I like these top 10 threads and all the nice coins. So here are mine Faustina II AR-Denar, Rome mint Obv.: DIVA FAVSTINA PIA, Draped bust right. Rev.: AETERNITAS, Aeternitas standing left, holding globe surmounted by phoenix, and leaning on column. Ag, 2.79g, 17.5mm Ref.: RIC 740, CRE 157 [R2] Kings of Thrace, Rhoimetalkes I and Augustus Æ24. Circa 11 BC- AD 12. Obv.: ΚΑΙΣΑΡΟΣ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΥ, bare head of Augustus right. Rev.: ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΡΟΙΜΕΤΑΛΚΟΥ, Jugate heads of Rhoimetalkes I, diademed, and Queen Pythodoris right Æ , 11.41g, 24mm, 6h. Ref.: SNG Stancomb 905 (this coin); RPC I, 1711; Yourokova 204. 11.41g, 24mm, 6h. Ex A. H. Baldwin & Sons Ltd., March 1976. Ex William Stancomb Collection; this coin published in Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Great Britain, Volume XI, The William Stancomb Collection of Coins of the Black Sea Region (Oxford, 2000) Ex Roma Numismatics, AUCTION XVIII, Lot 282 Lydia. Hierocaesaraea Trajan Bronze, Æ 29 Obv.: ΑΥ ΝΕΡΒΑΝ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟΝ, laureate head of Trajan right Rev.: ΠƐΡϹΙΚΗ ΙΕΡΟΚΑΙϹΑΡƐωΝ, Artemis Persica, wearing short chiton and boots, standing right, drawing arrow from quiver with her right hand, holding bow in left. Ae, 29mm, 12,92g Ref.: RPC III, 1844A (this coin) Plautilla AR Denarius, Rome Obv.: PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, draped bust right Rev.: VENVS VICTRIX, Venus standing left, holding apple and palm and resting elbow on shield (crossed strokes and two vertical strokes on shield), at her feet Cupid AR, 19mm, 3.75g Ref.: RIC IVa 369, CRE 437-45 var. (shield symbol). Octavian and Mark Antony Denarius 41 BC Obv.: CAESAR·IMP·PONT·III·VIR·R·P·C: Head of Octavian right, bearded; around, inscription. Border of dots. Rev.: M·ANT·IMP·AVG·III·VIR·R·P·C·M·BARBAT·Q·P: Head of M. Antonius right; around, inscription. Border of dots. Ag, 3.81g, 18.1mm Ref.: Crawford 517/2 Ex Christoph Gärtner 44. Auktion Numismatik, Lot 4055 D Lampsakos, Mysia AR Tetrobol 4th-3rd centuries BC. Obv.: Janiform female heads Rev.: Helmeted head of Athena right Ag, 2.49g, 12.4mm Ref.: SNG France 1175–6 Freiburg im Breisgau AR Brakteat Stebler or Hälbling = 1/2 Rappen AD 1387 Obv.: Head of raven left, crescent? to left Rev.: - AR, 0.162g, 16mm (max) Ref.: Freiburger Münzen und Medaillen No. 10, Jubiläumsschrift des Freiburger Münzsammelvereins 1997, No. 18 ex CNG e-auction 247 (12 Jan 2011) ex FORVM ANCIENT COINS shop (2019) Vitellius Denarius, Rome, AD 69 Obv.: A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVGVST TR P, laureate head right Rev.: LIBERI IMP GERM AVG, confronted draped busts of Vitellius' son (on left) and daughter (thought to have been named Vitellius Germanicus and Vitellia) Ag, 3.090g, 18.1mm, 180o Ref.: RIC² 103, RSC II 2, BMCRE I 29, BnF III 62 Plotina Augusta AR Denarius Obv.: PLOTINA AVG IMP TRAIANI, Draped bust right. Rev.: CAES AVG GERMA DAC COS VI PP, Vesta seated left on throne, holding palladium and sceptre. Ag, 3.57g, 19mm Ref.: RIC II 730 [R3], CRE 15 [R2] Larissa, Thessaly AR Drachm Obv.: Head of the nymph Larissa facing slightly left Rev: Mare with foal, both standing right; ΛAPIΣ above, AIΩN in exergue. Ag, 5.98g Ref.: CNG 292, Lancaster 2012, Nr. 85 (same dies) Ex Künker, eLive Auction 53, Lot 8042
Oh, wow! So many lovely coins! I'd have to say my favorites are the Plotina denarius (very scarce!), the Diva Faustina Jr, the bracteate, and the mare with foal drachm of Larissa.
A diverse year! Congrats on acquiring these treasures . My favorites are the Vitellius dynastic, the Plotina, the Plautilla, and the Larissa. On the Larissa I love the way the engraver accurately conveyed depth and perspective by engraving the distant horse not only smaller but less deeply.
Great looking coins! I think my favorite is the Plautilla with the Venus and Cupid reverse. Thanks for sharing!
Well, I think your example rightfully deserves the title "Best Plotina on CoinTalk." What a stunning portrait! Somewhat unsurprisingly, my personal favorite is the bracteate from Freiburg. (And I very much understand why you put a question mark behind "crescent." At least to me, the control mark on many of the Wielandt 48c specimens looks more like "wave" and less like "crescent". Yet, I have no idea whether this is just the die cutters' fancies or two different control marks. Do you maybe know more?) Just to keep this thread visually appealing, here is the larger version without control marks, Wielandt 48b: Freiburg im Breisgau, civic issue, bracteate pfennig, ca. 1368–1390 AD. Obv: eagle's head l. Rev: negative design (bracteate). 18mm, 0.30g. Ref: Wielandt: Breisgau 48b; Slg. Wüthrich 63; Slg. Ulmer 249; Berger –. Ex Allen Berman.
Congrats, it looks like you had a good year. My favorites are the Plotina Denarius because of its rarity and the Octavian and Marc Antony because of its historical significance. I now read Adrian Goldsworthy's book about Emperor Augustus. It is therefore nice to see a coin that matches the people described in the book.
@ Orielensis As far as I know the meaning of the symbols is not known. I also have another specimen with a circle: I saw that you call your bird an eagle. You should change this to raven. After about 1327 the bird is definitely a raven. In 1327 the city bought the right to mint coins from the Dukes of Freiburg. The image changed from eagle to raven. See the eagle of the dukes below. You can see the differences easily. The raven is also the historic coat of arms of Freiburg and althought there is a modern coat of arms, it is still in use, e.g. it is the symbol of the local soccer team and of the most famous beer brewery of Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau AR Brakteat AD ca. 1300 Obv.: Head of eagle left, cross to the left Rev.: - AR, 0.41g, 16mm Ref.: Freiburger Münzen und Medaillen No. 2; Slg. Ulmer 1472; Wielandt 46 to all the others: Thank you for your kind comments
You've done well. I like them all. Especially your Octavian and Mark Antony. I also got one in 2019, though yours is definitely much sharper than mine.
How very nice to see so many Freiburg coins here! Since Freiburg is my alma mater and connected to many cherished memories, that raven (as well as the soccer club) have a very special place in my heart. Your comment on the identity of the bird on the medieval coins from Freiburg has made me curious. I've seen it described as both an eagle and a raven, and some older publications (see below) make a strong case for it being an eagle. Maybe there has been more recent research that I am not aware of? I really do not want to hijack your top 10 thread, so please excuse me. But since it's always so nice to have a little medieval Breisgau discussion, I couldn't help myself... Schröder understood the bird's head to depict an eagle. He argues that it is not of a civic heraldic nature, but simply a coiner's mark or device (Münzzeichen) that the city borrowed from the Counts of Freiburg in 1327, who used an eagle in their coat of arms: Edward Schröder, "Studien zu deutschen Münznamen. I: Der Rappen," in: Numismatische Monatsschrift 274 (1903), 2884–2891, 2885. Geiges came to similar conclusions but remarked that the bird changed into a raven later on in the 15th century: Fritz Geiges, "Das historische Wappen der Stadt Freiburg," in: Schau-ins-Land. Jahresheft des Breisgau-Geschichtsvereins Schauinsland 9 (1882), 22–25, 23.
@Orielensis The change of the design was definitely earlier than the 15th century. You have seen the brakreates from the 14th century. Here are later coins, 1425, 1498 and 1723. The design is basically the same: 1425 1498 1723 It is possible that in the beginning the idea was to create a different eagle, but that the results looks like a raven (which are common birds in the region) and quickly was called raven. Some historians also believe that the Rappenbund (a monetary union between todays southern germany and todays switzerland) had his name from the raven coins. "Rabe" in german, "Rapp" in the local swith and south german dialect. The Rappenbund extisted before the 15th century. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rappen
That sounds like a very reasonable theory to me, explaining both the origin of the device on the coin type and its evolution as well as name. Also, thanks for posting more examples from your wonderful Freiburg collection. You're spoiling us!
Great coins, @shanxi ! I particularly admire the one featuring Rhoimetalkes I and Augustus. Here’s my Antony and Octavian.
Great coins @shanxi ! I especially like the Vitellius, I’ve never seen that reverse type before, very cool.
@shanxi ....Wow lovely mixed group....My favourites have to be the Plotina followed very closely by the Rhoimetalkes I and Augustus....Congrats on a great year.
An excellent assortment of coins! The Larissa, Plotina and Vitellius are my favourites, in that order.