I have used clay left over from my days of plaster casting but that is hard to remove from the reverse. How is the wax in this regard?

 

It comes off very easily!

 

Does it by chance also remove any dust when it leaves the coin. I am going crazy taking super macro shots and having dust on the coin despite light brushing.

 

While adding quite a few late Roman Bronze this year, my photography skills improved tremendously. Holding the coin in hand is very difficult to beat, but as the pictures have improved, I enjoy them nearly as much.


RIC VII Treveri 101
by way of AMCC 3 From the Caesar_Augustus collection


Constantine I 307-337 A.D. RIC VII Rome 20
also AMCC 3 From the Caesar_Augustus collection
let's hope for #4 in 2022!


Crispus as Caesar 317-326 A.D. CLARITAS REIPVBLICAE RIC VII 177

 

I expect it does, though I haven't made a study of it. That is a fantastic super-macro!!

 

Those are excellent photos. I have to agree that there is a great deal of enjoyment to be had in making good photos. By 'good' I mean those that show the coin fairly not hiding its imperfections that are part of the individuality of the coin. Lately I have been going back and reshooting coins that had not been as well represented before. The coins are no better or worse than before but they are more satisfying now. These were today's crop.

My other recent activity is trying to find small details that 'deserve' being recorded well. This one shows why I ask about dust removal.

 

We now have 50 lists for the year so I figured it’s a good time to resurrect this thread.

There have been some really great coins and photos posted in this thread. Thanks to all of you who have been posting.

I will use one more newer photo to bump this time then I will switch to my “almost-made-it” coins for future bumps. It looks like I had 13 contenders this year that I thought stood out particularly. It is starting to look like I may have to post my list in January this year though... I will be traveling extensively in the lead up to Christmas and I still haven’t photographed a few of my Top 10. Hopefully the board will indulge me a little tardiness this year.

 

Man - I was number 50 last year, but looks like I posted just a little too early for the same honor again… but now I get to check out @dougsmit’s list!

 

Ooo.. Fancy drop-list update too. Good job @Curtisimo! If we could vote on having threads pinned, I would vote for this one (And for the thread for beginners which has been buried somewhere...)

 

Yes nice "Spoiler" Index!.....Good work!
Bumping this thread up to the top....
Here's 2 that didn't make it into my top ten this year....
A couple of nicely detailed early Gadhaiya Paisa's....
Obverse-Stylized Head of King Right.
Reverse- Fire altar with ribbons and attendants; star and crescent flanking flames.
20mm x 3.77grams

21mm x 3.65grams

 

Thanks @FitzNigel ! I tend to like that the ancient board doesn’t have any pins but I suppose a temporary pin for the last few weeks of December wouldn’t be so bad.

It’s kinda fun bumping this thread though and I’ve really enjoyed seeing everyone’s additions to the thread.

Nice coins @Spaniard ! I like seeing the abstraction progression on these coins.

Thanks also for the kind words about the index. I was starting to think that the list was getting rather long (and growing by ~100 lists a year!). This was my solution to keep that manageable and make it easy for folks to browse old lists. Glad it worked.

 

Curtisimo’s Almost Made it Coins of 2021
I am finally ready to start posting my “almost made it” coins in anticipation of my Top 10 for the year. This year was probably the best year ever for my collection and I ended up with 13 coins that I like well enough to consider contenders for the list. All three of the coins that missed out would probably have made my Top 10 in most previous years.

First up...

13 My Most Obvious Overstrike

Mysia, Kyzikos
AE 28, struck ca. 300-200 BC
Dia.: 28 mm
Wt.: 16.81 g
Obv.: Prow to right
Rev.: K-Y / Z-I; Bucranium, all within oak wreath
Ref.: SNG Paris 438 (Overstruck on SNG Paris 436; Kore / Butting Bull)

I find this coin fascinating because the under-type is almost as prominent as the overstrike! While this certainly leads to a bit of a mess on the reverse the obverse is aligned in such a way to make for a very pleasant synthesis in my opinion. This is a large and hefty coin at 28 mm that looks and feels great in hand.

The type is pretty interesting too. The ship’s prow on the obverse is none other than the Argo of Jason and the Golden Fleece fame. Kyzikos had a traditional connection with the mythological expedition of the Argonauts and celebrated it on some of their coin types. I will go into more detail in the future when I have a chance to do a proper write-up on this coin. The reverse under-type of a butting bull might have been a reference to a statue in Kyzikos mentioned by Athenaeus.

 

This coin almost made my top 10. It was my first ancient coin purchase and remains my only Greek coin. It was an impulse buy with a little stimulus money I had leftover after taking care of bills and such. I find the centering and strike quite nice, which is the first thing I noticed about this example. It was very much a love at first sight coin. I collect first with my eyes. I knew I had to have it.

Original thread... https://www.cointalk.com/threads/mysia-cyzicus-trihemiobol.377627/

 

We’ve had several new Top 10 posts recently and we are currently up to 77 for 2021. Therefore I think it is time to continue with my next “almost made it” coin of 2021.

12 A Philip Tet to Complete the Set

Roman Empire
Philip the Arab
AR Tetradrachm, Seleucia and Pieria, Antioch mint, struck ca. AD 247
Dia.: 28.1 mm
Wt.: 11.47 g
Obv.: AYTOK K M IOYΛI ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC CЄB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind.
Rev.: ΔΗΜΑΡX ЄΞOYCIAC ΥΠΑ ΤO Γ / ANTIOXIA / S C, Eagle standing left, head right, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak.
Ref.: Prieur 370; McAlee 902

Last year I received an Antioch tetradrachm of Philip II in a gift exchange with my good friend @Cucumbor . I liked it so much that I decided to go after a mini-set of Antioch tets of the family; Philip I, Otacilia Severa and Philip II. It’s been noted on CT before that Philip I has some extremely artistic portraits that tend to be a bit underrated. This example has a great portrait and excellent centering. The coin looks and feels great in-hand. It is one of my favorite coins for the year and one of my favorite portraits in my collection. A very worthy #12.

 

How true !
I mean, this is an excellent portrait and there are terrific portraits to be had from the Philip dynasty tetradrachms









Q

 

All beautiful coins Q. It helps too that the larger size gives the coins a nice heft.

Just because I like to show it off, here is the ex Q Philip II tet I mentioned.

Nice coin Joshua. Thanks for sharing. These smaller Kyzikos coins have really nice detail for their size typically.

 

I’ll be posting my #11 coin soon but since we have had several good lists posted recently that have dropped off the front page I thought I would bump this up again in case anyone wants to make sure they haven’t missed any.

I am a bit behind on reading the Top 10s but it is my intention to read all of them before the end of the year.

...don’t be afraid to post your almost made it coins if you have any. I’ll use this as an excuse to randomly post this loveably ugly quadriga