I didn’t’ do a top 10 in 2020 cause I was very busy at the end of that year, but certainly will do a top 10 this year! I’m wondering where my collection is going to. To be honest, I have no idea. I looked at my coins and tried to find some logic in the purchases I made throughout the last few years. And it’s difficult. I collected coins from a lot of different emperors, republican coins, provincial coins, all kind of ancient coins….. I tried to complete series here and there, but that was not an easy task. I have quite a few unfinished series of coins. As I am a very structured person, that’s a little bit odd….. When I look at the coins I bought this year, to my surprise something of a pattern is emerging. I can bundle the coins in this top 10 in three different groups. Rome meets Egypt I’m certainly not the only one on this forum admiring Alexandria coins, but WOW they are special. I love ancient Egypt, and to find coins that combine my passion for Egypt with my passion for Roman coins is simply great. I have collected a few tetradrachms over the years and this year I bought three drachmes with iconic images of Egypt, namely: 1. The ancient lighthouse of Alexandria (Pharos), emperor Antoninus Pius on the obverse. 2. A Sphinx with parts of a female head, a lion and a bird, emperor Hadrian on the obverse. 3. The Nile (in the personification of Nilus) with a crocodile, emperor Hadrian on the obverse. 1. 2. 3. Events in ancient Rome That seems to be another pattern when I look at my coins. I love coins that show an important event in ancient Rome. 4. Emperor Nero playing the lyre while Rome is burning. This probably never happened, but it’s still a great gossip story and more than that, Suetonius mentioned the coin in his ‘The Twelve Caesars’. 5. Emperor Hadrian makes a donation (liberalitas) to a Roman citizen cause of the commemoration of an important event. Sometimes the denarii where literally scattered through the streets. 6. Emperor Philip I and the Ludi saeculares, celebrating the 1000 year anniversaries of Rome’s foundation. It’s not certain this is a Ludi saeculares coin, but I like to think it is. I love the image of the mahout riding his elephant ! 4. 5. 6. The fascinating Severan dynasty I bought quite a few coins form this dynasty, so here we have another pattern...... 7. Emperor Septimius Severus and his Genius. I had to buy this one cause of the characteristic head of the emperor. Love his portrait. 8. The empress Julia Domna. I purchases this coin in December 2020, but received it in 2021 so it’s in this top ten. I bought the coin for the portrait and also for the reverse with the goddess Isis feeding the infant Horus. I like to think that Isis is a personification for the empress herself and the infant is her son Caracalla. 9. Emperor Caracalla and the standard bearer. I couldn’t resist this coin. I love coins with military depictions. In this case a standard bearer, standing behind the emperor. In reality the standard bearer was the brave one who took all the risk in battle. 10. Emperor Macrinus, not part of the dynasty, but the one who ended it for the time being. Just an ‘ordinary’ man (no member of the senate) who came to power. I like those reverses with an enormous god (Jupiter) and a tiny emperor next to the god. 7. 8. 9. 10. I wish you all a very happy and healthy 2022 !
Fantastic, @Marsman! I love them all, from the chunky Alexandrian bronzes to the short-beard Macrinus! Well done! Who says it has to go anywhere?
Nice coins. I am a big fan of the Alexandrian drachms… they’re really in a class of their own with the chunky flans and a plethora of interesting and distinct reverse designs drawing on both Roman and Egyptian imagery. All 3 our your pickups are nice but #2 is my favourite of the bunch. I’m looking to acquire the type myself would be happy to land one as nice as yours
Gosh, what a fantastic assortment. Each one is so high on the interestingness and eye appeal scale. Well done!! I love the Alexandrians, of course, and that Philip Ludi saeculares is wonderful. Such a beautiful song... brings back good memories. I had this on a 45 rpm .
We are all glad you had time to do a top 10 for 2021! We missed you last year. I like 6/8/9 the most Thanks for sharing May 2022 bring You and Yours much Happiness! John
Fascinating indeed. All pretty significant coins. Love the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Thanks to coins, we can see that historical wonder of Ancient Times. May you all have a safe and Happy New Year. 2022.. CHEERS.
My favorites are 1-3 (the three Roman Alexandrian drachmae) -- although if I had to pick one of them it might be the Sphinx -- along with 5 (the wonderful Hadrian liberalitas), 6 (the Philip I elephant), and 8 (the Julia Domna/Isis feeding the infant Horus). The Macrinus (10) is pretty wonderful too -- I love the portrait. In other words, I like all of your coins so much that I only managed to reduce the list by three to choose my favorites! Three of my favorites among your coins are the same types as three of my own favorite coins: (From what I've read, the Philip I elephant is, in fact, generally considered part of the AD 248 1000th anniversary series, even though it doesn't bear the SAECVLARES AVGG legend.)
Fine additions, Marsman! Your 1 and 2 are my favorites, especially the Sphinx! I really like the Nero Apollo Citharoedus type as well... it's one on my want list.
It's nice when coins you have cherrypicked here and there all of a sudden make sense together and you realise they are a start of something more consistent. Iv' had that feeling sometimes and it has always been something special. Excellent coins, especially the alexandrians My only alexandrian drachm Q
What a great list @Marsman ! Your #1 and #5 are my favorites. Here is my Alexandria drachm showing Nilus.
@Marsman......Lovely selection, great looking big Bronze Drachms!...Wonderful detail on all your coins but one that stands out,but only a little bit more than the others, is the Domna Isis reverse, Sweet coin!....Congrats on an impressive collecting year...You do have a good eye!
