My recent bidding frenzy....

Since I had the unexpected opportunity to purchase several 'ancients' at once, I bid or purchased numerous examples, about half which I have already posted on various threads. While losing that gold 1/6 stater (and some others) on e-Bay which went beyond my perception of a 'reasonable' high retail, I did a bit better on other auctions/purchases----successful in perhaps a third of my attempts. My range of 'interests' had as much pin point focus as a sawed-off shotgun at 50 yards LOL

One of the 'prettiest', I won at Roma is within my primary area of interest---an RR denarius with either differing obverses or reverses than I already own:

C. Hosidius C. f. Geta, AR denarius, Rome 68 B
OBVERSE: Diana right, wearing stephane, earring, and a double necklace with pendants; bow and quiver over shoulder, III VIR downwards left, GETA downwards to right.
REVERSE: Calydonian Boar standing right, pierced by spear and harried by hound below; C HOSIDI C in exergue.
Crawford 407/2: Sydenham 903: Kestner 3317-3318

 

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This may be the nicest of it's type I've seen. Very nice toning as well. I have a very poor example of this type:

 

Very cool addition, Mikey-Z (congrats on snagging a sweet AR RR example)



I also have one of these C.Hosidius C.f. Geta examples ...



My version has GETA on the L.H.S. of Diana's portrait ... these versions seem to have a slightly heftier hound-dog!! (woof!!)

Oh, and my version is actually a "Serratus" ... just sayin'

 

Mine and Bing's have leaner, tougher 'military dogs' LOL....Hey, my boar looks 'bald' compared to yours too

Hmmm, I changed my 'handle' to red_spork...Hope he doesn't mind seeing all the bills that follow

 

Mikey, that's a beautiful example. Your dog is especially well-rendered for this type! Usually looks much more like a weasel...

 

I think Steve can predict the future. I have a couple of really sweet RR on the way as we speak, and a few more that I am bidding on in various auctions(under a different handle, can't have all the awesome people on this forum know when they're bidding against me ). I recently sold a bunch of coins(my entire US collection and part of my medieval collection), and almost all of that money is going towards or has already gone towards my RR collection.

Also, sweet pickup MZ! Not a type I own yet, but the Republic is my primary area of interest as well so I'm definitely hoping to pick one up sometime.

 

WOW, beautiful example 'Z' and hairy like you expect a boar to look!!

Just FANTASTIC details!!!

 

Very nice addition. I do like the toning on that coin, as well as the subject matter.

 

@Mikey Zee I've said it before and I'm going to say it again...we have the same interests in ancients!

That's a wonderful win!

 

Guys, since I posted my 'prettiest', later on in this thread I will post my 'UGLIEST' new purchase as well....

And many thanks for all the complements.....

 

Then you have to do your baddest...you know, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

 

Sorry "Mikey-Z" (yah, I had you down as red_spork) ... I changed it

cheers, fellas

 

Well, I just finished what I had to do...so here's my 'Ugly' purchase....

I negotiated a best offer deal with 'HHC' and now this low grade, but very scarce denarius of Pertinax with a 'OPS' reverse is mine...and it fell within my remaining unobligated bidding balance, while being among those scarce Emperor portraits that I intend to upgrade with an agreeable dealer ---through trade and cash---sometime in the future...and it does fill another 'album hole' in the interim.

Since this denarius is low grade, the usual 'attributions' and inscriptions are more necessary than usual.

Denarius of Pertinax, Alexandria mint
Laureate bust right; IMP CAES P HELV PERTINAX AVG
OPS seated left, holding two stalks of grain and resting hand on throne;
OPI DIVIN TR P COS II
R

 

Low grade or not, it's an emperor I would like to add to my collection and I would be glad to have it (depending on price, of course). BTW, he looks like he has fangs. Any relation to Dracula?

 

I like that Pertinax. It has a lot of character. This is an emperor I have thought of adding to my collection.

 

Fangs ?? I thought the poor old dude was drooling

Hmmm, Is that like saying someone has 'personality' when they are a bit unattractive??

 

a beautiful republican and a respectable pertinax....nice pick ups MZ.

man, you've been on a sweet coin surge...i dig it!

 

All I can add is that it has not been all that long since the hobby recognized that Pertinax struck denarii at Alexandria. 25 years ago we started seeing these two types and some were being rejected as barbarous or unofficial. Most just passed as Roman. I became aware of them through my correspondence with the late Roger Bickford-Smith and bought my first (the Providentia below) from CNG sale 35 in 1995 where it was listed without mention of the mint ID. It was sandwiched between two Rome mint denarii in the listings. More recently, almost all worthwhile dealers have learned to recognize the style but it turns out that there are more Alexandria coins of the types than there are Rome mint ones so we were not making a coup buying the sleeper. Many in all grades have come on the market since the 'opening' of Eastern Europe that made coins that paid the troops in the wars of 193-196 possible to collect. There are now many fakes. Be very careful especially with the DIVO PERT PIVS PATER coins as fakes outnumber real 100:1. Mikey's looks good to me.


I may be completely wrong but I suspect there are as nearly as many Alexandria Pertinax coins as there are Alexandria Septimius. I also believe that many of them may have been struck after his death (perhaps while the city was wavering on who to support in the war???).

 

Awesome new pickups Mikey, looks like your on a roll.

 

Very nice!