When You Buy a Coin because of the Reverse

zumbly, that reverse is hilarious...

 

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Cucumbor, great score with an exquisite reverse, especially for a late Roman coin

 

From a coin I've yet to show on CoinTalk ...

 

I'm with Z... the majority of my coin purchases are for the reverse! For Roman coins (provincial and imperial), that number approaches 100%. It's nice when the obverse or portrait is great but that's just icing on the cake.

(Still jealous of that Cadmus, Z )

Queen Dido overseeing the building of Carthage:

PHOENICIA, Tyre. Elagabalus
CE 218-222
AE29, 13.4 gm
Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: Dido building Carthage; she stands to front before the arched gate of the city, looking left, holding a rule and transverse sceptre; above the gate, a mason at work, [below, a man digging with pick]; murex shell in upper field, palm tree to right
Ref: Rouvier 2375; BMC 409; AUB 245; Price & Trell 748

"The Good Snake" ushering in the change of seasons and fertility of the Nile delta:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Domitian. Regnal year 10, CE 90/91. Æ diobol (25mm, 10.86 g, 12h). AVT KAICAP ΔΟ ΜΙΤ CEB ΓΕΡΜ, laureate head right / Agathodaemon serpent, wearing the skhent crown (emblematic of upper and lower Egypt), on horseback galloping left; L I (date) below. Köln –; Dattari (Savio) –; K&G 24.109; RPC II 2585; SNG Copenhagen 214; Emmett 277.10 (R5).
Ex Giovanni Maria Staffieri Collection
Ex West Coast/Lloyd Beauchaine Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 41, 19 March 1997), lot 1110
Ex Classical Numismatic Review Vol. XVI, No. 1 (January 1991), lot 31
Ex Numismatic Fine Arts Fall Mail Bid Sale (18 October 1990), lot 2365
Appearances:
Staffieri, Alexandria In Nummis 39 (this coin)
Obverse illustrated in Emmett as the header for the Domitian section, p. 24 (this coin)
Fully illustrated in Emmett, p. 26 (this coin, discussing the unusual reverse).

Elagabalus parading the Sacred Stone of Emesa, the earthly embodiment of the sun god he represents:

Elagabalus
AR denarius, 19.4 mm, 3.5 gm
Antioch, 218-219 CE
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right
Rev: SANCT DEO SOLI / ELAGABAL, Quadriga right, bearing sacred Baetyl stone, flanked by four parasols
Ref: RIC IV 195
Vauctions 310, lot 250 (25 Sept 2014)
ex CNG Mail Bid Sale 33, lot 914 (15 March 1995)

Shrine to a Sewer Goddess:

Moneyer issues of Imperatorial Rome
L. Mussidius Longus, 42 BCE
AR denarius, 18 mm, 3.8 gm. Rome mint.
Obv: Radiate and draped bust of Sol facing
Rev: Shrine of Venus Cloacina: Circular platform surmounted by two statues of the goddess, each resting right hand on cippus, the platform inscribed CLOAC and ornamented with trellis-pattern balustrade, flight of steps and portico on left; L • MVSSIDIVS • LONGVS around above.
Ref: Crawford 494/43b; CRI 189a; Sydenham 1094a; Kestner 3758-9 var. (CLOACIN); BMCRR Rome 4252-4; Mussidia 7a.

 

I bought this fairly common coin long ago strictly for the reverse. Sorry anti-slabbers, but I had NGC slab this one with the reverse side up.

 

In all honesty I believe one of the first reverses posted on this thread would have been the Falling Horseman were it not for them being so very common. These are a few of the 2200 recognized variations. As reverses go, they deserve more respect.

 

And of course the Zoo series is all about the reverse... the coins are usually pretty terrible (although some members here have some great examples) but the reverses are amazing... in many cases very unique.

 

Yes they are very artistic reverses. The legend just seems so counter to the act being depicted on the coins... as I have read it means: FELicium TEMPorum REPARATIO, meaning "re-establishment of the happy times" .... while I spear this barbarian in the back (or front or any number of ways..)

 

Probably my favorite coin of my collection. Worn, yes. Dramatic? Yes.


Caracalla, 198 – 217 AD
Æ29, Cilicia, Tarsus Mint, 18.20 grams

Obverse: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Caracalla right seen from behind with shield.

Reverse: Artemis standing right, left knee on back of doe on ground, left hand pulls head of doe back exposing neck, grasps dagger in right hand about to dispatch the animal.

References:
Unpublished. Same dies as example sold by Roma Numismatics Limited, Auction 7, Lot 875.

Cost:
$120

Provenance:
Steve Showers, San Francisco Bourse, 1999.

Notes:
One of two known.

 

I usually go for "eye appeal" "quality of design". But there have beencases, where the awesome reverse design made me blow my budget. Here are some examples.
AV Ducato ND Milan Mint
Filippo Maria Visconti Duke of Milan 1415-45
AV Quadrupla (2 Doppie) 1590 Piacenza Mint
Alessandro Farnese Duke of Parma (love the Remus/ Romulus) wolf!
AV
AV 20 Mark 1895-A Berlin Mint
Deutsches Neu-Guinea Kaiser Wilhelm II (Magnificent Bird of paradise)
AV 6 Dukaten 1644 Riga Mint/ Swedish Livonia
Queen Christina of Sweden
My favorite coin in my coll. sorry Ancient membership
AV 4 Dukaten 1931 Belgrade Mint
Alexander I/ Queen Sofia of Yugoslavia (reverse is outstanding/ actually a beautifull modern issue)
AV Aureus ND Rome Mint struck 219AD
Elagalabus both obv. rev. are nice.
AV Solidus ND Sirmium Mint struck 358AD
Julian II Western Roman Empire (neat rev. scene)
AV Dukat ND (1792) Regensburg Mint
Franz II Holy Roman Emperor
Imperial City of Regensburg (City Views are my fav.)
AV Stater ND Pella Mint 345BC
Philip II of Macedon
AV 5 Dukaten 1640 Munchen Mint
Maximilian I of Bayern (Bavaria)

 

I generally look for coins with a reverse that's interesting. When I became serious about collecting Ancients, I was looking mainly to obtain different emperors/rulers. But since those early times, it's the reverse that catches my eye first. I have too many (if that's possible) coins I've purchased just because of the reverse.

 

belly-button is the best

 

This is among my favorites!

 

I was confused for a minute. I thought I had accidentally clicked on the Museum of Fine Arts Numismatic Collection site

 

Not in such good condition, but I like this reverse on my Sextus Pompeius denarius:


Sextus Pompey. 42-40 BC. AR Denarius Uncertain Sicilian mint. Bare head of Pompey the Great right; capis to left, lituus to right / Neptune standing left, holding aplustre and resting foot on prow, between the Catanaean brothers, Anapias and Amphinomus, who carry their parents on their shoulders. Crawford 511/3a; CRI 334; Sydenham 1344; RSC 17 (Pompey the Great).

I wouldn’t know very well what it looks like: one of those crazy dreams in which a shaman blesses and does some strange rituals after you smoking a lot pot.

 

Thanx, milord!