Gavin's TOP 10 of 2018

So I’m going to apologize ahead of time for my long-windedness. Feel free to just scroll and look at the pictures. I’ve really had a fun year adding some 40 coins to my collection and making progress on my Constantine specialty and my Twelve Caesars project. I’ve also enjoyed making virtual friendships on this board and learning a lot. Here are ten coins that have brought me particular pleasure in 2018:

10. CONSTANTINE AS CAESAR, MARS REVERSE

My main collecting focus is Constantine. You might reasonably wonder why he is not more represented in my Top 10 list, but much of my Constantine collecting involves mint completion and that sort of thing. I picked up about a dozen new Constantine coins this year; here’s a representative. It’s a bit rough, but it’s a big, heavy, and fairly rare issue of Constantine as Caesar with a Mars strutting on the reverse.

9. CONSTANTIUS CHLORUS LONDON FOLLIS.

I’m woefully weak in coins of Constantine's father. This coin is a means of addressing that weakness, and the fact that it’s an AMCC 1 win ex James Pickering makes this coin extra special to me.

8. AGRIPPA & AUGUSTUS, NEMAUSUS CROCODILE

I actually ended up with two of these; I sold one to @SeptimusT (though I still miss its fine portrait of Augustus). I like this one because Agrippa’s rostral crown is clear. And I can count every link in that chain! In my romantic imagination, I would like to think that this very coin passed through the hands of some aged veteran who looked at it and was reminded that he was really there at Actium, decades earlier, when Rome finally brought Cleopatra’s Egypt under its sway.

7. NERO SYRIAN TETRADRACHM

This was a coin I saw and had to have. The infamous Nero was probably the first Roman Emperor to persecute Christians and Jews—scapegoating the former for the fire that ravaged Rome in 64 A.D. Christians at Rome were easy targets; they were either from the East or had embraced an Eastern religion, and their unusual monotheistic faith made them terrible Roman citizens who would not participate in the civil religious observances that kept Rome in the gods’ good graces. So how did a citizen of the East—of the Levant and Asia Minor—envision this man? Perhaps not as the luxurious glutton of Roman imperial coinage, but as the more svelte and severe figure on this coin. This would be the face of Nero for the Eastern Christian of the first century, represented here in a tetradrachm likely struck in Syria ca. 62-63 A.D., just before Rome’s Great Fire that would change everything.

6. ELAGABALUS AS PRIEST OF THE SUN

This coin was a “CoinTalk purchase,” meaning that I would not have been aware of this coin or the unusual protrusion (aka “horn”) from the head of Elagabalus had it not been for this board. I was discussing purchase options and budget on CoinTalk when @dougsmit offered this coin right at my budget point. I snapped it up quicker than you can say “dried bull penis.” And now I can boast of a having a Severan denarius “ex Doug Smith.”

5. VITELLIUS AS

Spoiler Alert: You know a man is serious about completing a Twelve Caesars set if he gets coins of Vitellius, Galba, and Julius Caesar all in the same year. I was sort of partial to the “shaking hands” reverse of Vitellius, but the civil war propaganda of “Liberty Restored” was also pretty attractive. Due to his short reign, Vitellius bronzes are a bit scarce, so finding one with decent detail in MA Shops was too good to pass up.

4. COMMODUS AS, THE “ROMAN HERCULES”

I don’t really know Stevex6; he left CoinTalk soon after I joined. For the time we overlapped, I enjoyed his quick wit and was fortunate never to be on the wrong side of it. I also admired his discriminating taste in coins—whatever he had, it seemed to be of the highest quality. I was sorry to hear he was sick; I hope he is doing well now. During the period when he was selling much of his collection, I was pleased to pick up this Commodus As with the mad emperor as the “Roman Hercules.” I hope it is some consolation that it’s gone to an appreciative home. I’ve already used it in class to discuss the Roman political uses of Hercules.

3. DIOCLETIAN ABDICATION FOLLIS

Of all the coins I’ve ever purchased, this one is among the top in eye appeal, thanks to an attractive green patina. These abdication folles are large and lovely, about the size of a Kennedy half-dollar. They allow for remarkably lengthy obverse and reverse legends, like this one: “DN DIOCLETIANO BEATISSIMO SEN AVG. And what a story this one tells! After solving the administrative headache that was the Roman Empire, Diocletian was going to go home and grow cabbages as green as this coin. Unfortunately, squabbling successors would not make that possible.

2. GALBA AS
Gotta get a Galba. One of the benefits of being on this board is getting expert buying advice for select pieces. Galba is one of the tough ones. I found what I thought was a good deal on a budget Galba, also from MA Shops. I hijacked @Orfew's Galba thread and got helpful affirmation from @ominus1, @Severus Alexander, @Justin Lee, and @dougsmit. An especially thorough pros and cons list from @IdesOfMarch01 really helped me make up my mind, and I bought the coin and am very happy with it. An unusually fine style for a Galba that helps compensate somewhat for the porosity.

1. JULIUS CAESAR LIFETIME PORTRAIT DENARIUS

So way back in March (3 days before the Ides, to be exact), I joined the JULIUS CAESAR PORTRAIT DENARIUS CLUB. It’s a coin that I thought I might own very late in my collecting career, if at all. Those of you with deeper pockets might wait for a more attractive specimen, but I knew I could not afford a VF example. I PM’d @Sallent soon after the coin appeared and asked him about his buying process and budget implications. His prompt reply was very generous and helpful. Despite its wear, it still has a recognizable portrait of JC, a legible “CAESAR,” a mostly legible “DICT PER[PETVO], and a legible moneyer’s name. The fact that this coin was struck a few weeks before JC’s assassination, and the possibility that this coin might have even catalyzed the assassination, really fires the historical imagination that got me into collecting ancients in the first place. Are there better-looking Roman coins? Absolutely. Are there any more historical? In my opinion, no.

 

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The complete 2018 haul:

1. Augustus Altar of Lugdunum
2. Augustus and Agrippa Croc
3. Biblical Herod Agrippa
4. Biblical Valerius Gratus
5. Caligula Vesta
6. Commodus As Hercules
7. Constantine Arles Scarce Votive Votis XX
8. Constantine as Caesar Virtvs
9. Constantine Eyes to God Campgate
10. Constantine Eyes to God Votive
11. Constantine Genio Pop
12. Constantine Gloria Rom
13. Constantine Iovi
14. Constantine Sol Lyon (1)
15. Constantine Sol Lyon (2)
16. Constantine Sol Ostia
17. Constantine Sol Rome
18. Constantine Sol Siscia
19. Constantine Sol Ticinum (1)
20. Constantine Sol Ticinum (2)
21. Constantine Sol Trier
22. Constantine Sol w/ Whip
23. Constantine w/ Chi Rho Standard
24. Constantius Chlorus Follis
25. Diocletian Abdication Follis
26. Domitian As
27. Elagabalus Sun Priest
28. Galba As
29. Hadrian Sestertius Libertas
30. Helena Thanatos Workshop
31. Julia Domna Denarius Pietas
32. Maurice Tiberius
33. Julia Mamaea Denarius
34. Julius Caesar Denarius
35. Marcus Aurelius Sestertius
36. Nero Egypt Tetradrachm w/Alexandria
37. Nero Syrian Tetradrachm
38. Pop Rom Commemorative
39. Tetricus I
40. Tetricus II
41. Severus Alexander Denarius
42. Vitellius As

 

Great year, Gavin! Amazing patina on that Diocletian! That croc and the Constantius Chlorus are enviable.

Hope 2019 treats you well, both personally and numismatically.

 

Wonderful collection, Gavin - congratulations! Like you, historical association trumps all other coin attributes for me.

 

Wow great coins! My favorite is the Commodus. I’ve been looking for one of these “as Hercules” coins and keep getting blown out of the water. I also really like the croc and the Diocletian... and really all the others too. A great year!

 

Gavin, that is a wonderful top ten. The standout for me is the Ivlivs Caesar portrait denarius. This coin has a lot going for it. It has most of the legend, a very distinctive portrait, and a nice reverse as well. Personally, I like the wear on this. Was it worn down by some legionary dreaming of the glory days of Caesar? What did the merchants think who handled this coin? Was it kept by someone for years or traded eagerly for decades? I love coins that have stories, and the wear on this coin speaks to its storied past. Like you I wanted one of these for its historical significance. To think that these coins were minted just before one of the most important events in world history makes one grateful to own such an artifact.

 

That is quite a haul!! And I'm very proud to have played a tiny part in your assembling of that top 10. The lifetime Caesar is fantastic, I love #9, and another of my favourites is your #10 for the unusual and intriguing portrait of Constantine as Caesar. (Is that really a 'stache I see?)

 

I think I've found a fellow coin romantic. Yes, all wonderful possibilities.

 

Yes, an unusual coin. I spotted it on eBay the very night I hosted @Victor_Clark on my campus. I waited for Victor to get home and then sent him an email asking him to check out this coin. He was a gentleman and didn't scoop me; he did tell me to buy the coin. $30 shipped! Victor's note: "Yes, you should buy it right away. It is a bit rough, but pretty rare. If you don’t want to buy it, let me know, if it’s not too late ... RIC rates it as rare, which it certainly is… Good catch, it is a rare Caesar issue from Ticinum, I haven’t had one, but had an example from Aquileia with same legend but horseman galloping over enemy versus yours with Mars advancing with spear and trophy… For the price you can’t beat yours. These come up very seldom ... I expect that the seller did not really know what he had... Congrats ... it’s the trifecta--nice condition, rare and a bargain.”

 

I agree! I love that Commodus too... Great year!

 

I feel your pain. Initially Steve’s was a tad out of my price range, but one morning I checked and the price had been lowered just enough, so I made it mine. I think this coin type is a collector favorite, so finding one on a budget can be a challenge.

 

Great coins Gavin

 

Very impressive, Gavin! Loving the list. I'm interested in seeing #22 in your overall list of pick ups. I'm also a Sol collector, and I think my top 10 list will be mostly Sols, a Byzantine and an AMCC coin or two.

 

Without a doubt my favorite is the the "crock" from Nemausus

 

I forgot, my favourite is definitely the abdication follis from Kyzikos. You're right, it had beautiful eye appeal and a very rich historical background. My favourite of that type is from Serdica.

 

Here you go! eBay purchase of about $22. From the London mint. These are scarcer than the garden-variety Sol coins.

 

I was curious about 38. Bridge or star commemorative?

 

I have one of each now, but the star is the one I picked up for about $25 this year. Am happy to have it.

 

So many really good coins in your ten Gavin, great croc coin with excellent detail and eye appeal and your Galba is great quality with a top notch portrait. Congrats on what looks like a fantastic year of collecting.

 

That’s a fantastic selection! Though I’ve been more interested in pre-3rd century coins lately, I always have a special fondness for Londinium mint coins.

And of course that’s a fantastic crocodile! Spoiler alert: the one I acquired from you will be appearing on my list once I get around to sharing it.