Obverse: HADRIANUS AUGUSTUS, laureate head of Hadrian right Reverse: COS III, Hadrian on horseback right, raising right hand References: RIC II 186; BMCRE 430; Hill 380; Cohen 406; Calico 1215a Provenance: Ex Coin Galleries (Stack's, December 2007), lot 392; Coin Galleries (Stack's, February 2007), lot 204; Classical Numismatic Group 42 (May 1997), lot 907; Sotheby’s (London March 1996), lot 183, lot 183; Ex Virgil Brand Collection, Part 1 (Sotheby's, July 1982), lot 16; Dr. Jacob Hirsch Auction XXXIII (November 1913), lot 1242. Sold to Lederer for 205 Marks, probably Dr. Philip Lederer who died in Lugano in 1944. While this is the second aureus I have posted, it was the first one I acquired. Prior to this purchase, I had been collecting Roman silver and bronze for about a decade. At the time, I had neither the plans nor the means to move into Roman gold. However, the second I saw this piece in an auction catalogue, I knew I had to have it. Thanks to judicious saving, some additional part-time employment, and some timely life-events, I was able to scrape together just enough to make the purchase. While I have parted with the rest of my early collection, I know I will never be able to part with this piece. While it is not particularly rare and, despite the fine style, not in the highest condition, it is the coin I have the strongest emotional attachment to. I will never forget the feeling of getting this coin after waiting so patiently for it. I purchased this piece unpedigreed, but I have recently come to find the coin has a fairly long history, and at one point was in the Virgil M. Brand Collection. Recently, I have begun to focus on pedigreed Roman gold and I am so glad this coin fits that focus. I fully intend to hold onto it until my collecting days are done. I would love to see the coin that has been in your collection longest, and learn why you have kept it so long!
Nice gold, love the reverse & I don't blame you for not wanting to part with "your first". This is my oldest coin I have owned as well as my first coin that got me into ancients, which was purchased here from a former cointalk poster. I would part with my Portrait Julis Caesar coin before I would this. Septimius Severus (193 - 211 A.D) AR Denarius O: SEVERVS AVG PART MAX, Laureate head right. R:RESTITVTOR VRBIS (Restoration of the City), Severus in military attire, spear in left, sacrificing over a tripod altar with right. Rome mint, 201 A.D. 3.3g 18mm RIC 167a, RSC 599, BMCRE 202
While nothing extravagant, this is my first and the longest ancient coin in my collection when I got this from a local 'Sunday community market' in 2013 when I was around 12/13 years old! This coin would also make me get interested in coins in general, especially medieval to pre-independent Indian coins, Australian pre-decimal coins, and American coins a couple of years ago when I started to get funds. This rabbit hole also made me look into silver stacking and recently, ancient coins. Raja Raja Chola stater 985-1014 AD. I'm just waiting to complete a set of copper, silver, and gold issue of the Cholas.
Thanks so much for sharing! Dazzling obverseAnd a wonderful reverse ta boot! This ATG fouree was given to me by my dad
Cicero12, Your Hadrian aureus is a stunning coin with an impressive pedigree ! The rich toning adds to the eye appeal . The coin pictured below has remained in my collection the longest. I bought the coin in 1966 (54 years ago) when I was 18 years old . I posted this coin about a year ago here on CT in a thread "Old Lesson from the School of Hard Knox". The coin turned out to be a forgery made by the master forger Peter Rosa, who was working in N.Y.C. Rosa was selling this fake for $3.00 & I paid $25.00 for my coin from a nefarious dealer in Rochester, NY .
I’m glad it didn’t turn you off of the hobby. It would have been a real loss! At least it was an early lesson that led to 50 years of great coins!
It's easy to see why you fell in love with that coin! Hadrian's portrait is magnificent. Not counting a bunch of "uncleaned" dregs (my first foray into ancients) and some prutot which were ostensibly bought for a religious friend (and never given ), this Corinth stater is my longest owned coin. That's not saying much... I started collecting ancients in 2013. When splurging on this coin-- and I have since blown its cost out of the water many times over-- I told myself that every collector should have one nice ancient coin. I had no intention of buying more. Coins are what you get in change for paper money and if a piece of change turns out to be valuable, lucky you. Oh the little lies we tell ourselves . CORINTHIA, Corinth 345-307 BCE AR stater, 8.65 gm Obv Pegasus flying left, qoppa below Rev: helmeted head of Athena left wearing necklace; mask of Silenus behind Ref: Ravel 1046. Calciati 408. Scarce variety. from Heritage Auctions, June 2013
I never let an opportunity pass to show my avatar coin! It was my first ancient, purchased some time around 1987 or 88 (before I started saving receipts and recording where I obtained everything). Tiberius, AD 14-37. Roman AR Denarius, 3.87 g, 18.5 mm, 5 h. Lugdunum, AD 16-37. Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVSTVS, laureate head, right. Rev: PONTIF MAXIM, Female figure seated right, holding long olive branch and inverted spear; legs of chair ornate, triple line below. Refs: RIC 28; BMCRE 42-44; RSC 16b; RCV 1763 var. Notes: The identity of the female figure on the reverse is uncertain.
That really is an amazing aureus! I understand you will never be able to part with that. I mean, who could!? I've shown my first coin in another thread, which obviously is also the oldest in my collection. But this one is my first purchase, and like your aureus, I will never be able to part with it. I like everything about this coin, but I really cherish the memory that comes a long with it.
When I went off to college in the fall of 1964 I needed a photo of a group of coins to illustrate a paper I was writing for a class in ancient history. I did not take pictures or own a camera. A senior on my hall was the chief photographer for the yearbook and took the picture for me. It included three coins I still own. I had bought no coins that year with most of my coins then coming from the time I was taking Latin in high school so I estimate 1963. This photographer pointed out that there were no underclassmen taking photos for the (small) college and suggested I buy a camera and replace him when he graduated. That is how I got stated in photography but I did not start taking coin photos again for several years and did not have the equipment to do close ups until after I was graduated. Of the three coins, I really do not recall which I got first but this Septimius Severus 'Emesa' denarius with COS I obverse may be it. In those days most of my coins came from a $2 pick out dish at a coin store I frequented but I did not keep records back then. This coin BTW shows cross supports under the chair which I have not seen on another coin of this type (FORTVN REDVC) since. Is it unique? IDK. Due to poverty induced by being in the Army, having a new daughter and stay at home wife/mother, I sold all my coins to Joel Malter in 1974 except the three that then struck me as special. I have never and probably will never own an aureus. The fact is I would rather have $10,000 worth of denarii (about 50?) than one aureus and I have never seen the aureus I want (SS 'Emesa' mint) estimated for less than that.
What a beautiful Hadrian! My first ancient? Oh, this is embarrassing, but here goes: Maurice Tiberius, Decanummium. Carthage 582-602. Sear 563; H. 122; DO 245.1; BM 238. A beautiful Hadrian. I see why you have kept it! My first ancient? OK, although I am embarrassed. Maurice Tiberius. Decanummium, Carthage, 582-602. Sear 563; DO 245; H. 122. Cost in June 1960 was $0.25. Perhaps worth twice that today, with inflation...Although the second coin is not the same, it's Sear 564, in essentials, it shows what the first one once resembled. Why I kept the first? Well, because it was the first.
That Hadrian aureus is a beautiful example, @Cicero12 , and a really great place to start the this era of your collection, and poetic that you managed to track down a fitting pedigree as well! My collecting journey started as a child with US coins, then briefly a range of world and ancients (lower-end mixed lots and an attempt at a "one per century" collection). Then after a few fortunate career moves, I was able to dive more deeply into US coins, focusing on early gold and colonials. Then, I bought my avatar coin and all bets were off. I stopped buying US coins and eventually sold the bulk of them: I was bit hard by the ancient bug. So, while it isn't the coin I've owned the longest, it is the longest member of what I consider to be my "primary" collection today: Antoninus Pius 138-161 AD. Aureus, 7.30g (6h). Rome, 140-4 AD. Obv: ANTONINVS - AVG PIVS P P Bust laureate, draped right, seen from side. Rx: TR - POT - COS III Emperor as Romulus advancing right in military dress, holding spear with points at both ends and trophy over shoulder. BM 238. C. 909; RIC 37, 906 var., Strack 71. Biaggi 761 (this coin). Calicó 1650 (this coin).
Sadly I have had this Slavey fake of a Lysimachos drachm since 1992. It has even toned since then. It's a good reminder how difficult a collector's life was before the www.
I don't have photos, but there are two of them. A Fine 1908-S Indian Cent and a 1912 quarter eagle were given to me by my mother in about 1960. The cent was one she had collected as a girl, and the quarter eagle was in her grandpa's (my great-grandpa's) pocket when he died. I'm sure I'll never get rid of either of them.