Kazuma78 Top 10 Coins for 2020

As this year starts coming to a close, I thought I would do my first ever top 10 list of my purchases this year, as I don’t think it is likely I will make any purchases in December, unless by some chance I round up enough cash to competitively bid on 1 more item. I tried to focus more on quality as opposed to quantity and I believe I only bought a couple more coins than the ones on this list. Towards the end of 2019 I started gravitating more heavily towards ancient coins, as I had acquired some earlier in the year and really felt drawn to them. My first purchase in 2020 was an ancient coin and I continued on that trend the rest of the year. I forsee myself really only collecting ancients moving forward, with the occasional purchase here or there in world/U.S. when I run across a type I have wanted since I began collecting or for an eclectic sub collection of mine. I definitely prefer to freestyle that way.

These top 10 are listed in order of when I purchased them during the year (I may have a couple out of order). I’ll do a poll too so I can see what others think are the best ones I’ve rounded up this year for just for my own interests sake.



#1) CALABRIA, Tarentum. Circa 344-340 BC. AR Nomos (20mm, 7.64 g, 1h). Warrior, nude, holding shield and spear, dismounting from horse rearing left; |- below / Phalanthos, nude, holding helmet, riding dolphin left; below, I above waves. Fischer-Bossert Group 47, 653l (V252/R505 – this coin); Vlasto 440 (same obv. die); HN Italy 876. Deep old iridescent tone, overstruck on uncertain type. EF.




#2) Lucania, Metapontion AR Half Shekel. Punic occupation, circa 215-207 BC. Head of Athena to right wearing crested Corinthian helmet / Ear of barley with leaf to right; owl in flight above leaf, META to left. Robinson, Punic p. 50, 3; SNG ANS 549-50; Jameson 329; HN Italy 1634. 3.52g, 17mm, 7h. Mint State; beautiful iridescent cabinet tone.




#3) Kingdom of Thrace, Lysimachus, 323-281 Tetradrachm, Lampsacus circa 297-281, AR 33 mm, 17.04 g. Diademed head of deified Alexander r., with the horn of Ammon. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ – ΛYΣIMAXOY Athena enthroned l., holding Nike and spear in r. hand and resting l. elbow on shield decorated with medusa; in outer l. field, herm and in inner l. field, monogram. Thompson 50. SNG France 2553. A superb portrait of fine style struck in high relief. Light tone and about extremely fine.




#4) ATTICA, Athens. Circa 454-404 BC. AR Tetradrachm, 17.20 grams, Helmeted head of Athena right, with frontal eye / Owl standing right, head facing, closed tail feathers; olive sprig and crescent to left; all within incuse square. Kroll 8; HGC 4, 1597. Lustrous, well centered and struck on a full flan, almost full crest.




#5) KINGS OF LYDIA. Kroisos, circa 560-546 BC. 1/3 Stater (Silver, 15x11 mm, 3.60 g), Sardes, 560-550. Confronted foreparts of a lion, on the left, and a bull, on the right. Rev. Two incuse squares of unequal size. BMFA 2071. Rose 666. SNG Keckman 359. Very well-struck, attractive and lightly toned. Minted on an irregular flan, otherwise, extremely fine.




#6) PERSIA, Achaemenid Empire, temp. Darios I to Xerxes I. Circa 505-480 BC. AR Siglos. Lydo-milesian standard. Sardes Mint. Persian king kneeling right, drawing bow, quiver at shoulder / Incuse punch. Carradice Type II (pl. 11/12); Sunrise 21; BMC Arabia pl. XXVII, 23. Toned Very Fine.




#7) Tetradrachm circa 474-470, AR 17.40 g. Slow quadriga driven r. by charioteer holding kentron and reins; above, Nike flying r. to crown the horses. Rev. ΣV – RA – KOΣ – ION (partially retrograde) Head of the nymph Arethusa r., wearing pearl diadem, single pendant earring and pearl necklace; around, four dolphins swimming clockwise. de Nanteuil 322 (these dies). Randazzo 487 (these dies). Boehringer 320. Wonderful iridescent tone and about extremely fine.




#8) Mysia, Pergamon AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. Circa 166-67 BC. Serpent emerging from cista mystica; the whole within wreath / Two serpents entwined around bow and bowcase; monogram and KT above, civic monogram to left, serpent-entwined thyrsos to right right. Kleiner, Hoard 38; SNG Copenhagen 435; SNG France 1741. 12.44g, 27mm, 12h. Near Mint State.




#9) KINGS OF PAEONIA. Patraos, Circa 335-315 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 24 mm, 12.82 g, 4 h). Laureate head of Apollo to right. Rev. Π-[Ο]-ΡΤΑΥ Paeonian horseman, wearing crested helmet and full armor, galloping to right and spearing fallen Macedonian soldier. Paeonian Hoard I, 461. Paeonian Hoard II, 194. SNG ANS 1040 (same obverse die). Boldly struck, toned and attractive. Extremely fine.




#10) I didn’t quite have 10 ancient coins for this year, so this is the next oldest thing I bought.

SPAIN, 1727 F Philip V (KM-297, Calico 961): Segovia (Ag) 2 Reales. Fully struck and sharp details all around; silver-white colour, shimmering lustrous surfaces.
NGC MS 66

 

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#11 BONUS! This is only 1 of 2 United States coins I bought this year for my collection. I never thought I would buy a mint state Fugio Cent so I wanted an excuse to post this one again. I loved the look of this piece and the price didn’t go absolutely insane because of the clip, which doesn’t interfere with the design so it didn’t bother me at all. Additionally, it is a testament to how poorly and with very little quality control these were made when the private minter defrauded a very early U.S. government.

1787 1C Fugio Cent, UNITED STATES, 4 Cinquefoils -- Straight Clip -- MS64 Brown NGC. N. 8-B, W-6740, R.3. A 5% straight planchet clip is the most distinguishing feature of this Choice Uncirculated Newman 8-B Fugio cent. Traces of mint red and blue add eye appeal to the glossy, mostly smooth surfaces. As usual for he variety, prominent die clashing is seen on the reverse. Sharply struck, with only a touch of the often-seen weakness at the upper reverse rings. A scarce early copper error, possibly set aside and preserved for that reason.

 

Those are all amazing coins! I love all of them.
For ancients, I would say that #3 is my favorite. So much going on with that coin and such a beautiful strike.
For moderns, I love the Fugio! So much American history in that coin. I would love to own one some day but if I do, I know it won't be nearly as nice as yours. The clip and the clashing make it that much more interesting!

Thank you for sharing!

 

Excellent coins, @kazuma78 . Super.

 

Beautiful coins!
My favorites are #1 and 9.

 

All beautiful coins, a credit to you, hard to pick a favorite but I really love your Tarentum Nomos.

 

Does the Fugio clip make it low weight or was this a correction of an overweight flan? I prefer 7,5 and 6 but would then like the Fugio even though I don't collect modern coins.

 

Stunningly beautiful coins! Museum quality, really. My favorite is the Arethusa tetradrachm, followed by the Lysimachus.

 

I am about 95% sure this would be an underweight coin. The fugio series is plagued with planchet issues.

 

Your asking to pick 1? No way.....like a kid in a candy store pick 1 All are superb....I cant pick 1 all or nada.

 

You can pick up to 3

 

No like a spoiled kid I want them all lol honestly all catch my eye , nice collection

 

Too hard to pick just two. All are great coins!

 

2 is definitely my favourite, with 3 and 7 being close runners-up. You have a really amazing selection, and I hope there's many more to come in 2021!

 

Me too! There are several major types on my list I didnt get to check off this year, so hopefully 2021 brings at least a few of those.

 

Fantastic coins/ exceptional quality/ and from many time periods/ WOW! I like them all, including the more "modern" ones. That Philip V is outstanding. I would say you had a great 2020 for sure
John

 

Great coins, @kazuma78, I am curious to know which one you find most attractive! Here are my three favorites, hard to pick an order and hard not to put Syracuse on top:
View attachment 1208354
#7) Syracuse Tetradrachm circa 474-470, AR
View attachment 1208361
#9) KINGS OF PAEONIA. Patraos, Circa 335-315 BC. Tetradrachm
View attachment 1208350
#2) Lucania, Metapontion AR Half Shekel. Punic occupation, circa 215-207 BC.

 

My favorites are your #7 and #2 for their great eye appeal. They're both coins that jump out of the tray/off the screen and will make perfect cornerstones for your collection.

 

#3 for me... but wow. What an amazing grouping. Congratulations!
I am not even sure of my selection.

 

Thanks AJ! I was thrilled to win the Syracuse. I'm hoping to check off a couple more types of similar quality in 2021 and am hoping for at least 2 of them to be gold/electrum.