Out of 82 coins I got this year, my number one coin of the year. Not much to say other then I got it exceptionally cheap, great shape and it’s a silver Tiberius. It also came with a surprising provenance, which majority of my coins lack. Tiberius (14 - 34 A.D.) AR Tetradrachm EGYPT, Alexandria O: [TI]BERIOS KAISAR SEBASTOS, laureate head of Tiberius right; LID (date) in right field. R: QEOS SEBASTOS, radiate head of Augustus left. EGYPT, Alexandria Mint, year 14=27/28 A.D. 13.43g 23mm RPC I 5090; Milne 54; Emmett 61 I didn’t get to add much Greek silver this year but the few I did get I was happy with and this one is the top buy. Nice condition, beautiful toning and the Pentagram to boot. It too was stupid cheap. Thrace, Chersonesos (386 - 338 B.C.) AR Hemidrachm O:Forepart of lion right, head reverted. R: Quadripartite incuse square with alternating raised and sunken quarters; pellet to left of VE monogram and pentagram above pellet in opposite sunken quarters. 13mm 2.4g BMC 43; McClean –; Weber 2422; SNG Copenhagen –; SNG Dreer 115. I have transitioned to focusing more on tetradrachms lately & own very little empress tetradrachms so I was very happy to get this & hope to add more in 2016. Herennia Etruscilla (249 - 251 A.D.) AR Tetradrachm SYRIA, Seleucis and Pieria. Antioch O: EPENNIA ETPOYCKIΛΛA CEB, Diademed and draped bust right, resting on a crescent. R: ΔHMAPX EΞOYCIAC, Eagle standing right on palm branch, holding wreath in beak. 11.61g 25mm Prieur: 610 I had a Vitellius I was very happy with but this came up and for me it was a no brainer, my older one had a smaller bust portrait and this has a much larger bust filling up the fields more, & since Vitellius is my favorite of the 12 caesars *he ate too much apparently, so do I!”, I parted with my older one and got this at equal cost just to have the much larger bust. Vitellius (69 A.D.) AR Denarius O: Laureate head right. R: S P Q R / OB / C S in three lines within wreath. Rome Mint, 69 A.D. 3g 18.5mm RIC I 83; RSC 86.
Ahh…my white whale as I called it in my original thread. I have gone through many S. Alex. denarii but this one always alluded me. Ken Dorney finally listed one and I acted pretty quickly to get it and finally get this “whale” off my list. Severus Alexander (222 - 235 A.D.) AR Denarius O: IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: PM TR P XIIII COS III PP, Sol walking left holding whip and raising hand. Rome Mint, January–February/March, 235 A.D. 2.8g 19mm RIC125 Minted in the last few months of his reign! Even though I had a bearded/augustus Geta, I never had one with a full grown beard. Finally got one this year at my price point. I also liked it was a heavier type too. I also noticed many many of these busts/reverses on eBay & VC after I got mine, so maybe a hoard was parted with, I don’t know but at least it was something high on my list that I could cross off. Geta (209 - 211 A.D.) AR Denarius O: P SEPT GETA PIVS AVG BRIT ,laureate head right . R: LIBERALITAS AVG V , LIberalitas standing left with counting board and cornucopiae . Rome Mint, 211 A.D. 3.7g 18mm RIC 88, RSC 68 This year I accumulated several Caesarea Didrachms, but most were pretty worn, some found new homes. This was the best of the bunch featuring Mt. Argaeus. Lucius Verus (161 - 169 A.D.) Caesarea, Cappadocia AR Didrachm O: AYTOKR OYHPOC CEBACTOC Bare-headed and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. R: YPA TOS B ,Mt. Argaeus surmounted by Helios standing left. Struck 161-166 A.D. (as COS II) Caesarea, Cappadocia Mint 6.3g 20mm Metcalf, Caesarea 131d; Sydenham, Caesarea I buy a lot of Domna/Faustina II denarii but some make it to my collection and this was one of them. Loved it’s toning & mainly the portrait. Just lovely of a common type, to me. Julia Domna (193 - 217 A.D.) AR Denarius IVLIA DOMNA AVG; Draped bust to right. VESTA; Vesta seated left, holding palladium and scepter. Rome Mint, 193 - 195 A.D. 3.3g 17mm IC IV-1 Rome 538
I have a thing for “tyrants” and “mad men” rulers & Phocas was always on my want list since he is no exception. And really, isn’t it the controversial ones who stand out more then the “good guys”. Phocas (602 - 610 A.D.) Æ Follis O: DN FOCA NE PE AV, Crowned bust facing, wearing consular robes, holding mappa and eagle-tipped scepter. R: Large M; cross above, A/N/N/O Ч/III across field; τHЄUP Antioch Mint,Dated RY 8 (609/10) 28mm 8.7g DOC 90; MIB 84a; SB 672 I acquired many LRBs this year and this particular one is a favorite of the bunch for 2015. Zeno (476 - 491 A.D.) Æ4 O: Pearl-diademed, draped bust right. R: Monogram Constantinople mint 14mm .89g Cf. RIC X 958 There you have it, my favorite ancient buys for 2015.
Those are nice coins Mat. I find it hard to pick out just 10 from what I've purchased this year. I like all yours and probably the most of everyone else's that have been posted. I'm not into the Eastern coins (India, China, etc) nor the Byzantine and late LRB's so much, but even there I have seen some really nice acquisitions. I suppose I should just congratulate everyone for the awesome coins they have purchased this year.
Awesome choices, Mat (you've had a great collecting year!!) Hmmm, I like quite a few, but I think your chubby Vitellius is this year's winna
Those are some nice pickups, Mat... you've had a good collecting year! I really like the Vitellius, Domna and Chersonesos.
another great coin roundup buckaroo! looks like the great coin drive o '15 was pretty sweet here at CT. i'll have to work on mine list after a bit. the tiberius tet is fantastic! the color on the hemidrachm is awesome! both are on my list...so is a coin of these guys; geta, lucius verus, and herennia E. hot flow lines on the reverse of that SA coin as well.
I like all of your coins. I find it difficult to say which of my coins are my favourites. There is the Attica Owl and my well worn tortoise, but when I handle any of my "reasonable" coins, they tend to be my favourites for those minutes, no matter when I bought them.
Great list Mat! It's hard for me to choose favourites, but the Tiberius and Vitellius stand out. Awesome coins!
Nice group. 82, Hey, that's quite a bunch My favourite would be the Zeno, as they don't come often that nice, good catch on that one Q
