Hello ladies and gentlemen. Finally managed to acquire one of the coins I wanted from the first day I decided to collect ancient coins. My collecting areas are still quite wide; I don't hunt major rarities, gold coins and even if I like nicely preserved coins (don't we all), I'm happy with coins in decent conservation. But there was one coin I looked for. Without success. I don't think I have ever seen it in the auctions I participated in. It's not a rarity - but I really wanted a coin with Trajan's column. And this weekend it appeared. You probably know this majestic monument. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan's_Column One of the places I really need to visit. The level of detail and the way the Dacian wars are depicted are simply overwhelming. Normally I wanted to pause my acquisitions, and I probably will, but seeing a Column denarius available made me quickly change my mind. These denarii come in some different versions, the only difference being the legends (as far as I know). RIC 292/293 IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI RIC 307 IMP TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P S P Q R RIC 356 IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P S P Q R But the designs are similar. I lost the RIC 356 coin I was after. Somebody else wanted it more than I did. There was a bidding war and I lost it, but I wasn't very unhappy, as the price was already way over what I would have been comfortable with. But I couldn't say I was happy, that was the coin I joined the auction for. My plan was to get that one (I already bought some snacks before) and end the auction. Fail. Quickly browsed the remaining lots. And I was extremely surprised to see another Column denarius, RIC 292. The coin was in a lower grade, not very appealing, but not much worse than the one I lost. Surface issues, the Column is worn, losing the details (diagonal lines and dots)...but another Column coin, the 2nd I ever see available, and in the same auction! I was pessimistic as I witnessed the price for the one I lost - and that one was just slightly better. Got this one for 26 EUR, 1/6 of the price for the other one - a positive shock. I don't think I was ever happier for buying a coin. Please post - Trajan's column coins - coins that were on your wish list for a long time and you finally managed to get - anything relevant
Lovely Trajan with major historical implications! Great portrait too Here's a couple of my best Trajan portraits:
Congratulations, @ambr0zie - that is a lovely example. Mine's not so lovely - somebody took a bite out of it. But it is a die match, apparently, to a British Museum specimen, so that's a good thing. Trajan Denarius (114-117 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DA[C PM TRP] laureate and draped bust right. / [COS VI P]P S[•P]•Q•R Trajan's column with statue of Trajan holding scepter & globe, eagles at base. RIC 307; BMC 523 (2.00 grams / 18 mm) eBay Dec. 2020 Note: This seems to be a die match for British Museum (R.11738) https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-11738
Congrats mate! Nothing like the feeling of finally getting your hands on a coin you’ve wanted for a long time. Especially if you have to save up for it. This is the first coin I wanted for a long time. In fact it was the first coin that got me interested in collecting ancients. It particularly appealed to me as someone who loves all things Ancient Athenian. ^_^ But it did take me a long while to save up for it since I wanted a really nice example even though I could’ve gotten an XF one for half the price. I know I’ve shared it before but I figure sharing it again won’t hurt and it is relevant to your question about coins on the wishlist . Congrats again!
Congratulations @ambr0zie , your coin is a great historical type ! Trajan Denarius. RIC 293 IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, laureate bust right, draped far shoulder / SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Trajan's column with two eagles at base. Trajan denarius. RIC 307 IMP TRAIANO OPTIMIO AVG GER DAC P M TR P Laureate and draped bust right. / COS VI S P Q R Trajan's column: statue of Trajan on column on rounded base, two eagles at base. Trajan AE Sestertius. RIC 600 IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, Laureate bust right, drapery on left shoulder / SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, Trajan's column surmounted by statue of the emperor. Trajan AE Dupondius. 114 AD. RIC 603 var IMP CAESAR NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI P P, radiate, draped bust right / SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C, Trajan's column, eagles at base.
Great job, @ambr0zie ! That is a hard one to get, congrats! This was a tough one to find. ETRURIA Rasenna, Fufluna, (Etruria, Populonia) 1-As: (Similar to a Roman AR - nothing - only an As is Bronze in Roman Currency) Etruria Populonia AR 1 As 0.60g 10.0mm after 211 BCE Obv: Male Head Left Rev: Plain Rev Ref: Vecchi 3 68-70 HN Italy 181 Seller/Auction comment: RARE
If you are ancient coin collector as you are you cannot aspirer to a better coin than Trajan's column congrats.
Many years ago when I started collecting ancient coins I identified that one of the coins I would like to have in my collection was a coin of Trajan with the reverse featuring Trajan's Column. Quite a few years later I saw a denarius in a Berk B or B and thought that it was by far the nicest one I had ever seen. The price I thought was rather steep. I contacted them only to find that it was already gone. About five years later I find this coin. Trajan Ar Denarius 113-114 AD Obv. Bust right laureate and draped. Rv. Trajan's Column. RIC 293 Woytek 425v 3.37 grms 19 mm Photo by W. Hansen When I saw this coin I thought Wow this is the second nicest coin of this type that I have ever seen. So I bought it. Funny thing is once I purchased the coin I decided I needed to compare it to the other coin I had seen and it turned out to be the same coin. I have since become friends with the collector that bought the coin the first time around and he sold it to get a very rare bronze coin of Uranius Antoninus. I believe there have been nicer examples of this coin offered since however I still think this one is one of the best
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and coins! Some very nice examples of Column and non Column here. And I know the feeling when finally getting a coin you want! I like all my (237 ) coins but I think this was the 3rd time when I said to myself that I REALLY want this coin. It was disappointing to lose the first one I ever see available, even if I my final bid was higher than what I would have considered decent (for me) I wasn't even aware there was a "backup" - it was a good idea to check further the auction. My coin is slightly worse than the one I lost, but the difference is certainly not what I would have expected for 6x price. So I wasn't hoping to get this one at a low price. But that's the fun in auctions. Please keep posting coins you got after looking for them for a long time - and perhaps you got cheaper than expected.
Topics are posted here in rapid succession. I've seen your post before, quickly, but lost it, because it's already on page 2! In any case, great you can tick this one off your wishlist. And despite its flaws, I think your coin is lovely, you can still see some great details on the reverse. And that for a mere 26 euro, great score! This cointype is still one of my favorites too. I really enjoy it, and below I've posted my second type. I had another type before, which was one of my first coins of Trajan, but my current one is of better quality so I decided to go for this one and sell the other one. In any case, here it is:
@ambr0zie, that's a terrific example, especially according to your collecting criteria, which, from here, resonate loud and clear. ...Yes, the convergence of historical significance and accessibility, with the attendant, relaxed attitude toward condition. Everyone else's is great, too. An AR as from Anywhere, and an Athenian tet from the political, if not quite the intellectual golden age. Nope, along with a denier of Charlemagne, that one remains elusive, even in the present market. ...Um, Medieval alert ('whirr, whirr...'): here's one I never really expected to find. It was on Delcampe, unattributed as the driven snow (--as I might say at any opportunity), and I landed it for 20 Euros, in 2018. ...Before this, Hugh Capet was up there with Charlemagne on the 'unattainable' list. Hugues Capet, King of France 987-996. Denier of Beauvais, coissued with Herve, Bishop from 987-997. Obv. (from 11 o'clock, with legations): HERVEVS HVGO REX. Rev. Immobilized Carolingian ('KAROLVS') monogram; (from 2 o'clock: ) BELVACVS CIVITAS. (Duplessy, Royales No. 1.) As Duplessy notes, no coins in Hugh's name were issued within his own, decidedly circumscribed royal demesne. This issue demonstrates that, along with the attendant political dynamics. The obverse legend begins with the name of the bishop. The gradual expansion of Capetian royal power through the 13th century (with the exception of Philip II's liquidation of most of the 'Angevin Empire') could almost be seen in terms of the Roman Empire from around the mid-3rd century. --But in reverse: starting from a Very Bad Place, some of the kings were able to make remarkable headway, if you give them latitude for the hand they were dealt.
