RC’s top 10 of 2019

Okay, okay … perhaps I’m getting a little ahead of myself, but it’s now officially December and I am pretty sure I’ve already acquired my top ten for the year. I reserve the right to amend this list, though. That doesn’t mean narrowing the list down to ten was easy. I hope you find these ten to be enjoyable and interesting, too.

10. This antoninianus of Trebonianus may not look special, but it is scarce to rare and unlisted in Sear, Cohen, or Hunter. There are no examples at Wildwinds and no properly-attributed examples at acsearchinfo, either. That’s not the most interesting thing about it, though. The interesting thing is its obverse inscription and what implications it might have for where it may have been struck, with scholarly disagreement on where it may have been minted. The issues raised about the circumstances and location of its mintage resulted in a thought-provoking discussion.



9. I’m combining two coins into one because they belong together. These barbarous imitations of Elagabalus and his mother were likely produced in Sarmatia, though there is scholarly disagreement about whether they are truly ancient. The subject was deemed interesting enough for it to be chosen as a featured article.



8. This cool provincial of Gordian and Tranquillina from Mesembria made my top ten because it was very hard to attribute and I had to ask for help. Fortunately, @zumbly came to the rescue with his copy of Varbanov (who cites Karayotov), because there are no other examples anywhere online. Another cool thing is that this obverse die was used to strike eight different reverse types!!



7. This common Antoninianus of Trajan Decius is one of my favorites. Why? Because it taught me all about the Dacian draco battle standard!



6. I acquired this middle bronze of Faustina I simply to fill a hole in my Faustina collection. However, when I started researching the subject of its reverse type, I learned that a generations-old numismatic theory had been debunked. This was one of the more educational numismatic research projects of 2019.



5. This Gallienus zoo coin made my top ten. Why? Because this tigress is just plain cool!! Not only that, but, as Jim Phelps notes while writing about the coins of this issue, I learned there are two varieties -- an unmarked cat with a sleek build (the panther type) and this tigress type.



4. This dupondius of Faustina I with a veiled bust may not look like much, but that doesn't matter when it may be only the second known example of the coin. The original thread was chosen to be a featured article, too.



3. I have always wanted one of these “Apollo Sauroktonos” coins. However, when I researched the coin, I learned that – contrary to the title of the statue – Apollo isn’t trying to kill the lizard, but to heal the lizard! And that made for a very fun discussion here on CT.



2. I love the reverse on this sestertius-sized provincial of Trajan Decius from Tarsus. As a plus, I had a lot of fun deciphering the cryptic Greek abbreviations on its obverse and reverse legends. That my efforts were cause for the post to be featured was a nice pat on the back, too!



1. An affordable example of a Matidia coin with an attractive portrait has long eluded my collection of Roman empresses, so I was happy to add this one to my collection. Its acquisition also offered me the opportunity to learn more about Anazarbus and share what I learned.



Happy coining, everyone! And may your 2020 be blessed with good health, good friends, abundant love, and – of course – with interesting and beautiful acquisitions to your collections!

 

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You've had a great year and we've all benefitted from your research and writeups! Thanks, RC .

It's difficult to choose favorites but I like the #9 pair, the Gallienus, the Apollo Sauroktonos, and Trajan Matidia best.

 

WOW! Very very nice! I enjoy your write-ups, and of course the cool coins you capture. Well done, and fantastic year. Matidia is a target for me... Nice one.

Congrats!

 

What a nice batch of coins, RC. I'd say my favorites are the Faustinas - I like the coins and I always appreciate (and learn a lot from) your posts about these. Keep up the good work.

That you have one month to go in '19 merely means you might have to update the list in January. I look forward to seeing if you have to do a revision.

 

What TIF said, except I like #7 best - the Dacian draco battle standard!

 

What a great year you've had, RC!
Not that I don't love the donkey head, and am always happy to see another addition to my pal Gal's zoo, but my favorite has got to be your Apollo Sauroktonos. The patina is bananas! And the artistry exceptional.
Also, great work scoring a Matidia. Still trying to get a date with her myself...

 

You had a great year RC, wonderfull new additions to your collection! I wish you much success and happy collecting in 2020 By the way, your writeups are very informative and well researched, congratulations!
John

 

@Roman Collector....Very nice! You have a good eye and always really enjoy your write ups....I always learn something...and for me thats what its all about thanks!
The obvious thumbs up is the Matidia.. Nice portrait and a tough 'chica' to acquire!..Nice , Nice , Nice!
But my favourite has to be the Gallienus....Love the way the engraver managed to depict the stripes on the body....But also think the portrait is pretty cool too!
Congratulations on a fruitful year

 

It looks like you had another great year of collecting RC, they are all great coins each with a story to tell, but I personally like your Trajan Decius from Tarsus and Faustina altar. Congrats.

 

Wonderful coins worthy of a year end top ten list! The Matidia is truly exceptional.

 

An excellent year, and I too have benefited from your write-ups. Hard to pick from these - veiled Faustina, tigress, Apollo healing lizard, and the promiscuous die of Gordian III and Tranquillina are the top three for me...oh, was that more than three...

 

My favorite three are your Top 3. It looks like you’ve had an excellent coin year, and all of us here have benefited from your fantastic writeups.

 

Great year @Roman Collector . Your #1 and #3 are my favorites.

I am going to have to go back and reread your #6 write up again to make sure I follow. Either way I always enjoy your threads / posts.

 

'Tis the season! My faves are the same as TIF's, and my sentiments echo zumbly's. A great year for you, and you've made all of our years better too!

 

amazing coins RC......

 

Nice work RC. I'll be clicking through the links later today to make sure I didn't miss any of the original posts, because your write ups are always enjoyable to read.

 

I agree with the theory that my collection would probably be better if I let TIF select all my coins but I would miss the fun of doing it myself. Here, I agree with her selections as well.

 

Very nice coins RC - and some great provincials in there.

 

It looks like you had a wonderful collecting year!

The "barbarous imitations from Sarmatia" and the authenticity discussion about them are fascinating, and I loved your write-up on these coins.

Thanks for showing your coins here – your contributions always greatly add to CT.

 

That's simply beautiful !

Q