A silly reason for buying a coin?

A weak strike almost never weighs in the favour of a coin, but it was at least partially the reason why this coin ended up with me. Issues as common as L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi's Social War denarii need something a little different to make me want a particular example, and here it was the combination of the unusual control symbol (swan with a broken neck??), and a little bit of striking weakness that turned the symbol into a somewhat ominous apparition looming out in the upper left field of the reverse... creepy, but in a good way .

Other than that, the toning is also quite lovely, and to my mind, the historical significance of this quintessential RR issue often results in one getting decent bang for one's coin buck.

I guess we all have our own personal and occasionally odd reasons for buying the coins we do. If you have any, please share 'em (and that applies to your Piso Frugi denarii, Social War denarii, swan coins, cool control symbols, etc).


ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius. 3.97g, 18.8mm. Rome mint, AD 90. L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, moneyer. Crawford 340/1. O: Laureate head of Apollo right. R: Naked horseman galloping right, holding whip; above, swan and below, L PISO FRVGI / ROMA.
Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection

 

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Love the swan. Love the coin and love the series. I have thought about collecting the different control marks/symbols as a sub-collection, but I have too many irons in the fire as it is right now. Perhaps later. and @Dougmeister is correct. There are no silly reasons for buying a coin!!!!!!!!

 

Not silly at all

Here's a coin neither I nor Zumbly won but that we both wanted for a similarly "silly" reason (a hand grasping/squeezing a snake in a most unusual hold-- so wonderfully strange!). Based on the eye-popping hammer, at least two other people wanted it very badly!

NAC 100 part II, lot 1526



Estimate: 250 CHF | Starting price: 200 CHF Price realized: 3'750 CHF
L. Roscius Fabatus. Denarius serratus 64, AR 3.91 g. Head of Juno Sospita r.; behind, hand with snake and below neck truncation, L ROSCI. Rev. Girl standing r., facing serpent; in l. field, hand with snake. In exergue, FABATI. Babelon Roscia 3. Sydenham 915. RBW –. Crawford 412/1 and symbols pl. LXIX, 19.
Light iridescent tone and about extremely fine

 

Lol, okay... I never argue with old Obi Wan.

Yeah, just about the coolest control symbol ever, but we're not that silly .

 

Yeah, I can see wht you wanted it. But WOW! that's a huge hammer price. Someone wanted it a lot, and someone had deep pockets.

 

It really is a large, complex and interesting series. Everybody needs one or two of these at least, imho.

 

Think how silly *all* reasons seem to non-collectors. 'Because it's a date I haven't got' seems weird to me.

 

Nice coin. I like the swan too.

My usual "silly" is ragged flans and heavier than usual coins for their type.

Here is my sad Piso.


L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi (90 B.C.)
AR Denarius
O: Laureate Head of Apollo right; symbol behind.
R: L PISO FRVGI, horseman, holding palm frond and reins, on horse galloping right; symbol below.
Rome Mint
3.33g
19mm
Crawford 340/1

 

I recently bought a coin just to be a companion to a lonely Roman Republican coin in my collection.

Here is the first coin that has been lonely & needing a companion since entering my collection in 2013.

Roman Republic
L. Scipio Asiagenus
AR Serrate Denarius


Here is the NEWP. It’s a nice companion for my lonely Roman Republic coin:

Roman Republic
Q. Antonius Balbus
AR Serrate Denarius

 

I bought a Republican brockage recently and a dealer scoffed that anyone would want such a damaged thing!

 

I agree that, as common as the Frugi denarii are, you need to find examples with something interesting going on. The swan control is great! I have one at the moment, bought for sheer eye appeal - the gray-blue metallic toning is just plain groovy...

 

Love the brockage. The NEWP is excellent as well.

 

Great coin Zumbly! I think its attractive and like the swan!

 

I don't know about 'silly', but I've purchased a few that were probably 'ill-advised' for the price/condition---especially that 'late-night' version of me that prowls the internet

 

LOL, YEAH! Gross... sounds like something I would say! That is a very cool coin!

I have a few Frugi's:


RR L Calpurnius Piso Frugi AR Quinarius 90 BCE 13 mm 1.93g Rome Laureate head of Apollo right uncertain symbol behind Victory advancing right holding wreath and palm Social War Craw 340/2 Calpurnia 13


RR Calpurnius Piso Frugi 90 BCE Social AR Den CXXXII ROM-A monogram Apollo Horseman - Social War Sear 235 Craw 340/1



RR Calpurnius Piso Frugi 90 BCE Social AR Den CXXXII ROM-A monogram Apollo Horseman - Social Sear 235 Craw 340/1

 

Nice quinarius!

 

Great coin indeed Zumbly

 

Oooo... thank you for asking... Some of my favorites...

ROMAN REPUBLIC:


RR Vibius Pansa 90 BCE AR Den Apollo Minerva Quadriga Sear 242 Craw 345/5 Social-Marsic War



RR Q Titius AR Quinarius 90 BCE PEGASOS Sear 240


RR Titius 90BCE Denarius Sear 239


RR Porcius Cato AR Quinarius 89 BC Bacchus Liber Victory S 248 Cr 343-2


RR Titurius Sabinus 89 BCE AR Den Tarpeia buried shields S 251 Cr 344-2a


RR Titurius Sabinus 89 BCE AR Den Tatius Sabine rape S 249 Cr 344-1a


RR Cn Lentulus Clodianus 88 BCE AR Quinarius Jupiter Victory crowning trophy Craw 345/2 S 255


RR Cornelius Lentalus Clodianus 88 BCE AR Den Mars Biga S 254 Cr 345/1