While this time I got much less coins than previous year, I bought only that I really wanted/needed in my growing collection. So it was really hard to make a top 10 list that I posted recently. Also I rarely buy any coins over 100 dollars, so this budget list of coins under 50 bucks reflects my collecting habits, and show there are still bargains to be had if you look for them. 10. Danube Celtic Imitative Tetradrachm- $30 14.8 grams. Circa 100 BC The obverse shows what's supposed to be Hercules, with Zeus on the reverse, whereas mine only shows the eagle and his knee. It is also significantly more cup-shaped than the actual tetradrachm. 9. Athens Owl Hemiobol- $23 0.22g My fist owl! although for a hemiobol it should weigh around 0.3g, but I'm sure the test cut even on this tiny coin (could be a jewelry hole ) along with the wear took a significant bite out of the weight. I also like that this type would've been actually used in daily transactions in the local Athenian markets! 8. Trajan Regna Adsignata Sestertius- $25 I like the fact that this coin minted around the time when Rome was at its zenith (c 116 AD), and the theme also represents the peak of Roman hegemony! Obverse shows the bust of Trajan, laureate, draped, right, and the lettering: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PARTHICO P M TR P COS VI P P. Reverse depicts Trajan seated left on platform flanked by a prefect and a soldier, addressing the three kings standing before him, and assigning them kingdoms. 7. Nepal 1 Dam- $5 Rana Bahadur Shah, 1777-1799. It's my lightest coin at 0.04g While not exactly an ancient, this bracteate is just too cool to pass up! 6. Pandyan Empire- $15 Jatavarman Sundara Pandya I 1251-1268 AD Obv-Standing king with pellets and their royal symbol fish to the top right. Rev- Sundara Pandya in Tamil, with a crescent above and a conch below. 1.4g Pandyan coins are always scarce, even though they're one of the longest surviving kingdoms (~300 BC to 17th century AD), and an arch nemesis of the Cholas, My write up on this kingdom. 5. Aurelian Antoninianus- $20 Oriens Augg Silvered Antoninianus 4.05g 270-275 AD I've always wanted an Aurelian ant with nice silvering, and not only this coin has it, but also shows strong strike on both sides. 4. Aelius As- $23 (for the lot) L AELIVS CAESAR TR POT COS II S C 10 g I got this coin in a unidentified lot of Roman bronze from eBay, although it's worn, I really like the high relief portrait of Aelius. 3. Telesphoros- $15 I really like the unconventional representation (at least to my modern viewpoint) of this child god of convalescence, someone who's relevant for current world affairs! I initially thought this belonged to the BC era Greece, but after a bit of digging I found out it's actually a Roman era coin from the Conventus of Pergamum. Issued under Antoninus Pius, Magistrate- I. Pol(l)ion (strategos for the second time, asiarch and neokoros) 147-161 AD Obverse- ΠΕΡΓΑΜΗΝΩN. bust of Athena. Reverse- ΕΠΙ ϹΤΡΑ Ι ΠΩΛΛΙΩ ΤΟ Β. Telesphorus standing, facing. 2.12g 2. Gallienus Antoninianus- $20 Neptune resting leg on galley, holding trident. Antioch, 267 CE. 3.9g. I love the shiny silvering, almost mirror-like at certain angles! a lovely portrait of Gallienus, and also my first coin with Neptune. 1. Cilicia Soloi Stater- $47 430-390 BC, 11.1 g Obv: Female figure (Amazon) kneeling left, examining bow, in field, right mask of satyr., Rev: Bunch of grapes with stalk, in lower left field fly and the inscription ΣOΛEΩN to the right, the whole within shallow incuse square, (Dewing 2492; SNG Von Aulock 5858 var; Sear 5601). This coin's a recent addition I gifted myself for completing my academic year, (as if other coins were not a gift to myself lol). But mainly we have a grape vine in our backyard, so I thought I must have coin featuring a lovely bunch of grapes! It had gunk and some horn silvering on the reverse, which I cleaned after receiving the coin. Although weakly struck on a small flan, there're couple of things going on, 1. It's the heaviest I've seen from looking up online archives and auctions, 2. This one also seems to be a less common variety with the bee and the legends swapping sides. Thank you for taking your time to read this post and please share any comments!
Very fun list @JayAg47 . I enjoy these budget lists. You managed to get some very nice coins under $50. My favorites; #1 - Soloi stater - These are cool and so is the history of the type. One of these is on my list (I’m starting to think there might not be many coins that are NOT on my list ) #4 - Aelius - You can’t go wrong with a very respectable portrait of Aelius for only $23. Look at that handsome fella . #8 - Trajan - This is one of Trajan’s most interesting reverse types IMO. Here are a few relevant(ish) coins.
Some great bargains here I had to pick your #10 due to how cool it is... and cause I purchased a hub cap coin earlier this year as well: And any coin with the little creeper Telesphorus is cool. I like that yours had Athena. Mine has Herakles: And your #1 sure deserves its top spot
That's quite a bit of bang for the buck! Faves: Trajan sestertius (love that reverse scene), Aelius (what a deal!), and the Telesphorus provincial.
Excellent budget selection. I voted for the hemiob-owl, the Trajan sestertius (for its reverse) and the Aelius as (for its portrait) Well done Q
@JayAg47......Super pick ups for those prices!...#2 Lovely silvered Gallienus, #4 What a good score on an Aelius, nice portrait!...My Fav #6 is that little hard to come by Pandyan.......Well done and congrats!
