Three Ugly Ones from Nero - Not Worth It At Any Price? (Or, How Low Can I Go?)

Some more wonderful Neroes - thank you all for sharing. It was interesting to see some of these can be had for fairly low prices - and it is nice to look at the prettier ones as well.

As for my collection, I think I am regressing, going from nicer coins to the ugly. Back in the 1980s-1990s I used to collect high(er) grade ancients - nothing spectacular, but nicer than a lot of the stuff I get now. The cost per coin was much higher back then, and the coins much more attractive, but for reasons I cannot really defend, I am enjoying the low-end scrounging I am doing now. Quantity over quality, I guess (I drink beer the same way!).

Here is an ugly one that I spent hours flailing away trying to attribute, eliminating possibilities, etc. In hand it is (to me) very attractive - deep brownish-black patina with areas of like sandy patina overlay. Collectible? Worth the effort? Many would say no. My attribution is uncertain, but I still like it and I am pretty sure, if nothing else, it is Antoninus Pius (I paid $6.29 for it):



Antoninus Pius Æ Sestertius
(140-144 A.D.)
Rome Mint
ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right / APOLLINI AVGVSTO SC, Apollo draped to feet standing left holding lyre and patera.
RIC 598; Cohen 62; BMC 1229
(18.22 grams / 32 mm)

 

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I found an affordable Nero on eBay months ago. I think there are attributes to like with just about any ancient coin. For me the only exceptions are the featureless slugs I found in an uncleaned lot, but that’s a learning experience I won’t repeat.

 

The above coin is a Roman-Syrian tetradrachm from Antioch, 14.94 gm, c. AD 63/64. I purchased the coin from Harlan Berk a long time ago & sold it at a Heritage auction recently. The coin always intrigued me because Nero has a nasty scowl on his face. BTW, the coin sold for $1,920.00.

 

In the bargain category, this was in an uncleaned lot in 2004, for $2.25 a coin.

I have attributed it as Nero, RPC 1761, Balkan mint. Who can be sure, but it is pretty in hand.

 

All very nice coins a bit beat up does'nt matter in my opinion..

 

Had the same story..with this Domitian as .told me it was a Nero.i am ok with this one!

 

We might equate this with the old 'glass half full; glass half empty' dilemma. Many coins have something going for them that, in my mind, allow ignoring faults. For some of us with limited budgets the decision to have more than one coin per year makes us overlook faults that we might not otherwise. Others deny a coin exists unless it is available in perfect condition. I usually regret buying coins that I know I could find better for just a little more but I never regret a coin that remains the best I have seen in some way for a period of time.

 

I just won the auction the other day - so no coin in hand a this point..
Ominus1 pointed out the reversed "SC" .. will be interesting to see it in hand... very interesting - any ideas?

 

ACsearch shows four Nero/temple of Janus with C (retrograde)-S instead of S-C (maybe more; I was scrolling quickly). Interestingly, none of the descriptions mention the anomaly.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1687698

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2624482

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=69989

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=77516

EDITED: @zumbly, being ever so polite and caring of my feelings, PM'd me that the four ACsearch coin reverses are merely upside down .

Never mind

 

Well, what kind of world would it be if we weren’t at least given a chance to correct our early morning pre-coffee mistakes?

Hmmm, maybe a similar thing happened to the guy working on the die of Clavdivs’s coin?

 

Just received the coin this morning.. very pleased with my first Nero ($23)..
As you can see below - it is much better than the seller's photo of the coin (shown further up the thread).

The mystery of the reversed "SC" still stands. Will be interesting to research.

 

You snagged something really cool there, @Clavdivs! Congrats!

I found one other retrograde S C (well, actually just the C) on a Nero bronze:
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=49882