Maybe something you have been looking for or something you just had to have. I'll post mine in a while.
This was the most expensive coin I bought this year. I bought this because finding the Flowing Hair type half dollar with this much detail is very hard. I overpaid for it, but it does have quite a pedigree. It's the finest known example of the Overton 120 variety by a wide margin. NGC called it MS-61, which it is not. PCGS graded it AU-58, but it flunked at CAC. If it had gotten the sticker, I would not own it.
I look at all 1853-O Half Dimes Without Arrows, and it's been 20 years since I saw one that I really wanted. This coin is well struck with fully-defined date, good originality and no problems . . . so there would be no passing on this coin.
A nice high grade spanish 1/2 reale,wasn't specifically looking for the denomination but a great start for a possible set.Under The right light red,blues,greens ,purples so beautiful.
As a h 10 collector I can attest to the fact that there are certain dates ,as well die marriages that one one searchs and tries to find a suitable example. The 53 & 53 o no arrows is one of those dates. As well the 38 o . Nice pick up mintage 160,000
This year I decided that there were several holes that needed to be filled. Now retired my coin budget is no longer what it has been over the years. I made a short list of items that I wanted ,and tried to limited my exposure to items that would be an impulse buy. My 1851 o lll cent silver was a item that I hunted an honest example. I also picked up an 1840 o with drapery h 10 another difficult find. I did get side tracked.... 1840 o with drapery 240,000 minted
I'm not deeply into ancients, but a Judaea Capta coin has been on my bucket list. I got one this year, a denarius. Obverse: Vespasian with a bit of pretty tone, Reverse: Mourning jewess.
Here are three of my favorites from this past year. First up is the 1839 No Drapery quarter, one of the sub-varieties I'd been seeking for the type set. The only ND seated coin now needed is the half dollar which is expensive and somewhat elusive. Next had been on my list for a while and I found it more or less by accident at the July FUN show. It's a Talbot, Allum & Lee token. As a side note, I'm on the lookout for a large cent or half cent overstruck on a TAL token with strong undertype. The second I found at a local fossil/mineral/artifact/coin shop that I had been meaning to visit for some time. I don't collect ancients or medieval but this one spoke to me, largely because of a familial connection to the late Ango-Saxon rulers. If you're ever in Orlando, try to make time to visit Ancient Artifacts on Fairbanks Avenue. Full disclosure: I'm not connected to the store or its owner. It's easy to spend a couple of hours there. Owner is very friendly and knowledgeable.
Also this last purchase of the year(stage C) not all die cracks are visible. http://varietyvista.com/05 JN RPMs/1942SRPM014.htm
Like @longshot I am not deep into ancients, but I saw one of these Alexander tetradrachms in the ancients thread several years back and thought it was one of the coolest coins I ever saw and I have been trying to get one ever since… God bless him, @lordmarcovan blessed me with this one just not very long ago.
I finally acquired a coin with a pedigree to the John Quincy Adams collection. I'm supposedly a descendant of the 6th US president, and had been wanting a JQA-pedigreed coin for a long time, but kept losing at auction. Finally I won this one. The coin is a Roman Republican denarius of L. Memmius, ca. 109-108 BC. Another goal I've had is to acquire a pre-1500 dated coin with a clearly readable AD date before 1500, especially a goldgulden. Early dated pre-1500 European coins are not common, and I wanted not only an appealing looking piece but one in gold as well. This 1495 goldgulden from Frankfurt has the curious medieval "4" in the date which looks like a cancer awareness ribbon.
@Paddy54 - congrats on finding a decent looking 1851-O 3c silver. That's another on my list for someday.
I’ve found a number of nice coins and paper money this year. Also found a few other nice items. A few nice rocks and fossils have joined my collection. And a picture of retired General and President Grant taken a few days before his death. Here’s wonderful 15 Shillings Note from Pennsylvania in the Colonial period. It’s dated October 1, 1773 with a serial number of 22302. Graded by PMG as a AU-55 EPQ Colonial Note.
I guess what you found was the hobby itself, and perhaps some appreciation of the stuff you’ve already got. If so, that’s pretty priceless.