In no particular order THASOS AR Stater OBVERSE: Naked ithyphallic satyr carrying off a nymph who raises her arm in protest REVERSE: Quadripartite incluse Square Struck at Thasos, 525-463 BC 8.69g, 21mm SNGCop 1008 View attachment 1031647 THESSALY, TRIKKA AR Hemidrachm OBV: Youth, petasos and cloak tied at neck, wrestling forepart of bull right REV: Forepart of horse galloping right; T-PI-KK-A-I around; all within concave incuse Circa 420-400 BC 2.7g, 17mm SNG Cop 265 ex: JAZ Numismatics NAGIDOS in CILICIA AR Stater OBVERSE: Aphrodite seated left, holding patera over altar, crowned by Eros flying right above, rose and bud in left field, mouse under chair REVERSE: NAΓIΔIKON, Dionysos, loins draped (long), standing left, holding bunch of grapes and thyrsos. EY ΔIO in left field. Struck at Nagidos in Cilicia 356-333 BC 9.93g, 23 mm. Lederer 64; Paris 809; Babelon Traite II-2 1524.8; SNG France II, 34 ex. Warren Esty View attachment 1031653 BITHYNIA, KIOS AR Hemidrachm OBVERSE: Laureate head of Apollo right REVERSE: ΓPOΞ – ENOΣ; Ship’s prow left, ornamented with star Proxenos, magistrate Struck at Kios 350-300 BC 2.4g, 15mm SNG Cop 373 Ex JAZ Numismatics PTOLEMY II PHILADELPHOS AR Tetradrachm OBVERSE: Diademed head of Ptolemy II right, wearing aegis around neck REVERSE: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ [ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ], eagle standing left on thunderbolt, to left, club surmounted by Tyre monogram Tyre 285-260 BC 25 mm., 14.14 grams Svoronos 644; SNG Copenhagen 482-3 ex. JAZ Numismatics ANONYMOUS ROMAN REPUBLIC AR Didrachm OBVERSE: Helmeted head of Mars left, oak-sprig behind REVERSE: ROMANO on tablet below head of bridled horse right, ear of wheat behind Struck at Metapontum, 280-276 BC 19 mm, 6.55g Cr13/1, Syd 1 C. SULPICIUS C.f. GALBA AR Serrate Denarius OBVERSE: Conjoined laureate heads of the Dei Penates left REVERSE: Two soldiers swearing oath over a sow; F above; C SVLPICI C F in ex Struck at Rome, 106 BC 3.8g, 19mm Cr312/1; Syd 572; Sulpicia 1 L. MUSSIDIUS LONGUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: CONCORDIA, diademed and veiled bust of Concordia right, crescent below chin REVERSE: Shrine of Venus Cloacina: Circular platform surmounted by two statues of the goddess, each resting right hand on cippus, the platform inscribed CLOACIN and ornamented with trellis-pattern balustrade, flight of steps and portico on left; L • MVSSIDIVS • LONGVS around above Rome 42BC 3.5g, 19mm Crawford 494/42C; CRI 188; Sydenham 1093b; Kestner 3753-4; BMCRR Rome 4242-3, Mussidia 6a AUGUSTUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: CAESAR AVGVSTVS, head left wearing oak wreath REVERSE: DIVVS-IVLIVS to left and right of eight rayed comet with tail upwards Uncertain Spanish Mint, possibly Caesaraugusta 19-18 BC 3.45g, 21mm RIC 137b RSC 97 SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIIII, laureate head right REVERSE: MVNIFICENTIA AVG, Elephant wearing cuirass walking right Struck at Rome, 196 197 AD 3.63g, 17mm RIC 100, RSC 349
Honorable mention (since I only purchased 13 coins this year) AMISOS, PONTOS AE30 OBVERSE: Helmeted head of Athena right REVERSE: AMI-ΣOY across fields, Perseus standing facing, looking left, holding harpa and head of Medusa; Medusa's body at his feet right, AMTE and ΩΣ monograms to left and right Struck at Amisos 109-89 BC 19.87g, 27mm BMC 30; RecGen 17h; SNG Tuebingen 2049; Malloy 16L M. VOLTEIUS M.F. ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VOLTEIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Laureate head of Jupiter right REVERSE: Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus with closed doors; thunderbolt on pediment; below, M. VOLTEI. M. F. Rome 78BC 3.60g, 18mm Crawford 385/1; Sydenham 774; Volteia 1 HADRIAN AR Drachm OBVERSE: AΔΡIANOC CEBACTOC, laureate draped bust right REVERSE: YΠATOC Γ ΠATHΡ ΠATΡIAOC, Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae Struck at Caesarea, Cappadocia, 121-122 AD 2.6g, 18mm Sydenham, Caesarea -; Metcalf, Caesarea105 ex JAZ Coins And I was gifted this one by Brian Buckland LIVIA AE Dupondius OBVERSE: IVSTITIA, draped bust of Livia as Justitia right, wearing stephane REVERSE: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG REST, around large SC Restoration issue under Titus. Rome, AD 80-81 9.9g, 27mm Cohen 9, RIC II 424 (Titus), BMC 289 (Titus), Komnick 15 Modern stamp, 7 over 36 on obverse
Dang it @Bing .... #1 - You put my top 10 to absolute shame. #2 - How do you expect me to pick a favorite?!?! That being said, if I have to choose one, I will go with the Longus...no the Thasos...no the Augustus...no the Longus...final answer. You gave me just the thing I needed right before I go to bed. Hopefully I dream of some amazing coins
All amazing @Bing ! I need more than one vote. My favorites are. ANONYMOUS ROMAN REPUBLIC - I remember your thread about this one. It’s an iconic coin and what a fantastic deal you got on it too! THASOS - A other iconic coin and this one is in great archaic style. NAGIDOS in CILICIA - That is a really elegant design on this stater.
Several awesome coins @Bing , I voted for the Thasos stater but the Cilician stater is just as cool and I'd LOVE to have the Augustus/comet reverse!
Wow, that’s a great top 10, @Bing! I voted for the Thasos stater, but the Caesar’s comet denarius and Septimius/Elephant are really excellent (and so are all of the others). Congrats on some great new additions this year.
Bing absolutely fantastic, I love them all incredibly hard to choose a favorite but if I had to it would be the Anonymous Didrachm I would love that coin in my collection. Congrats on a stellar buying year.
Holy smokes @Bing!! I guess you are consolidating... selling some lesser coins and converting them into GEMS. Awesomesauce!! The Trikka, the Nagidos, the Roman didrachm, and the comet denarius ring my bell the loudest, but they all ring it! I would love to have those coins in my collection.
Stunning coins, @Bing , all of them! I had to go with the comet denarius of Augustus, though, because of its historical significance.
That really is a terrific list, Bing. I’d be happy with all of them, but the Augustus comet denarius the most. One of those has been on my want list forever, and yours checks all the marks on what I’d want from mine.
Very nice additions Bing. Quality over quantity, so to say! I love that Longus, but noticed the VOLTEIUS too. That is a very nice specimen, and high on my want list.
Beautiful collection. I voted for the Augustus because I find the blatant lie at the centre of the story fascinating, and the consequent consecration issues of the imperial families were such an important part of the numismatic landscape.
Thanks to everyone who replied and voted. I cannot decide which is my favorite. Obviously I like 'em all or I wouldn't have made the purchases.
That's a wonderful baker's dozen. I suppose as a Roman guy I should like the Augustus coin, for it has such a fascinating historical context bearing "his father's star." Yet I was inexplicably drawn to the haggard portrait of that PTOLEMY II. What a unique artistic sensibility.