Numismatic resolutions for 2022

Hello everyone! This year has been a huge success for me. While it wasn't until well into it that I began my "Philip II, Alexander III, and the Era of the Diadochi" collection, I'm very happy with my start.

Initially I calculated that after "exhausting research" the collection should be no more than 18 coins. As of now, I've identified 109 coins, not including 21 city coins that I've pushed to a "phase 2." Of those, I either have or have on the way 91.

While I still may add one or two to this year's haul, it's now time to look forward to 2022. I've always been a stickler for making my resolutions public in order to encourage me to actually follow through on them. Here's my numismatic goals for the new year.

(obligatory coin - recently added)

Phoenicia, Arados AR Stater​

King Gerashtart (Gerostratos)
Dated RY 6(?) = 335/334 BCE 10.35g, 18mm, 10h.
Laureate head of Ba'al-Arwad to right / Galley to right with [Pataikos on prow], above waves; MA G and date (all in Phoenician) above.
Betlyon 29, note 106; DCA 753; HGC 10, 36
Ex collection of Z.P., Austria
Ex Roma​

Acquisitions
I anticipate buying far fewer coins next year than last. I took advantage of my wife's good will this year, so I'm definitely not going to push it. Luckily, most of the coins remaining on my list are difficult to come by, so I expect most auctions to be uninteresting.

So, other than a couple of coins, I really just hope that at the end of next year I have fewer than 18 coins remaining. Just from the first 50 pages of Diodorus Siculus I added six coins.

Reading
I read quite a few numismatic books last year, including the daunting History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. The following are books I plan to finish next year.

Monumental Coins by Marvin Tameanko
The Library (Books 16-20) by Diodorus Siculus
The Landmark Arrian by Arrian
The History of Alexander by Quintus Curtius Rufus
Women and Monarchy in Macedonia by Elizabeth Donnelly Carney

I'll probably read more history/numismatic books, most likely Plutarch, but I'll start with these.

Coin Site
I've already purchased the domain name for a new coin site to cover my collection, including photos of my coins and write-ups on each one. My goal next year is to complete it.

New Novel
This year I published my second novel (Allen, King of Seattle for those curious), and my goal next year is to complete my third. I've already begun outlining it, and it should be my longest and most challenging project yet.

Like my current books, it will blend the real with fantasy, and this one will feature post-Alexander Macedonian history heavily along with a time travelling plot. It will combine massive battles, multiple love stories, loss, anguish, and rebirth in a plot reinforced with ancient numismatics and including (to whet the appetite) a cataclysmic showdown, with dinosaurs, between the united forces of Italy under Rome and the remains of Alexander's armies.

The working title for this novel is Adea.

Here's another recently acquired coin if you've read this far.

Sophytes, 'Athenian Series' AR Tetradrachm​

Uncertain mint, circa 323-240 BCE
16.48g, 21mm, 1h.
Attic standard. Head of Athena to right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette and grape bunch on the bowl / Owl standing to right, head facing; olive sprig and crescent behind, AΘE before; all within incuse square
Cf. Bopearachchi, Sophytes Series 1A; cf. Roma XIV, 341 corr. (grape bunch on rev.)
Ex 1960s Andragoras-Sophytes Group
Ex Roma​

Let's see your 2022 resolutions!

 

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Don't buy anything from the US Mint except the mint sets for the new grandchildren.

 

I had a great year, added 90 new coins to my collection. I even managed to get at least one coin from all 27 centuries of coinage.

For 2022/ I want to get fewer coins/ 35 or less/ but get some high quality aurei/ multiple Dukaten from the Holy Roman Empire

 

Nice coins.

My resolution is the same as in previous years. Buy what catches my eye and is affordable for me.

 

The love and support of a good woman is something none of us deserve. I'm glad you have that.
Excited to check out your coin site and read your stories.
I resolve to buy less snacks, continue to learn and not go bankrupt
A recent purchase in my small but growing Augustus collection:

MYSIA, SYRIA or CYPRUS (Bronze, 13.24, 27mm) Ephesus, Pergamum, Antioch or Paphos(?) Augustus. 27 (BC-AD 14) AE dupondius, struck ca. 25 BC
Obv: AVGVSTVS - name clockwise behind bare head of Augustus right, all within dotted border
Rev: large CA within rostral wreath (ships' beaks and laurel-branches) between dotted inner and outer borders; between wreath ties, a large pellet.
RPC 2234; BMC 721; Howgego 2b

 

To add 2 or 3 more pieces that will hold a place in my all-time top 10, and very little else.
To sell at least as many coins as I purchase.


Easy to say, tough to execute

 

I'm resolving to purchase coins that continue to fill needed niches in my collection. Since I'm close to getting a coin of each emperor (save for post 423 in the West /450 in the East) I've been expanding into the Byzantine empire for more fertile grounds. Some of the usurpers in the 3rd century suffice to say will never be available. But one of the targets is a tet or octodrachm of Domitius Domitianus, which I hope to acquire in 2022.

 

My numismatic resolutions are to continue adding coins to my core areas of collecting (Messapian mints in ancient Calabria, and coins from East Friesland) but like @Mat, to also to acquire any historical or somewhat scarce Roman or Greek coin that catches my eye.

I have a core Roman collection, primarily denarii and antoninianii, that I started when I was 12, and every once in a while I add an emperor or two to build that collection. This year, I added a Clodius Albinus, a couple of Postumus coins (after I found out the one I bought back in the 1980s was actually an Aureolus), and a couple of Trajan Decius "Dacia" antoninianii. On the Greek side, I finally caved and bought an Athenian Tetradrachm, as every coin is really is a fascinating piece of history. My imagination was also captured by the rumors that the recent large hoard still being dispersed was found near Konya, Turkey and may have been as a result of the "Ten Thousand" expedition.

 

Nice chunky rock from Arados, @kirispupis.

I recently started on a regimen where I buy fewer but 'higher quality' coins. So far, I nailed the second part.

Seriously though, there is something really satisfying about a coin that is not only a window on the past, but that also is esthetically and artistically pleasing. As an added bonus it makes me less obsessed about chasing the next coin. I think I will further pursue that path in '22.

Other than that next year's collecting goal is One Single Coin. Sadly, the same as this year's: a pleasing example of a Seleukos I Babylonian double shekel. So far, it has eluded me, and I sometimes begin to fear this coin may turn out to be the nemesis of my collection.

As for reading: I'm waiting on a shipment that hopefully contains these books:
-'The Athenian Empire' by Lisa Kallet and John H. Kroll.
-'The Uses of Symbolism in Greek Art' by Janet M. MacDonald.
-'An Introductory Guide to Ancient Greek and Roman Coins, Vol I' by David Sear.

If they arrive before the 24th, (and I believe they do), then the holidays should be smooth sailing for me.

 

My goals for 2022:

To continue to buy whatever I feel is interesting. However, what I find interesting at the moment seems to fall into certain subcollections/themes:

-- Continue to acquire coins of Faustina I and II that are not yet represented in my collection (I still have a fair number of bronze coins to acquire).

-- I've become more interested in Roman Republican coins. I want to expand my burgeoning collection of anonymous bronze denominations and acquire more Republican denarii.

-- Pick up the Gallienus zoo coins that are still missing in my collection. This was last year's goal and I'm afraid I picked up only a couple of boring DIANA CONS AVG varieties.

-- Continue to seek out provincial coins with interesting reverse types, particularly if they illustrate Greco-Roman mythology, animals, or athletic competitions.

-- Acquire some imperial issues of Nero, Balbinus, Pupienus or Pescennius Niger if they have good eye appeal and are reasonably priced. Not looking for choice EF; F-VF will do if they have nice surfaces and legible inscriptions. This was last year's goal, too, but I got distracted ...

 

I just want to continue collecting the portrait series of Roman and British rulers, and upgrading where i can. I don't anticipate buying large quantities of new coins, as the remaining rulers command hefty pricetags. I believe in a small collection with the highest quality coins within my reach.

As a side project, I want to purchase a large lot of coins outside my collecting interest (maybe Roman Republican, Greek, Sasanian or Byzantine) if available, start a new collection series (one per imperator/ city / ruler) and learn more about these.

 

I think my goal will be to pick up one or two German Bracteates, and to revisit my Bohemian sub-collection (only added 1 this year!). I would like to buy more lots for the fun of attributing.

For ancient coins, at least one sharp-portrait denarius of Caracalla issued in a year I don’t yet have, and to try to pick up some Greek coins (I’ve had my eye on a Boeotian stater, but those are a bit pricey…)

I started the process of transferring my British, US, and World coins to new binders/organization system. I would like to finish that and at least start on moving the Ancients and Medievals to the same system.

For reading, I finally started Svensson’s “Renovatio Monetae” so I would like to finish that in January. I also have a nice big book on the History of Ancient Greece I would like to finish before finally traveling to Greece this summer! After that, we’ll see how I feel

 

I plan to start one or two coin collection series. The first is with mythical animals. Since I picked up a goat and snake biga RR denarii earlier this year, I plan to expand and include more similar coins. I would at least upgrade my poor-quality lion biga denarius.

The second series I am thinking about is Roman Alexandrian coins. These coins seem to have a lot of cool designs. Need to do more research and then pickup a few.

 

My target collection will contain around 125 coins, and span from Caesar through Theodosius I. I only started building the collection in earnest over the last year, and have managed to knock out around 60% of the holes. Of course, I started with the less expensive "Low hanging fruit", and the remainder of my holes will be a bit more painful to fill from an economic perspective.

That being the case, my plan is to be more cognizant of budget, spend more time between purchases saving up disposable income, and purchase fewer coins overall. I'll be spending quite a bit of my spare time working on informational, guide type resources for people that might like to look at my coins. This keeps me just about as happy and mentally occupied as acquiring the coins themselves

 

That is exactly my sentiment/ I would rather have 1000 highest quality coins/ then 100K mediocre ones.

 

I want to dramatically lower the amount of purchases and dramatically increase the quality. My biggest spend on a single coin thus far has been £100. I hope to increase that limit to around £200 and maybe buy one coin every three months or so.

My wish list includes:
A Hadrian Travel Series Denarius
A Constantius II silver siliqua
A Tetrarchs sacrificing argentus (although these are getting very expensive)
A Decian DIVUS commemorative Antoninianus
Constantine with bust of Mars/Sol

 

I want to not buy any more newer gold eagles.I can't take these crazy price swings anymore. My new goal is to buy some more of the older u.s. gold beauties.

 

This is a fun thread. Here are my numismatic new year resolutions for 2022.
1. Spend less money on coins.
2. Spend less money on coins.
3. Spend less money on coins.
4. Spend less money on coin books.
5. Spend less time on coins.
6. Save my money, for a few coins, that I would like to have, which I still don't have, which I call "My List". My List consists of approximately 6 ancient coins.
7. Other than My List, only buy a coin, if it knocks my socks off.
8. Finish taking group photos of my ancient coins.
9. Take some photos of individual ancient coins.
10. I have a maximum limit, that I will spend, on a single coin. Unless my income increases dramatically, continue my policy, never to spend more than my maximum limit, on a single coin.
Fortunately, I think all of the above resolutions will be easy, because I've sort of got all of the coins, that I really want. Except for a few coins (My List), which are difficult to find, which meet certain standards that I have, which are within my budget. And a few coins, that I'll probably never be able to acquire, because the costs of such coins would exceed my maximum limit for a single coin.
In the last month, I spent way less money on coins, than I had spent during the previous 10 months. I haven't seen many coins, that I've been tempted to buy. And when I was tempted, usually I was able to resist the temptation. Hopefully, I won't discover an entire new area of interest, for which I'm tempted to buy a lot of coins.

 

I am on the opposite spectrum....

Spend more time thinking about coins
Spend more on coin books
Spend more money on coins
Spend more time on searching sixbid auction sites
Spend more time searching MA-shops dealers inventories
Concentrate on highest quality coins that I can afford
Why? Can you think of anything better to spend time/ money on?

 

As my income increases I actually spend less on coins. I plan on not buying coins that I don’t intend on keeping for 5+ years