My first Ancient coin was an as of Vespasian in very poor condition. I paid a week's pocket money for it (being twelve years old). It has long since gone, I don't have a picture. My last Ancient (not counting some medieval islamic coins that arrived last Monday), the last one I entered into my system, is this one, a pretty scarce Sasanian drachm of king Zamasp (496-498 AD). Zamasp (496-498), silver drachm, 498. 28 mm, 3.91 gr. Obv. Bearded bust t.r. with merlon crown, topped with a corymbos on a crescent moon. At the opposite, tiny prince’s bust. Single pearl circle. Rev. Fire altar with assistants. Left the date, year 2; right the mint sign AY, Eran-xvarrah-Sabuhr, a place east of the Tigris near Susa.
Edit: nice denarius or antoninianus of Julia Domna! 216 AD Rome Obv: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG - Diademed, draped bust right, hair in bun Rev: VENUS GENETRIX - Venus seated left, holding sceptre and extending right hand
Nice one ! We don't know its weigh, but the lack of crescent below the bust leads me to think it's rather a denarius than an antoninianus though ! Q
Where in the ancient world was I when youz guyz were having fun with this incredible thread Curtisimo (yes, the Great) started? I am on a lap top that has no photographs on it so I'll post my first and most recent later today! Happy New Year!
Responding to this post turned out more difficult than it first appeared it would be. First and last coin, right? Umm..not so fast. I don’t have a first single ancient coin because the first I purchased were part of a group from several eBay coin sellers. According to my eBay purchase history, those purchases were made on May 17, 2017. I returned one group of three coins to the seller who had them rather overpriced. This coin was in the second group of two ancient coins I purchased that same day. Nicephorus II Phocas (963 – 969 A.D.)vÆ Follis, 25.4 mm, 6.76 g. Constantinople mint Obv: + nICIFR bASILЄ RW, bearded bust of Nicephorus facing, wearing crown, pendilia & loros, cruciform scepter in his right hand Rev: + nICHF / ЄnΘЄW bA / SILЄVS RW / MAIWh, inscription in four lines overstruck There was that Nicephorus and this one below that I believed until tonight was a Diocletian with a really beefy eagle on the reverse; but, I do not recall trying to attribute it until this evening and when I tried, I had difficulties because I don't see it anywhere attributed. I found lots of similar ones or close matches but not this one. I'm thinking it might not even BE Diocletian. Might it be Probus? Anyway, maybe someone will have a clue. And here is an old CT thread where there are many examples of similar coins but not the same one. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-two-alexandrian-tets-yah-i-needed-a-fix.239896/ (and the ginger ale I was drinking almost came out my nose when, in this old thread I read JA asking TIF to show us all her tets!! lollzz.) Here is the coin: Now to my most recent coin. I am not sure. I was positive it was my Trajan, which I intended to have be the last coin I would add to my collection because it, along with the Septimius Severes (with Tyche) just filled me in such a way that I could not imagine obtaining another. But, now that I think more about it, I am almost sure that after @Curtisimo held his great contest in which we had to match the coin owners to the coins posted, I was selected to receive a gorgeous coin which arrived in the mail. I am going to have to go back through the threads and see which was my actual last coin received. I'll do that over the next week or so. It's past my bedtime. Gosh, my coins need serious organizing. That is on my 'to do' list. I think of @TIF and her organization and many others CTers who have it all together and I realize I need to get more serious about things around here.
First: Found on November 25, 1976, in the top drawer of my grandmother's sideboard, while I was getting the silverware out to set the table for Thanksgiving dinner. I was not quite 11 years old. Still have the coin, somewhere. PS- sorry- I just noticed you meant first ancient. I have no recollection of what that was, but think it was a post-Gupta bronze from India I got in a small lot from Guy Clark in the early 1980s, when I was a young teen. Most recent: Just pulled the trigger on this ca. 130-131 AD Hadrian tetradrachm from Alexandria, making it my first coin purchase of 2019.
I came upon this thread late, my first ever ancient was in 1985 NFA Auction FDC AV Solidus ND Constantinople Mint Valentinian II $900 Last coin to arrive on Dec. 24th/ just in time for Christmas (my wife's present) AV Aureus ND struck 251AD Rome Mint Herrenia Etruscilla 249-51AD
Nice! Everyone likes those Legionary denarii, especially Marc Antony's. You have a good eye for value.
My first ancient was this silver 1/12 Stater, Miletos, 1.1 grams, early 6th century, Sear GCV 3533, acquired in 1992. ex Wolf. (My snapshot) I was just interested in ancients and it was early and affordable ($50) and spoke to my interest in the Greek philosophers, being from the lifetime of Thales. My most recent ancient is this Roman Republic denarius. C. Mamilius Limetanus.c. 55 BCE. 4.02 grams. Crawford 362/1 Mamilia 6. acquired in 2018 ex: Kirk Davis. (dealer's photo) I bought it for the two themes, Ulysses and Mercury. Mercury is my patron god. When I was a member of Nova Roma online, my name was Gaius Marius Mercurialis. My Gmail name is Mike49Mercury. And I relate to Ulysses on many levels, but more on that some other time.
Hello guys, I am new to the coin world and a bunch of coins. One I have no where to start, so if you have any advice on how to best price or know what I have that would be great! I would love to take pictures of all of my coins and have someone take a look at them online, so if that is a thing let me know. I did come across a page on here for Ancient Roman Coins. I have one and I see some that are similar, but not any that are exact. Would anyone on here be able to tell me what I got and what it may be worth? A P.S. there are no pictures yet because I do not know how to upload on this site. Tips?
Post pictures of your ancients in a new thread with an appropriate title and you will get lots of help.
thats the thing though, i try add pictures and I can't and I am not able to post a new thread. Its liek a mod has to grant me the privilege