shanxi's top 10 coins of 2019

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by shanxi, Dec 8, 2019.

  1. shanxi

    shanxi Well-Known Member

    I like these top 10 threads and all the nice coins. So here are mine :happy:

    Top10-1.jpg

    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]


    Top10-2.jpg
    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


    Top10-3.jpg
    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)


    Top10-4.jpg
    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).


    Top10-5.jpg
    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


    Top10-6.jpg
    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


    Top10-7.jpg
    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)


    Top10-8.jpg
    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


    Top10-9.jpg
    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]


    Top10-10.jpg
    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
     
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  3. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    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.
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2019
    Curtisimo likes this.
  4. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    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.
     
  5. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    Great looking coins! I think my favorite is the Plautilla with the Venus and Cupid reverse. Thanks for sharing!
     
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  6. Svarog

    Svarog Well-Known Member

    I like second one the most
     
  7. gogili1977

    gogili1977 Well-Known Member

    My favorites are Plotina and Vitellius denarii.
     
  8. spirityoda

    spirityoda Coin Junky

    Larrisa was my favorite for the face and horses.
     
    Roman Collector likes this.
  9. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    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:
    MA – Freiburg im Breisgau, Rappenbrakteat (neu).png
    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.
     
  10. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Very nice @shanxi. I particularly fond of the Octavian and Mark Anthony.
     
  11. Parthicus Maximus

    Parthicus Maximus Well-Known Member

    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.
     
    Roman Collector likes this.
  12. shanxi

    shanxi Well-Known Member

    @ Orielensis

    As far as I know the meaning of the symbols is not known. I also have another specimen with a circle:

    Freiburg2.jpg

    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

    Freiburg3.jpg
    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
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2019
  13. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    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.

    89497q00 (2).jpg
     
  14. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    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:
    Bildschirmfoto 2019-12-08 um 09.48.44.png
    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:
    Bildschirmfoto 2019-12-08 um 09.53.20.png
    Fritz Geiges, "Das historische Wappen der Stadt Freiburg," in: Schau-ins-Land. Jahresheft des Breisgau-Geschichtsvereins Schauinsland 9 (1882), 22–25, 23.
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2019
  15. shanxi

    shanxi Well-Known Member

    @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:

    Freiburg4.jpg
    1425

    Freiburg5.jpg

    1498

    Freiburg6.jpg

    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
     
    Last edited: Dec 8, 2019
  16. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    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! :)
     
  17. Deacon Ray

    Deacon Ray Artist & Historian Supporter

    Great coins, @shanxi ! I particularly admire the one featuring Rhoimetalkes I and Augustus. Here’s my Antony and Octavian.

    OCCY.jpg
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2019
  18. Shea19

    Shea19 Well-Known Member

    Great coins @shanxi ! I especially like the Vitellius, I’ve never seen that reverse type before, very cool.
     
  19. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Wow, Larissa and the Tetrobol for me! But all of them look great, @shanxi ! Congrats
     
  20. Spaniard

    Spaniard Well-Known Member

    @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.
     
  21. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    An excellent assortment of coins! The Larissa, Plotina and Vitellius are my favourites, in that order.
     
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