My Top 10 Ancients of 2023

Now that 2023 is through, I'll post my top 10 list here for posterity, even though I haven't been on the forums much this year and spend more of my time in the specialized ancients Facebook groups.

I was able to add about 36 coins this year for my collection and there were lots of runners up for the last few slots, so I'll sneak in a couple extra above my top 10. Feeling blessed for all the pieces I was able to add!


#1) SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles. 317-289 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 17.05 g). Struck circa 317-310 BC. Wreathed head of Arethousa left; three dolphins around; ΦI below neck / Charioteer driving quadriga left; triskeles above, AI monogram in exergue. Ierardi 73 (O13/R47); BAR Issue 2; HGC 2, 1348; SNG München 1209 (same dies). Beautifully toned and with lustrous surfaces.

Ex. Gorny & Mosch Auction 114, Lot 26 (March 4, 2002)


#2) Zeugitania, Carthage. Time of Hannibal (213-210 BC). AR half-shekel (3.44g, 19mm). Second Punic War issue, for the Sicilian campaign. Carthage or uncertain mint in Sicily, ca. 213-210 BC. Laureate male head left (Melqart, Hannibal, or Mago?); dotted border Reverse: African elephant advancing right; alef (Phoenician) in exergue, linear border. A. Burnett, SNR 62 (1983), 123. E. S. G. Robinson, "Punic Coins of Spain and their Bearing on the Roman Republican Series,"Essays Mattingly series 8b, pl. III (Gades). SNG Copenhagen 383. Solidly struck from fine style dies, with deep colorful iridescent cabinet toning on excellent metal. Superb Extremely Fine.

From the Century Collection. Ex Stack's (10 June 1996), 147.


#3) Macedonian Kingdom, Demetrius I Poliorcetes (306-283 BC). AR tetradrachm (29mm, 17.21 gm). Pella, 294-293 BC. Nike standing left on prow of galley left, sounding trumpet in right hand, stylis cradled in left arm; eye on prow, waves below / ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ-ΒΑ-ΣΙΛΕΩ-Σ, Poseidon, nude, striding left, seen from behind, net draped over extended left arm, preparing to throw trident with right hand; ZΩ monogram in left field, dolphin left above eight-pointed star in right field. Dewing 1196. Newell Demetrius, 68 and pl. VI, 18. Lustrous flan with areas of golden toning.

Ex. CNG Mail Bid Sale 60 (May 22, 2002), Lot 361


#4) IONIA. Teos. Ca. 460-420 BC. AR stater (25mm, 11.76 gm). T-H-I-O-N (N retrograde), griffin seated right on ground line, left foreleg raised, beak open; panther head seen from above below raised foreleg / Quadripartite incuse square with stippled surfaces. Balcer, SNR 47, 103. BMC 19. A magnificent example of the type boasting devices struck from fresh Fine Style dies on lustrous surfaces and excellent metal. Virtually as struck and almost FDC.

Ex. NAC Sale 10 (1996), lot 241.


#5) Greek, Kings of Lydia. Alyattes to Kroisos, circa 610-546 BC. Trite (Electrum, 11 mm, 4.74 g), Sardes. Head of a lion with sun and rays on its forehead to right. Rev. Two incuse squares, one larger than the other. SNG Kayhan 1013. SNG von Aulock 2868-9. Weidauer 86-9. A very well centered and unusually complete example. EF.


#6) Kings of Pontos. Mithradates VI Eupator AV Stater (20mm, 8.61 g). First Mithradatic War issue. In the name and types of Lysimachos of Thrace. Byzantion mint. Struck circa 88-86 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon / Athena Nikephoros seated left, left arm resting on shield, spear diagonally in background; monogram to inner left; in exergue, ornate trident left with dolphins above and below trident shaft. Callataÿ p. 142, dies D4/R3(?). Superb Mint State and high relief.

Ex. Ed Waddell Auction 101 (December 19, 2005) Lot 4


#7) Thessaly, Larissa, drachm, c. 350-300 BC, head of nymph Larissa facing three-quarters left, wearing diadem and plain necklace, rev., ΛΑΡΙΣ-ΑΙΩΝ, horse feeding to right, left foreleg raised, 6.10g, die axis 10.00 (BMC 58; SNG Copenhagen 121), toned and extremely fine.

Ex. NFA 18 (3/31/87) Lot 139


#8) Central Europe, East Noricum AR Tetradrachm. 12.91g, 23mm, Warasdin Type A. Circa 2nd - 1st century BC. Male ('Apollo') head wearing three-strand pearl diadem to left / Horse prancing to left; Venetian script above. Göbl, TKN pl. 19, 6 (same dies) [21/77]; Lanz 154, Kostial 154, Flesche 510.
EF with beautiful iridescent cabinet tone highlighting some of the devices and with an old unidentified dealer ticket. Very Rare.


#9) Kings of Thrace, Lysimachos. 305-281 BC. AR Tetradrachm (28mm, 17.21 g). Pella mint. Struck circa 286/5-282/1 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon / Athena Nikephoros seated left, left arm resting on shield, spear behind; HP monogram to outer left, monogram to outer right. Thompson 248; Müller 353 var. (position of outer right monogram). Lustrous with some iridescent toning.

Ex. Gorny and Mosch Auction 112, lot 4066 (October 2001)

Ex. Jonathan Kern with old dealers tag


#10) SICILY. Syracuse. Fifth Republic (Democracy). 214-212 BC. AR 8-litrai (22mm, 6.79 gm, 3h). Head of Athena left, hair flowing in waves, tied at back and upswept at temple, wearing pendant earring and beaded necklace with crested Corinthian helmet pushed back on head / ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ, winged thunderbolt; ΞΑ below. SNG Copenhagen 880. SNG ANS 1046. SNG Lockett 1023

 

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#11) KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’, 336-323 BC. AR Tetradrachm (25 mm, 17.24 g), Amphipolis, struck under Antipater, circa 325-323/2. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; in field to left, crescent. Price 89. A fresh, clear and well struck lustrous example with some light cabinet toning. Mint State.

Ex. Ed Waddell FPL 36, lot 26 (January 1989)



#12) Sicily, Syracuse, AR litra, c. 466-460 BC, ΣΥΡΑ, pearl-diademed head of Arethusa right wearing earring and necklace, rev., octopus, 0.81g, die axis 3.00 (Boehringer 449-467, dies unlisted; SNG Ashmolean 1952; SNG ANS 130), toned, sharp and extremely fine
Ex. Munzen & Medaillen Auction 494 (11/1/1986) lot 23



#13) Lucania, Velia AR Stater. Circa 300-280 BC. 7.46g, Philistion group. Helmeted head of Athena to right, helmet decorated with wing; AH monogram behind neck guard, Φ before neck / Lion standing to right; above, grain ear between Φ and I, Π beneath lion; YEΛHTΩN in exergue. Williams 478 (O238/R337); SNG Copenhagen 1578 (same dies); SNG ANS 1379 (same dies); HN Italy 1309. Beautifully toned with original luster remaining. EF.

Ex. Dr. Busso Peus Nachf Auction 353 (10/29/97) lot 29

 

An absolutely magnificent group! The Syracuse tetradrachm is exquisite. The Celtic tetradrachm is wonderful. The Larissa drachm is outstanding. I'm running out of superlatives. They're all number one in my book. Congrats!

 

You people make me so jealous with such fine examples.

 

Thanks! I was thrilled at all of them. You know, I go into each year thinking I don't know how I'm going to get anything that compares to last year. Then the journey along the course of the year pops up some great coins and I look back both surprised and tickled with the new pieces I was able to add.

 

I get it! I get jealous of everyone else's new additions too!

 

Spectacular group!

Note: I'd be very surprised if Catharine Lorber hasn't published your Larissa Drachm in one of her articles on the coinage -- most are on her Academia.edu page. (She cataloged this coin for the NFA sale, no doubt.)
(Possibly also in the study with Shahar, published on their website, now only available, in part, on WayBack Machine -- but I think the "Late" Drachms catalog is missing; I don't have the PDF. It might be on her academia under "Late Facing Heads...".)

The Carthaginian Half Shekel stands out to me, quite a spectacular coin.

The whole series of Melqart (Barcid Portrait?) / Elephant & Horse types are quite fascinating to me. I've got a couple of the ones struck in Carthago Nova:


(I jokingly call this the "Hannibal Denarius"!)

Were all these different Melqarts just different styles, or portraits (of different Barcids, or perhaps one/some of the same at different moments)? I also enjoy this little elephant:

 

Really impressive! All of them! Congrats! It is a pleasure to see them.
Almost voted for all

 

Wow, those are all amazing. I particularly like the Agathokles tetradrachm but these are all museum worthy pieces!

 

Thanks great to know! I'll check Lorbers studies and see if I can find it. That would be super cool!

Thanks!

Thank you! I really love the toning on the Agathokles.

 

I am speechless! Any one of those coins would be the acquisition of a lifetime for me!

 

You have such beauties here.

 

You have a zoo full of extraordinary specimens......holy cow.

That Half-Shekel is fantastic (I love Punic silver coins) and the Alexander III Tet.
The others too, the Lucania Stater and Thesaly drachma......WOW

 

All fantastic, I am gobsmacked...congrats.