[Ancients] Top 10 Index

I won, got the invoice, and paid. My top 10 is now up.

 

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I guess you really enjoyed @Valentinian thread

 

Haha with that archaic Thasos strutting around for under $100 the board is lucky I didn’t post the thread 3 times

Good catch. I’ll fix it here in a bit.

 

Quick bump for this great thread!

Below is an inexpensive Tiberius that I am very fond of..



Tiberius AE As
Restoration issue by Titus
Rome,� 80 AD

Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST IMP VIII ; Bare head of Tiberius left.
Rev: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG REST around large SC.

 

I’ve added a few more links to some great lists so I suppose it’s time for another “almost made it” coin.

This is a big hefty tetradrachm showing the Optimo Princeps himself (i.e. Trajan). I bought it for the really nicely styled portrait of Melqart on the reverse. This coin has some circulation wear but retains a lot of eye appeal enhancing detail.


Phoenicia, Tyre
Trajan (AD 98 - 117)
AR Tetradrachm, Tyre mint
Dia.: 26 mm
Wt. 13.67 g
Obv.: Laureate head of Trajan right, club and eagle below.
Rev.: Laureate head of Melqart right with lion skin around neck.
Ref.: Prieur 1495ff

 

Nice one Curtis

Q

 

One of my almost made it coins Domitian Ar Denarius 88 A.D. Rv. Herald standing left facing low column. RIC 601 3.53 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen

 

That coin may have been my number one if I had it. Beautiful!

 

We’ve left the 50 list mark in the dust so I guess it is time for another “almost made it” coin.

I wrote about this one a few weeks ago and even though my medieval collection leaves much to be desired I think this is a really fun addition and I like it a lot.

Crusader Coin Showing Fascinating Medieval Armor

Crusader Antioch
Bohemond III (Minority 1149-1163, Majority 1163-1201)
AR Denier, Antioch mint, struck ca. 1163-1188
Wt.: 1.06 g
Dia.: 17 mm
Obv.: +BOAHVHDVS; Helmeted head left marked with cross pattee, coif mail composed of crescents, five pointed star right, crescent left.
Rev.: +ANTIOCNIA; cross pattee, with crescent pointing downward in second angle.
Ref.: Malloy 65/Class A to B cf. Metcalf
Ex AMCC 2, Lot 289 (Nov. 9, 2019)

 

I'm (hopefully) a few days away from receiving my final Top 10 coin and putting up my list. Here's one that didn't make it to the list even though I'm thrilled to have it, grunky as it is.

GORDIAN I
Potin Tetradrachm. 11.87g, 22.9mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 1 (AD 238). Emmett 3340; Dattari 12387. O: A K M AN ΓOPΔIANOC CЄM AΦP ЄVCЄB, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: Athena standing facing, head left, holding spear and Nike, one hand resting on shield.
Ex Dr C. Haymes Collection

 

I have a chance at a couple of nice coins today/ Heritage Auction. I will know by 11:00PM...
But they would not make top 20.....maybe top 70/ for 2019 John

 

I’m in the same boat! Waiting on something to arrive in the mail, and starting to get impatient! Particularly since the top coin is what’s coming

 

Another of my almost made it coins Taras Ar Nomos 390-385 B.C. Obv. Nude youth riding galloping horse right. Rv. Phalanthos nude riding dolphin right Vlasto 375 Fischer-Brossert Group 28 398d This coin cited 7.81 grms 21 mm

 

Was able to win both Heritage Weekly Auction. Thankfully, not much competition! I secured a RRR "unique" Iran/ Safavid Dynasty AV Ashrafi dated AH1122=1709/10 Shiraz Mint
Sultan Hasayn 1694-1722
According to Steve Album all his gold coinage was for presentation purposes/ no AV coinage from Shiraz known/ except for one other ex. different type.
Husayn ended up loosing his head in 1725 on orders from Ashrafi Shah/ Hotaki Afghan Ruler.

 

A couple of new year end lists have been added to the OP recently, so it's time to bump this thread with another coin that almost made my top 10:


Commodus, Roman Empire, sestertius, 177 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP L AVREL COMMODVS AVG [GERM] SARM; laureate and draped bust of Commodus r. Rev: T[R P] II COS [P]P; pile of Germanic arms; in fields, S-C; in exergue, DE GERMANIS. 31mm, 21.84g. Ref: RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1570. Ex CNG, e-auction 142, lot 134; ex CNG, e-auction 447, lot 471.

 

A nice type. I've had the following for a while and stupidly sold it....


Commodus, Sestertius
IMP L AVREL COMMODVS AVG GERM SARM, laureate and draped bust right
TRP II COS P P, DE GERMANIS at exergue, SC in field, pile of military arms
23.66 gr
RCV # 5740, Cohen # 79,

Q

 

I regret that this thread has fallen far off the top page. In itself it is not all that much but it links to all those year end lists which collectively are the best thing on Coin Talk Ancients at least in my opinion. I'll bump it here by posting a coin that did not make my top 10 list that perhaps should have. Should it or should I have saved my money? It was my most expensive coin of 2019 that did not make my list.

Didius Julianus AE sestertius 193 AD / Fortuna with rudder stg. left

 

We are fast approaching 70 year end lists! Wow I bet that is more than double what we had last year.

Here is another coin that didn’t make my top 10 but that I like very much. It is my first coin of this emperor.


Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Antioch
Trebonianus Gallus
AR tetradrachm, struck ca. 251-253, 1st officina
Obv.: Laureate draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: Eagle standing facing, head and tail right, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; A between legs. SC in exergue
Ref.: McAlee 1173a; Prieur 657
Ex Tenbobbit Collection; Purchased privately from the collection of an English gentleman in 2005; Ex AMCC 2, Lot 434 (Nov. 9, 2019)

 

I’ll have mine in before the 31st! Still waiting on something to arrive in the mail...

 

71 and a promise of another. I tried t pick my favorite ten overall and failed miserably. Too many choices!!!

My least expensive coin this year (3 for $15 but I gave the other two away) was an upgrade of the same type but cheaper than the one bought 20 years ago. It had been the worst of my set of these officina marked in field coins. Now it is not.
Constantus II AE3 FH3 Thessalonika officina three - This was the only issue with the officina mark in the reverse field. Earlier there were larger coins with gamma in the same position but then it defined the weight series.