Pellinore's 15 nicest coins of 2018

For myself I wanted to make a list of the nicest coins I acquired in 2018. It took me quite a while. In all, I probably bought about 200 coins and sold about 10. First I collected pictures of all the coins I had made a picture & description of, and put them in months, often leaving out the lesser ones (ending up with 120). Then I selected the best – sometimes four of one month, sometimes 15. After that, I made a lower division and a top division, trying to show my major collecting areas.

So this list is chronological, and not building up to a Grand Finale. I couldn’t bring myself to confine it to ten coins. Therefore, it is long, hope you will enjoy it.


1. My first Athenian coin.
I’m not collecting Greeks, but occasionally picking up some. This funny type just had to be in my collection.

AE13 Athens, 340-317 BC. Obv. Helmeted head of Athens t.r. Two-bodied owl peering at you, above Eleusinian ring. Α / Θ – Ε. Kroll 41. HGC 4, 1736. 13 mm, 1.95 gr.


2. A most beautiful Classical portrait.
(Agrippa). Caligula 37-41. AE As in honor of his grandfather Agrippa (died in 12 BC). Obv. Head of Agrippa left, wearing rostral crown. M AGRIPPA COS III. Rev. Neptune standing, holding dolphin & trident, S C on either side. 25 mm, 14.50 gr.



3. Sometimes faults emphasize the beauty of a coin.

Probus 276-282, Antoninianus brockage. Obv. Radiate, cuirassed bust to the left. IMPPRO BVSAVG. Rev. Same, incuse. 21.5/24 mm, 3.45 gr. Silvery with exquisite patina.



4. Awesome double strike.

Constans. 337-350. AE centenionalis, dramatic double strike on reverse. Obv. Bust to right. DNCONSTA/ NSPFAVG. Rev. FEL TEMP REPARATIO - Soldier advancing right, head left, holding spear and leading boy from hut, doubled; SMNB in exergue (Nicomedia mint, also doubled). 348-350 AD. 20-22 mm, 2.86 gr. RIC VIII 70; LRBC 2291. Ex CNG 394 Lot 518. Ex The Stevex6 Menagerie of Ancient Animals & Awesomeness.



5. Uncommon barbarous imitation.
AE imitation of Constantine I, ca. 320. Victoria Laetae (VLPP). 18 mm, 2.4 gr. Double struck, overstruck? Reddish.



6. The quirkiest smile I ever saw on a coin.
AR hemidrachm Vespasian (69-79), Caesarea in Cappadocia. Obv: Laureate head of Vespasian to right (with big grin). AYTOKP KAICAP OYЄCΠACIANOC CЄBA. Rev: Nike walking to the right, holding wreath in her right hand and palm frond in her left. No text. 14.5 mm, 1.85 gr. Metcalf 17.



7. What a super artistic rendering of the Sun and the Moon conjoined! One sees how much classical coin art has evolved since the beginnings of the Roman empire.

Tetradrachm Elagabalus (218-222), Alexandria. Potin. Dated RY 5 (221/222). Obv. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev. Conjoined busts of Helios, draped and wearing radiate crown, and Selene, draped and wearing crescent-moon crown, right; L Є (date) to lower right. 22.5 mm, 12.62 gr. Köln 2342; Dattari (Savio) 4116; K&G 56.61; Emmett 2933.5. Good VF, some roughness.RPC 10149 (13 pcs, all pictured worse than mine).



8. Only after receiving this coin I found out it is a fourrée, something the auction house should have recognized at first sight. This in the beginning took away much of my joy, but now I feel better, because it really is a most beautiful Macedonian tetradrachm with just a few exquisite Celtic accents.

Eastern Celts, Lower Danube. Uncertain tribe. Early 3rd century BC. AR early imitation of a Philip II tetradrachm of Amphipolis. Fourrée! Obv. Laureate head of Zeus t.r., behind it, a leaf. Rev. Jockey and horse riding t.r. Under it, labda over a bucranium. Under the prancing leg of the horse, an A. 24.5 mm, 13.85 gr. Flesche -. Cf. Göbl Ostkeltischer Typenatlas 10, nr. 1 and 2.



9. The oldest coin issued in the town where I was born.

Groningen, under bishop of Utrecht Bernulph (1040-1054). AR denarius. Obv. Bishop’s crosier with legend BACVLVS. Around this+ BERNVLDVS EPS. Rev. Cross with four points in the corners. GRONINGA or something like it. 17 mm, 0.68 gr. Ilisch I, 18.3.



10. Tiny Parthian bronze in excellent condition.

Osroes I (109-129). AE chalkous. Obv. King with pointed beard to the left. Rev. Tyche to the right, year ZKY = 427 (=AD 115). 11 mm, 1.55 gr. Sellwood 80.20.

 

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Nice selection, I like the Groningen & Elagabalus Tet. the best.

 

11. One of those enigmatic Persian local coins, issued shortly after the islamic conquest. A fable bird (‘Senmurv’ or ‘Senmurg’) on the reverse.

Arab-Sasanian AE pashiz, Ardashir-xvarrah (Farroxzad), 75-79 AH = 695-699 AD. Obv. Xusro II-like head r. In the margins, moon and star marks. Single pearl rim. On 6h, two threepoints flanking a moon and star. High breast. Rev. Senmurv flying to the left. Double pearl rim. Moon and stars on the edges. 22 x 19 mm, 0.67 gr. Zeno 204928 (this coin). With a label of Spink & Son (‘RRR’). Album 41 (‘R’). Gyselen Type 2, cf. Nr. 10.



12. A coin blending Christian and Sogdian elements – from Sogdia, once a happy, thriving Central Asian country on the Silk Route where now is Kazakhstan. Nestorian Christianity perpetrated even farther to the East: to China even. After 1000 AD it was gradually wiped out in Central Asia by Islam. This coin shows the mountain lion that was often found on coins of this region, but also the Nestorian cross.

Bukhara Soghd, Vardanzi. Unknown ruler. 7th century? Obv. Lion left. Rev. Nestorian cross. 16 mm, 0.87 gr. Zeno 20208. See also 49952 for literature (in Russian: Musakaeva 1994). Cf. the lion type of Shagalov & Kuznetsov, Type 6, Group 6 and 9. According to p. 200, the date of the lion type might lie between 650 and 750 AD.



13. In the wake of Arab-Sasanian coinage I’m getting more interested in the early copper coinage of Islam, especially in that of Persia and Central Asia. This is a very unusual fals (‘follis’) of an early Abbasid rebel named Muqanna, showing a horse – in a style that’s to be found on several other types of the region.

Abbasid AE fals, Nasaf, rebel Al-Muqannah, 157-159 AH (774-776). Obv. Horse. Rev. Text. 23.5 mm, 3.60 gr. Nasaf = Nakhshab = Kharshi /now Qarshi, Uzbekistan. See Zeno #102443. V. Nastich, fig. 23. Album A 330 (‘RRR’).



14. This gold coin I gave myself as a present for New Year 2018, because it’s so harmonious.

AV dinar Samanids. Nasr II b. Ahmad (301-331), Nishapur AH 327 (=938/9). Obv. single circle around field. At the top, a letter. Rev. double circle around field. Signed by engraver Abu Harith on obv. on 9 o’clock margin. 22.5 mm, 4.86 gr. AGC I 300pj. Album 1449. Cf. SNAT XIV 1 nr. 463.



15. Qarakhanid dynasty coinage (fl. 990-1210) is one of my topmost interests. This beauty is pretty late in that, a ‘broad dirham’, but in reality a bronze coin, very thin.

Qarakhanid broad AE husami dirham, Marghinan. 602 AH. Husam ad-Dunia wa-d-Din Ulug Toghan khaqan. Obv. Central word Allah in a four-lobed cartouche/ quatrefoil. Three large lines between two small, in a circle, encircled by lettering. At the top the denomination, husami. 39.5 mm, 8.38 gr. Kochnev 1137. Album-3424. Zeno 46837.

 

What a fun list and great coins! I love the Elagabalus tet with Selene and Helios (I bid on it too). Your Probus brockage is very attractive. Vespasian's smile on that hemidrachm really is unusual and funny .

 

Really NICE

My fav. is the Groningen Denarius from your home town.
John

 

The OP group proves a collection does not need a focus to be interesting. (Maybe a focus makes a collection less interesting?)

My favorite is the Elagabalus tetradrachm, but the rest are neat too.

 

My fav #14 gold. Beautiful and interesting looking.

 

I really like the celtic style Zeus portrait on the tetradrachm!

A great set of coins for the year.

John

 

There isn’t a lesser one on the list, but I have to agree with @panzerman on this one; the Groningen denarius is also my favourite! You rarely see these early Dutch coins in such a condition (virtually every letter is readable) and love the way that the crosier is described in letters randomly strewn around it!

 

Great collection @Pellinore ! I really enjoy its eclectic approach... very nice.

All are great. The Athens Double-Owl (I have one too), strikes me. And the Celt Tet is also very cool. I also like the depiction of the Sun and Moon conjoined from that Freak-Show Elagabalus (yeah, he got his just-rewards when he got to Rome! )

 

Thank you all! The coin I like most, in the end, is the Celtic tetradrachm. As for focusing one's collection, I certainly do that, in about 25 areas. More often than not, I say You have to draw a line somewhere, so I don't collect Spanish coins, no East Asian coins, and I draw the line at 1350 AD.
(All the same, this year I bought 1 coin from what's now Spain, one East Asian coin and one beautiful Baroque medal of the Papal States, 1670. I love them dearly).



(Bought it because it is an islamic coin with a human head).
Umayyad Governors, anonymous fals, Spain, or possibly North-Africa, 720-750 AD. Obv. Kalima in wreath. Rev. Crude helmeted head to the right. Text around head (not on my coin): ﷴﺭﺳﻮﻞﺍﻟﻠﻪ Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah. 12 mm, 1.42 gr. Zeno #166048. Frochoso XIV-a. Walker p. 222, Th. 12 (= Thorburn, see Zeno). SICA-2, 1354-1355 (“al-Andalus, or possibly North Africa”); Album 145A (‘North Africa, RR’).



(Bought it at the ONS auction because it's so large, attractive and not expensive).
China, Northern Song Dynasty. Emperor Huizong (1101-1126), AE 10 wen, 1102-1106. Cash type with square hole. Obv. Chong Ning zhong bao in Li script (= Coinage of Greater Reverence). Rev. Plain. 34 mm, 8.53 gr. Hartill 16.407. Schjoth 622, Fisher 1050.



(Bought it on a whim as an epitome of Baroque art, realistic and sharp).
Papal States. Pope Clement X, 1670-1676. Year 1 = 1670. AE medal. Obv. Tiaraed bust right. Rev. Christ washing a simple Fisherman's feet. Sculpted by Alberto Hamerani (1620-1677). 40 mm, 29.80 gr. BMP-1287.92.

I also try to build a general view. So in 2018 I bought my first silver Late Roman and I hope to buy a gold Late Roman in 2019.

 

What a superb variety ! I choose the gold Dinar and the bronze As showing General Agrippa.

 

Love the Elagabalus tetradrachm. The conjoined busts are very impressive and a sure sign of a skilled die-cutter.

 

Quite. There’s perspective, there’s expression.

 

Wat een ontzaglijk muntjes! Ik heb allemaal nodig, Pellinore!

 

An exquisite selection of beautiful and interesting coins

Q

 

Also love the AV Dinar (Samanids)

 

Nice! I like that double strike

 

The Constans double strike was one I always loved from Steves collection. Glad to see it went to another ct member. The Elegabalus tet is just fantastic! Great year man.