Featured Sometimes You Can't Resist a Great Portrait

There are some more coins I'd like to add to this thread:


I really like this Gordian III. So many of his coins are results of poorer craftsmanship than we know we can hope for. This coin has high relief, all his facial features are intact, and the reverse is good enough. Wasn't too bad in price either, about 30% premium.



I was prepared to pay a far higher premium on this Philip I from Antioch. The moment I saw it, it was like a "must have" coin for me. That can be expensive, but luckily I got away with it for 160$. That's more than usual for one of his coins indeed, but I had 250$ as my limit. Everything is centered. The flan is almost round. The portrait has a lot of personality to it, and the reverse is quite excellent. In my opinion.



It's quite possible I went a little overboard with this one.... I paid 150% of RCV catalog value. I haven't seen it in this condition many times since, though. That was the Commodus coin I wanted for my collection. It's really him.

 

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I just love this left-facing bust of Sabina with her detailed diadem and Mona-Lisa-like smile:


Sabina, AD 117-137.
Roman AR denarius, 3.28 g, 19.4 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 128-134.
Obv: SABINA AVGVSTA HADRIANI AVG P P, diademed and draped bust, left.
Rev: IVNONI REGINAE, Juno standing left, holding patera and scepter.
Refs: RIC 401b; BMCRE 909 note; RSC 37a; RCV --; Strack 370; CRE 56.