Budget Caligula

I had three Caesars left to go in my 12 Caesars set. Out if those, I had a budget of $300 for Caligula, and I got this one for a bit below that budget limit. So I now have extra budget to allocate towards Galba and Nero (which I'm still missing) or I can let my $3000 Twelve Caesars Imperial Set become my Sub-$3000 set. Either way it's good to have options.

Here is my super budget Caligula. Some encrustations and some wear, but one can't be too picky when one is trying to do an Imperial only coins 12 Caesars Set set on a minimalist budget.


Emperor Gaius (Caligula)
Ae As
Obv: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, bare head left
Rev: VESTA above, S-C across field, Vesta seated left, holding patera and sceptre.

RIC I 38; BMCRE 46; BN 54; Cohen 27. VF, brown patina with some green. Some encrustations that could be cleaned.

 

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That's a very nice coin. One could do far worse, so be happy with this nice example. Love the patina.

 

Oh, I'm not unhappy with it at all. If I was I wouldn't have bought it. Just simply stating that it is a budget example. I'm not ashamed of my budget 12 Caesars Imperial Set in any way. On the contrary, it's been a lot of fun putting it together (minus Galba and Nero which are still pending for the future).

 

That's pretty darn good for a "budget" Caligula. I'd say it's more "mid-range."

Mine is truly a budget Caligula, purchased for about $110 last year. Decent details for the price point and good, full legends, but an uneven patina.

 

Is the focus on bronze, or anything? One can get Nero and Galba pretty cheap as an Alexandrian tetradrachm. There are also a lot of cheap Neros provincials.

 

Congrats,Sallent, very nice coin, love to add it to my collection.

Bought this one for my 12 Caesar set in bronze ,actually 18 Caesar set, 2 coins to go.

 

The focus is imperials (not provincial coinage). Doesn't matter if it's bronze or silver.

 

That's a very nice one Sallent, nice clean looking coin with a great portrait.

 

Nice coin! I wouldn't call it a budget coin - it is a nice Caligula!

 

Nice addition. The great thing about a 12 Caesars collection is that there is no correct way to do it. One can bring their own personality to the challenge when making decisions as to what should be included.

 

Suetonius..the reason for the season..

 

Cool coin to keep handy to show visitors, @Sallent ! Great conversation piece to pass around the dinner table.

 

I doubt a non-coin person will be impressed by what they perceive as a crusty, old, and dark coin. Non-coin people don't think like us. Luckily though, I do have just the right coin to impress them. Big, shinny, heavy, and expensive looking to the non-collector types:

 

haha! that should dazzle'em..those non-coin types^^

 

...non-coin people...

Ah yes! Very true, @Sallent ! There's nothing like that blank and unimpressed expression from a friend or family member when you ask them if they'd like to see and hold a 2000 year old coin. Then they ask "If it were real, wouldn't it be in a museum?" It's okay, living with non-ancients people makes me appreciate you guys even more.

 

That's a sweet Caligula. $300 isn't a budget coin in my world! Well done!

 

Really nice Tet

 

Asses of Nero and Galba are not all that hard to find in what I would call mid-grade, acceptable.

I had been considering starting a thread on the question of condition. Modern collectors are obsessed with lack of wear. With ancients, there is a lot more to consider than wear. Things like surface and strike are much more important to me than the wear on a coin. For example, this was my first Caligula as. For wear it is VF but the surfaces are horrid.

I upgraded it with a coin worn to fine with better surfaces.


Which should be kept? Both obviously. I really would like one with the obverse legend of the first (DIVI AVG PRON) but decent surfaces. Wear does not bother me. I collect coins. Coins wear.

 

Great coin @Sallent !

 

Sweet coin. Here is my upgrade from a budget Caligula