Nice Caligula AS. The ding does not bother me at all. Like in my gun collecting, Military guns I like a bit of been through the wars look but not too much and this fits the bill. I wonder if I should slab it.
Glad it's going to a good home, to someone who will appreciate it. It was a bit of a conundrum for me- the rim nick was just enough to make me reject it for my own collection. But it's a great coin otherwise. I was conflicted but decided to take my losses and sell it. For posterity, and your future convenience, here are my two discussion threads about it. Here is the NumisForums discussion thread. Here is the CoinTalk discussion thread.
Yeah, I thought was a great coin when I saw it previously (and over at NF). I wouldn't get it slabbed unless you really like them. (If you were to consign your collection or some coins in the future and want to have it slabbed, the seller can advise and possibly get you a better fee.) This is the slightly scarcer one (RIC 47), I think, which is struck in his final year, 40/41 CE (legend ending TR.P.IIII.P.P.). The more common one (RIC 38) is dated TR.POT. for his first year, 37/38 CE, if I understand correctly. I've been without a Caligula / Vesta As for almost 10 years now, which I regret. This one is a lot better than the one I sold. Here's a coin that I own now, and show all the time, with a portrait of Divus Augustus, but assigned to Caligula based partly on the similarity in style to this Vesta AE As type (and because the reverse figure appears to have the same facial features/hair as the bust on your type): Roman Imperial. Gaius (Caligula), in the name of Divus Augustus, Æ Dupondius (29.5 mm, 16.57 g, 6h), Rome mint, 37-41 CE. Obv: DIVVS AVGVSTVS / S – C. Radiate head of Augustus left. Rev: CONSENSV · SENAT · ET · EQ · ORDIN · P · Q · R ·. Statue of Caligula (or Augustus?) seated left on curule chair, holding branch. Ref: RIC I 56 (Gaius); Cohen 87; BMC 88; MIR 11-5 Prov: Ex Collections Archer Huntington (1870-1955), American Numismatic Society [Acc. No. 1001.1.22981] & Hispanic Society of America [same No.].
While using my IPad and looking for information on the Battle of Pharsalus I came upon an Amazon ad for bags of Roman coins. Is there anything they don’t sell?
Not sure what that has to do with Caligula, but yeah- I think you can find just about anything on Amazon.
At least it went to a fellow forum member. @lordmarcovan I will still never forget the Caligula you got that ended up blowing up in bronze disease, even I loved that coin, before the explosion. You just have bad luck with Caligula.
That's a lovely coin - enjoy it. I'd also be delighted to own it. The ding wouldn't bother me at all. I also wouldn't slab it. I like picking coins up and examining them. The slab creates a bit of a distance, though I appreciate why others have it done.
You’re right. I have had terrible luck with Caligula coins. This one, however, was my own fault for not reading/translating the auction descriptions more carefully. (And thankfully it’s just a rim nick this time, instead of terminal BD.) My loss can be @edteach’s gain. (*Only had two coins get bronze disease, ever. Wouldn’t you know, both were rather expensive Caligulas. Couldn’t have been some common Constaninian cheapo. Nooo, it had to be Caligula both times! Sheesh.)
If I had kept it, I would have slabbed it, but only for conformity’s sake (the rest of my collection is in slabs). But if I only collected ancients exclusively, I probably wouldn’t bother with slabs.