My favorite coins of all time

I know I am late for the party but here are ten of my favorite coins. I did not include "My Favorite Coin" as declared on my website because its number (00?) was retired long ago and the fact that I have seen others like it might drop it in a fair fight.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/f01.html
You may vote for up to three coins if you wish but I did not select the option allowing non voters to view results or for votes to be changed. They are presented in an order not guaranteed to match my opinions. As is my practice, I am not providing full catalog ID's making my post useless to those who want simple help cataloging those coins. I rather doubt many who see these will own a match but I would like to see them if you do. The captions will explain what made me nominate the coin.

Alexander: This tetradrachm of Arados in the name of Alexander the Great is a fourree with rather little core exposure. I bought it years ago from Frank Robinson identified as a fourree. Twice since then I have seen a die duplicate that weighs less than mine but has even less core than mine offered by major auctions without mention of it being plated. Both times the auction withdrew the lot but I have to wonder if the consignor sold it in a sale I did not see. The reverse die has a very distinctive crack. The other specimen is dated OE in exergue but mine is off center losing the date.

Turtle: This Aegina stater is distinctive in two ways. The flan is a silver nugget of baroque shape. The one flipper on flan has exceptional claw details. I find these factors outweigh the obvious faults of wear and centering.


Caracalla: Posthumous sestertii of Caracalla are rare but the majority show a pyre of five layers. Mine has only four. The variety is listed in Banti but illustrated only from a drawing from Vaillant. For years I wondered if mine was that long lost coin but a few years ago I saw a die duplicate (for sale for a price over my head) so there are at least two. The coin is a bronze disease survivor.


Obol: The owl coins of Athens are extremely common. Many tetradrachms are found in mint state. Smaller denominations are hardr to find in perfect condition. The owl type was used for over 200 years with quite a few recognizable varieties. This obol is from the less common Transitional period and shows the three tail feathers that identifies those coins. The flan was made oval which allowed a good fit of the design. This is also a bit unusual. I like coins that are unusual.


Magnentius: Coins of the usurper Magnentius are not particularly rare and the two Victories reverse is one of his most common. What makes this one special to me is that it was doublestruck but the first strike was a brockage so one side of the coin has both obverse and reverse detail while the other has two reverses, one normal and one incuse. Errors re interesting but double errors can get really messy. I got this coin from another collector who thought I would like it. He was right.


Geta: This as of Geta Caesar commemorates his appointment to the Consulship and probably was made only for that ceremony. Left facing busts are unusual during that period. An as on a large flan is unusual. The reverse type showing Geta leading two youths on horseback is unusual. Did I mention I like unusual coins. Before you criticize it for condition, show me a better one.


Sybaris: All of the 'Pythagorean inspired' incuse reverse coins of Magna Graecia from the 6th century BC interest me but Sybaris is one of my favorites. The city was defeated, destroyed, occupied or otherwise compromised five separate times by the mid-5th century when it ceased to exist until the ruins were found in the 20th century. This worn bull is special to me because it is a doublestrike with clear creases showing the off centered outline of the undertype. I like the incuse reverse coins. I like error coins. I like this coin.


Septimius Severus: This Alexandria mint denarius of Septimius Severus has the reverse type of Venus from the back most common for his wife Julia Domna. I do not consider it an error coin but just evidence that the Eastern denarius mints did not always follow the conventions of the mint at Rome. The coin is very rare; few Alexandria mint coins of this period are common. This is not a bad specimen even if it were a common type. I love the style.


GIII Undertype: This is a perfectly normal Byzantine Anonymous type A3 follis except for the fact that coin was overstruck on an as of Gordian III that was about 790 years old when it was recycled. I have convinced myself from tiny traces of the reverse that the as was a Laetitia reverse. The details photos here are explained on my web pages and have been posted on CT before. Right or wrong, I did not hesitate to buy the coin. Many Byzantine coins were overstruck on earlier coins but Gordian is a bit extreme in my opinion.


Julia Domna: This Alexandrian tetradrachm of Julia Domna is dated LK or year 20 which places it between September 211 AD and August 212 AD. The reverse shows Caracalla shaking hands with his brother Geta whom he murdered in December 211 AD. I doubt the type was struck after the murder. I rather imagine that someone at the mint might have been in trouble making it at all considering the hatred between the brothers. Coins showing the two together were not uncommon during the life of their father Septimius Severus but this is the only coin I know to show them together after his death earlier in 211. The obverse die matches a coin in the Dattari collection with year 18 reverse suggesting not too many coins were made during that time.


Write in votes are allowed if you know something I have shown on CT that you liked better than any of these. (Surely, Doug, you must have one high grade coin!) Selecting these ten was hard. I probably forgot one that should have made the list.

 

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..yeah, my favs change with the wind...its according to what i'm into at the time..and i purdy like them all......i'd say 'these are your favorites at this moment in time"..

 

Doug, I like 'em all. I'll trade ya and Constantius II Campgate for all the above.. You said someone could write in a candidate and I probably would, except I like all or at least most of your coin examples.

 

I voted for two: GIII undertype and the Alexandrian Domna. Had I only been able to choose one, I'd have selected the GIII undertype even though I love that Domna!

Perhaps I should have chosen a third: the Alexandrian Septimius.

 

Aegina Turtle; Owl Obol; Sybaris Bull ... my type of coins, @dougsmit !

The others are great, but I would grab these three in a heartbeat.

 

I voted for Geta (certainly a rare type) and Domna for the historical significance. I am intrigued by the A3 anon folle. You must have a very practiced eye to deduce that it was struck on an as of Gordian III.

 

I voted for 3. In no particular order:

The turtle. Just a cool little coin with an interesting design

Byzantine GIII. The history behind both are amazing and the fact that you can easily make out the host coin is great. Almost 800 years between rules and that GIII was still around. Pretty cool.

Sept Sev Denarius. I like the portrait of Septimius on the obverse and am a big fan of the big ole' booty on Venus on the reverse

Thanks for sharing!

 

The Domna Tet is my favorite for sure.

 

That is how I voted. They are all extremely nice.

 

All great coins, but I'm a turtle fan. A real Greek Icon with fantastic detail.

 

I voted once, for the Gordian undertype. Its one of the coolest coins I have seen in 25 years!

 

Hard to choose, but I stick with that cool turtle and his evil laugh and claws. Great coins Doug!

 

Great line up Doug!.......Was really difficult to make a decision....Not in order of preference...I voted for the...

Domna Tet.....Nice style and the dates are 'quite intriguing' as the reverse shows Caracalla right with a dagger behind his back...Just speculating here.

Septimius Severus...I generally love the look of the Eastern mints.....This one particularly well gestered...Just a beautiful looking coin!

Aegina turtle......I spent 8 years travelling the world with my home on my back so I have a great love for any animal that does this its whole life!....Still wondering how that pigeon got stuck in the shell.....Its a great little coin!

 

Great thread, Sir! The Lucanian bull looking back over his shoulder is beautiful.

 

Great website and beautiful coins, @Pavlos !

 

Another vote for the Gordian III undertype...one of the most interesting coins I’ve ever seen, so cool.

 

Like your obol and Sybaris Bull, especially the latter. I am interested in both error coins and ancient coins, so an ancient error coin is a perfect combination to me.

 

My favorite three are the GIII overstrike, Julia Domna, and Aegina stater. I like the Owl obol and Sybaris alot, but the three I chose are the ones I'd consider to be literally irreplaceable if they were in my own collection.

 

I think my stance on turtles is well know , but I actually picked the GIII undertype, what a weird and cool coin!

 

I like Sybaris the most a but all are neat coins