A 10+ year wait for a specific coin

I'm becoming increasingly patient and particular when it comes to my collection, resulting in a slow pace in acquiring new pieces. However, this was the longest wait I've had for a specific coin.

I first saw this exact coin in 2011 when an early preview of the Prospero collection was being prepared. When the sale came around, it was the highest bid I'd ever placed at that point, although I wasn't the underbidder. The Sheikh bought almost the entire sale and I assumed it would never reach the market again.

A few years later, I made a new friend who also collected Greek coins and we were chatting about coins. I brought up a picture of that coin and he said "that is MY coin". I was very jealous but glad that it was "in the family" and not in fact permanently off the market.

Fast forward to March 2020. I was lotviewing at NAC's offices in London and much to my surprise, I saw the coin as part of the Sheikh's collection! Worried that it was stolen or somehow lost, I texted my friend who clarified that it was a language barrier issue: he WANTED the coin and bid on it but didn't own it.

He thankfully isn't buying as much now so I was set to make an aggressive bid.

On the day, I received word that at least two big dealers had bids on it, including the dealer who underbid it in the Prospero sale.

I was mentally prepared to stretch my bid even more and go "all in" on it. It opened, a few other bids occurred, and then I bid and won... at well under half my max, and less than half of what it sold in Prospero! The underbidder was the same dealer as in the 2012 sale but he must have just not been as aggressive this time.

This highlights an interesting situation where the end price realized is highly dependent upon one or two people and that across a number of years, it's very difficult to extrapolate prices or if the underbidder will still be as interested when it comes time to sell.



And, stealing NAC's description:

"By the first half of the third century BC, Gortyna had become the second most powerful city on Crete next to neighbouring Knossos and had conquered the city of Phaistos for the use of its harbour. The types of the present coin, struck during the period of Gortynian ascendancy, recount the local version of the myth of Europa, which provided a degree of legitimacy for Gortynian claims of supremacy in Crete, even with respect to Knossos. The reverse type features a bull, the animal form taken by Zeus to abduct Europa from Phoenician Tyre. Carrying her on his back, the bull crossed the sea to Crete where he revealed himself to Europa as the king of the gods and his desire for her. The reverse type symbolically represents this moment of revelation with Europa seated before an eagle-the bird of Zeus. The two are represented in the boughs of a plane tree as it was claimed that Europa and Zeus consummated their relationship beneath just such a tree. Indeed, to this day this famous tree is still exhibited to tourists visiting the site of ancient Gortyna. The union of Zeus and Europa resulted in the birth of three children, Minos, Sarpedon, and Phestos, the mythical kings of Knossos, Malia, and Phaistos, respectively. Thus, in mythical terms, through the conception of these kings in her environs, Gortyna could lord it over Knossos, Malia, and Phaistos as their mother city.

Unfortunately, while the myth of Europa gave Gortyna certain bragging rights in Crete, only a few decades after this coin was struck, the city was plunged into the disastrous Lyttian War (220-216 BC). This conflict, which developed over Knossian attempts to dominate the city of Lyttos, led to a bloody civil war in Gortyna between the older citizens, who favoured alliance with Knossos against Lyttos and the younger citizens who preferred to throw in with the Lyttians against their aggressor. The final result of the conflict is uncertain, but it left a lasting hostility between Gortyna and Knossos. The use of types related to Europa at Gortyna during and after the Lyttian War may perhaps reflect a continued desire by the city to claim a mythological superiority over its rival."

Crete, Gortyna.
Half stater circa 280-260, AR 6.80 g. Europa, naked to waist and wearing a peplos over her lower limbs, seated three-quarters r. in plane tree, her head facing, holding out her veil with her l. hand and resting her r. on the tree; on her l., an eagle perched. l. on branch, its head turned back towards her. Rev. ΓOPTY – N[...] Bull standing l., looking backwards. BMC 40, pl. XI, cf. 4. Svoronos 106. Le Rider, pl. XLII, 12. Extremely rare and in exceptional condition for the issue, undoubtedly among the finest specimens known. Struck on exceptionally fresh metal and with a lovely light iridescent tone.

Post the coins for which you've waited the longest!

 

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...beautiful!...congrats AncientJoe! quite a good feeling to do such isn't it?!..

 

So beautiful! By far the best example I've ever seen.

 

Stunning and surreal are the two "S" words that came to mind when I saw your coin (and holy $#!+ that thing is beautiful).
Huge coingrats!!!
One that I had to wait three to four years for was also from Crete and was at least partially purchased due to a wonderful upgrade you had shared a few years back: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/an-upgraded-labyrinth.310088/
Though, yours is a silver masterpiece and mine a bronze beater I am very proud to have a Knossos labyrinth:

CRETE, KNOSSOS.
AE (2.54 g), approx. 200-67 BC BC: head of the bearded Zeus to the right. Back: Labyrinth between ΚΝΩΣΙ / ΩΝ. Svoronos, Crete 116.2.00, Lindgren. Nice. Ex BAC Numismatics 2/9/2021

 

Good job. The feeling must be wonderful.
When it comes to ancients, my area of interest is quite big so I cannot name a coin that I really want. The ones in my want list are common so no worries.

But when I started collecting modern coins I told one of the sellers from the numismatic show that I want to get all the coins from my country. He laughed. 7-8 years later I showed him my album. He didn't laugh. Some of the coins required years to be found and were expensive but it was a good feeling to get the job done.

 

A beautiful coin, pure art. Congrats.

 

Beautiful coin @AncientJoe ! One of the best I’ve seen! I also managed to snag one these fascinating coins (the stater version) earlier this year.

I wrote a bit about the research I did here.
Greek Stater of Gortyna: Europa and Bull



Crete, Gortyna
AR stater, struck ca. 330-270 BC
Dia.: 27.5 mm
Wt.: 11.58 g
Obv.: Europa seated right in lefeless plane-tree, holding branches of tree with both hands
Rev.: Bull standing right, head turned back, scratching muzzle with hoof.
Ex Karl Kress (before 1969)

 

Gorgeous coin and congratulations. Beautiful reward for the long wait.

 

Congrats - and your perseverance definitely paid off!

 

Congrats - and your perseverance definitely paid off!

 

A wonderful and beautiful coin, Joe.
Congrats on your win.

 

@AncientJoe congrats on another masterpiece in your collection!
I’ve been looking for this coin more and less since I focused on RRs, it is really hard to find in a decent condition. And it’s a coin full of mistery, as so far no one has been able to find a meaning both for the iconography and for the reason of this issue.
Crawford 39/1, 225-217 BC, semilibral triens, anomalous series, 37 mm., 45,1 grms.
Obv: diademed female head, four pellets behind.
Rev: Hercules fighting centaur, holding his hair and punching him with a club; four pellets, in exergue ROMA

 

This is a common coin, I waited for a few years until the right coin spoke to me and to my wallet. Tetradrachm, Susa mint. My first attempt at photographing it, it certainly deserves better.

 

What a great coin, Joe. Congratulations!

I don’t have any Cretan coins to contribute with, but here’s an ancient bulls head and a mosaique from Knossos. (Sorry for poor picture quality)



I started seriously collecting ancient coins in 2004/05. A good looking drachma from Thessaly was among those on top of the wish list. It took me 10 years to get one though:

 

For me it would have to be this one. I started collecting Greek coins in 1987. From the very beginning I had decided that I wanted one of these.
Ephesos Ar Tetradrachm 350-340 BC Obv Bee. Rv Forepart of deer right head reverted facing palm tree to left Pixodarus Class G Obv 119 15.26 grams 22 mm Photo by W. Hansen

Long story short I never found one that I liked. Despite being minted from circa 405 BC to 325 BC, I could never find one that I thought that would be suitable. There was always some problem. This coinage is known for weak strikes, awful centering, and tight flans. So in 2021 I decided that this year I was going to get one. Earlier this year two showed up. Both had issues that would have had me dismiss them as unsuitable before. This one had a tight flan and the bee has a weakly struck abdomen. However I am glad that my search, one that lasted 34 years is finally over. I still have many wants still and have acquired many coins recently that I have wanted for a long time but this has to be the longest itch that has finally been scratched.

 

Some lovely coins - definitely worth waiting for...



I first noticed those Gortyna coins only in the last year or so - really wonderful, like a modern art medal. Someday

ATB,
Aidan.

 

Wonderful acquisition Joe! As always, top notch. I'm glad you were able to acquire a coin you've been wanting for such a long time and for far less than you expected. Well done!

The only numismatic item(s) I can think of that I knew about for a very long time and hoped to acquire one day are a couple of serial #1 notes my great grandfather signed when he worked at the bank in the early 1900s. One was in a trust and the other was owned by a great aunt. I didn't think I'd be able to acquire either because of different reasons for each of them but I've been blessed to be able to buy both within the last 3 years. I've known about both of them for about 15-18 years. The serial #1 Brown Back is extremely rare and probably condition census for a serial #1 of the type from any bank in the U.S. that I know of. I think there are only 30-some serial #1's known of that type for all banks that issued nationals in any grade.

I know I've shown these before but I'm thrilled to have them and proud of them.

 

That coin was on my list. It really is exceptional, I'm glad you won it. I was considering doing a super stretch up to 2x estimate for it but now I'm glad I didn't. It sounds like I wouldn't have had a chance and it would have just cost you an extra few thousand $. After 10 years, you earned it.

 

Excellent coin AJ That coin was well worth the wait, and will have a nice new home in your marvelous collection. I always wanted a FDC 4Dukaten from Ferdinand V. After 8 years of trying to land one from Austrian/ German Auctions, I finally got a perfect prooflike ex. from Spink/ USA auction.

 

@AncientJoe was waiting for a specific coin, not just a coin type. I haven't had occasion to do that. It would have to be a pretty special coin to not be replaceable by another of its type. The coin in his original post is special and one of the few. Wonderful coin, Joe!

 

Congrats, AJ! Its die state is truly remarkable, and the coin on the whole is an absolute beauty. Sometimes, good things come back to those who wait.

I had a similar experience with my own Gortyna stater, though I didn't have to wait quite as long as you did. It first came up for sale in CNG 100 in 2015 and I was disconsolate when I ended up the underbidder. I was never able to find another piece that appealed to me as much, so it was a pleasant surprise when it was offered again in 2020. I had to go higher than my previous bid for it, but I was determined not to let it get away again.


CRETE, Gortyna
AR Stater. 11.68g, 27mm x 24.5mm. CRETE, Gortyna, circa 330-270 BC. BMC Crete pg. 38, 9, pl. IX. 8 (same rev die); SNG Cop 442; Svoronos 59. O: Europa, wearing chiton with short sleeves and peplos over lower limbs, seated right in platanus tree; right hand on tree, heading resting pensively on left arm which is bent and supported by her knee. R: Bull standing right, head reverted, right hind leg lifted.