JA's Top X of 2015

I'm going to mete these out one at a time, simply because I have a lot to say (nobody has ever accused me of being succinct), and it's probably easier for readers to take it one post at a time. I risk boring everyone before I reach the end, but that's never stopped me before! As many of you know, my collecting interests lie primarily along Levantine and Arabian lines.

10. This tetradrachm features Melqart on the reverse, the tutelary deity of Tyre. Melqart was considered the ancestor of Tyrian royalty, and was known as the Tyrian Herakles. He was very likely the god referred to as Ba’al in the Old Testament. I’ve been looking to collect one of his brawny busts at an affordable price - many thanks to Ancientnoob for making that possible.


Trajan, AD 98-117
AR tetradrachm, 24mm, 14.14g, 6h; Tyre mint, AD 110/1.
Obv.: AYTOKP KAIC NЄP TPAIANOC CЄB ΓЄPM ΔAK; Laureate head right, club and eagle below.
Rev.: ΔHMAPX ЄΞ IЄ YΠAT Є (COS V), laureate bust of Melqart right, draped in lionskin knotted at neck.
Reference: BMC 14, Prieur 1515; Ex-Ancientnoob

This year I also acquired Prieur’s Syro-Phoenician Tetradrachms And Their Fractions, a wonderful book full of history and analysis (infinitely more useful than a mere catalog). I have much to learn in this area, and this erudite tome is an important first step.

 

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I like these types too. I just need the book also.


Trajan (98 - 117 A.D.)
AR Tetradrachm
PHOENICIA, Tyre
Dated COS 5, year 15 (111 AD)
O: AVTOKP KAIC NEP TPAIANOC CEB ΓEPM ∆AK, Laureate head right set on eagle standing right; club to left.
R: ∆HMAPX - EΞ IE YΠAT E, laureate bust of Melqart draped in lion-skin.
24mm
13.7g
Prieur 1515; BMC Phoenicia pg. 301, 15

 

John and Mat, I think we should start our own forum?
Happy holidays to all !!

 

9. Spot nine is shared by two coins of Gadara, acquired in my pursuit of Roman city coins of Judaea. Gadara was part of the Decapolis, a group of ten autonomous city-states on the south-eastern frontier of the Roman Empire in the Levant. The issues of Gadara are slightly more abundant than those of other Levantine cities, but it’s always a challenge to find coins that are well-preserved.

Here are issues of Claudius and Faustina II. Tyche is ubiquitous as the protectress of cities throughout the ancient world, and presents no unusual aspects on the bronze of Claudius. Zeus is also traditionally portrayed, although his coiffure is considerably less wild than one finds on Ptolemaic issues. I realize these aren’t terribly exciting types, but they are quite tough in attractive grades. These coins have the typical thick crust of the Levant, glossy patinas underneath, difficult to image, much better in hand. A big thanks to Mat and Tom Vossen.


9a. Claudius, AD 41-54
AE17, 4.7g, 12h; Gadara mint, 44/45 AD
Obv.: CEBACTOC; laureate head right.
Rev.: ΓAΔAPEΩN, HP (Year 108); Turreted head of Tyche right.
Reference: RPC 4816; ex-Mat.

9b. Faustina II, Augusta, 147-175 AD.
Æ20, 7.89 gm, 12h. Dated CY 225. 161/2 AD.
Obv.: ΦAVCTINA CEBATH, draped bust right.
Rev.: ΓAΔAPEΩN EKC (date), laureate and draped bust of Zeus right.
References: Spijkerman 49 (same dies); Rosenberger IV 51 (same dies); SNG ANS 1312-3 (same dies); ex-Tom Vossen.

 

8. As you can tell by now, the “X" in my Top X list is not the Roman numeral, but the algebraic variable - I’m not sure how many coins I’m going to eventually squeeze into this list. Here are two more Roman city coins of Judaea, from Tiberias (on the Sea of Galilee), and Heliopolis (modern-day Baalbeck in Central Lebanon). The coin of Heliopolis presents a previously unknown die combination. Notice that as a full Colonia, Heliopolis featured Latin legends on their coins, whereas the coin from Tiberias is inscribed in Greek.



8a. Hadrian. AD 117-138
Æ22, 9.18 g, 12h; Tiberias, dated CY 101 (AD 119/20).
Obv.: AYT TPA AΔPIANW KAIC CEB; Laureate head right, with slight drapery.
Rev.: TIBER KΛAVΔ; Female figure (Fortuna?) standing left, with foot on prow, holding bust and scepter; L-AP (date) across field.
Reference: Kindler, Tiberias 11; Rosenberger 13; SNG ANS 1114, ex-CNG 357 Lot 330.

8b. Gallienus. AD 253-268
Æ21, 8.24 g, 6h; Heliopolis.
Obv.: IMP CAES P LIC GALLIENIVS avg; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: COL IVL AVG FEL; Caduceus between crossed cornucopias // HEL
Reference: Sawaya – (D110/R280 [unlisted die combination]), ex-CNG 357 Lot 270.

 

Lol nice one. Keep up the Christmas coin candy!

 

Yes, speaking of candy, you'll notice on the last two coins, one is covered in caramel sauce, and the other in powdered sugar. Obviously @Ardatirion was eating his lunch whilst packaging them up.

 

Mmmhhh...caramel coins...

 

A question I face repeatedly is how many coins I need to own or plan to own before buying the book that covers them. I have about six coins that would be in the book but do not have a driving interest to buy more at the prices they now bring so I doubt I will buy many more.

A friend of mine, Brian Kritt, just released his third book published by CNG. I bought his first one and thought it was lovely and informative on coins I don't collect. I skipped the second because it covered coins I might feel lucky to even see, let alone own. I have not seen the third but Brian is thorough to a fault so I'm not hopeful he would write something down on my level. All three of his books total $120 so I should buy a copy of the other two just to support his effort. I have enough books now that I will never read (again in some cases). There are hundreds of books that either are over my head or so simple I could have written them. I have trouble finding the mid ground.

 

I found my copy of Prieur on eBay at a considerable discount. It was one of those cases where I couldn't afford NOT to buy it, considering that it addresses a segment of my collecting interests.

 

7. Have you learned your ancient Yemeni alphabet yet? Tsk, tsk, for shame. And you call yourself a numismatist? Well here you go, get cracking!



Actually, I'm not so clear on the lettering of this coin myself - definitely a research project for the new year. These quinarius-weight coins aren't rare by any means, but I had not collected any in the past as I couldn't find coins in which grade and price lined up acceptably. I found this one misplaced in a dealer's flip box of Byzantines at the last Baltimore show, and he let me have it for a mere $40. The trick is getting a fully-struck head on the reverse.

It may seem odd to refer to South Arabian coins as quinarii, but by the first century, Rome had superseded the Nabataean monopoly on overland transport of spices, with sea routes from Alexandria to Raidan via the Red Sea. The standards of Arabia Felix lined up, roughly, with that of Roman coinage, at least for a time.

I can't double-check the attribution on this coin - yet another volume I need to add to the library.



7. Arabia Felix, Himyarites & Sabaeans. ‘Mdn Byn'
AR Unit, 16mm, 1.5g, 11h; Raidan mint, mid-late 1st century.
Obv.: Head right in dotted border, monogram to left.
Rev.: Tha' Ran Ya' NB; Head right; ‘scepter’ to right // RYDN.
Reference: Munro-Hay 3.25

 

I am waiting for number 1 !!

 

You will be disappointed. My #1 coin is extremely rare, but completely uninteresting to more than perhaps a few people in the world. I'm afraid this is all building up to a tremendous letdown, lol.

 

6. Probably most collectors think of the SC/wreath issues of provincial Antioch as rather boring types, but the engravers of Antioch were well-schooled in the high art of Roman portraiture on coins. I've been toying with the idea of a better-grade portrait set from the provincial mint of Antioch, and I do believe this coin would make a good start. A marvelous bust of Nerva...



I should probably look to check Otho off the list as soon as possible. His coins never get cheaper as time goes on.

 

just bought this one, another Gadara, different type than my other two..what about that. Damm he looks mean Caracalla..is this his real portrait?

 

On the contrary, I feel ashamed that my #1 this year was a common and popular type, that there was more than one at the show where I bought it and that it was the most expensive coin I bought in 2015. The only thing that makes me in the slightest proud of it is that I had wanted the type for over a decade. I wish my #1 this year had been a coin no one knew existed befor I saw it in a junk box but it was not to be. It is great when a coin ends up in the collection of someone who appreciates it for more than its cash value.

 

Nice additions JA, even though they're not in my collecting area for some of them
I'm looking forward to seeing the next ones

Q

 

That first Trajan coin is my favorite one. I'm going to cry if you offer it at auction, because I literally can't spend a penny. With three pending ancient coin auctions I'm bidding on, and my son's Christmas wish list, I'm tapped out of discretionary spending money for the next month.

 

None of these coins are for sale. This is my collecting pursuit. Perhaps I should also post a Top Ten sold list? At any rate, the Trajan/Melqart tetradrachms are not rare, and can be had for reasonable sums. There's no need to panic about getting your hands on one - there are always at least half a dozen nice examples up for sale at any given time.

 

Good to know, because I think I may want to add one to my collection sometime next year.