Before i pull the trigger... which Postumus double sestertius is better?

It's a Yazidi town - you are not allowed to wear shoes in Lalesh, Iraq. Pershmerga are excepted.

More travel photos? I found this lovely souvenir shop in an Iraqi bazaar btw.

 

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A is great! Nice portrait. In my travels in Egypt and Jordan I was shocked by the number of guys who walk around carrying AK-47's while just wearing sandals. Tried to get into Syria but I was deterred at the border...so no luck last time

 

I haven't been to the Middle East since I went to Jordan in 2002. I have no plans of going back any time soon.

 

Souvenirs? Yeah right! Try taking one of those "souvenirs" home with you in your carry on luggage and see what happens!

The closest I've been to where you were was in the Gulf, cruising around on a US Navy cruiser, the USS Wainwright, CG-28 in April, 1988. We actually had 1 day of combat against Iran then, shot down a couple of their F-1 jets, sunk one of their frigates, blew another one in half. Blew up a couple of their gas/oil separation platforms. Why? Because they put mines in the Gulf where one of our Frigates patrolled every day and the Frigate hit one when trying to back out of the mine field. Blew a big hole in the side of the ship. Just Google "Operation Praying Mantis" for more info.

The only place I got boots on the ground was in Bahrain. I still wish I had ordered the "marinated lamb brain salad". Alas, another missed opportunity.

 

I liked Bahrain when all is considered it's in the Middle East. I had a night of Foster's beer. It made up for the dry spell in Saudi.

I haven't had marinated Lamb brain salad, but I had pig brain in Romania (I think), and man was it delicious.

 

A, all day.

 

I would go for coin B because of the galley
But as you are a portrait collector you definitely should go for coin B....or wait for a better one

Q

 

wow greg, you travel to some amazing places that i'm not brave enough to visit! didn't you go to north korea as well?

do you do a travel blog or anything?

 

I concur with the consensus that coin A was the right choice.

I find that souvenir shop very disturbing! (Just because I'm Canadian?)

 

Yep I've been to all three axis of evil countries - Iran, Iraq, North Korea. 75 countries overall. No travel blog at the moment though. I might write a book one day - reviewing and ranking the world's countries from best to worst

Here's Persepolis, Iran - of interest to ancients collectors no doubt :

 

I haven't been to Saudi yet - one of the hardest places to get to as a civilian tourist. And though I've been to Romania, I have missed out on pig brain!

 

What would you rank as best and worst right now?

 

Best is Guatemala - it has Mayan pyramids, jungle, volcanoes, Spanish colonial towns, beaches and mojitos. Everything anybody could want!

Worst is Eritrea... by a mile!

 

I've only travelled to a little better than half the countries you have @Greg Heinrich, but I've slowed down a lot in the past couple of years. My favorite place is Praque, Czechoslovakia, and my least favorite is Ghana. European empires of the 19th and 20th centuries really took a toll on Ghana.

 

Never been to any of this exotic places you have been to. But I have travelled extensively (and lived) in various countries in Latin America - some pretty interesting areas there too...

Since you chose the Fides Militvm sestertius, I thought I would show you my example of the type. Of the two you showed, the Fides has the better portrait
in my opinion.

 

Reminds me of the 'repair' shops in Darra, Khyber Pass. Even the boy at the car park was carrying a weapon for 'protection of the cars' as he put it. Made the Wild West look decidedly tame

 

But why would you want to go there as a tourist???!!! They have nothing much to offer tourists. The buildings in Medain Saleh are similar to the much more elaborate Petra in Jordan, a much more tourist friendly place.

 

The answer to that question is the same as "Why would you collect one coin of every Roman emperor?"

I collect countries, and want to visit them all. I don't know why lol. For a sense of achievement I guess. What else is there to do?

 

I can understand this sentiment.

 

Smeag => congrats on scoring your new Postumus coin (I like "B" a bit better, but I'm a ship lover)

I always enjoy seeing your travel photos (looks like good times) ... oh, and now I want to go to Guatemala even more (maybe you should write a tourism book, eh?)



Coincidentally, my oldest brother has always told us that Guatemala was his favourite country to visit as well ... maybe after I've toured my own continent a bit more, I'll check out a few others (oh and Portugal is definitely a country that my Portuguese wife and I will visit ... she has been there a few times, but I have yet to visit)

=> congrats again on scoring the Postumus coin that spoke to you