With the recent purchase of my soldius, It's safe to say I won't be making any new purchases anytime soon, or at least any big purchases. Also I don't have any new target coins left in my bucket list (that fit my budget), so I thought of making a list of ancient coins that best represent my collection at this point in time, there are some Greek, mostly Roman (readily available), and some south Indian (scarcely available). They're in no particular order, other than their age.
Nice collection @JayAg47. Other than my MA Legionary collection and my Twelve Caesars collection, I do not have my coins displayed. I would love to, but not enough room to do so. They are in 3-ringed binders. It's a good way to store my collection, but not a good way to view them. Much like a museum, they stay packed away and I can only view one binder at a time.
Possibly my favorite coin in my entire Roman Republic collection. It’s not particularly scarce, but it’s the most eye appealing of my Republican denarii: L. Roscius Fabatus AR Serrate Denarius. Rome, 64 BC. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat-skin headdress; control mark behind, L•ROSCI below Female standing right facing serpent; control symbol 106 in left field, FABATI in exergue. Crawford 412/1; RSC Roscia 3. 3.90g, 18mm, 6h. Are you planning to add more Republican coins to your collection?
Wow - that is a beautiful display of a great collection. I see three or four that I would die for... and a bunch that my right arm may suffice! Amazing collection that you should be very proud of! I'll just add a few coins that I sorta outreached my bottom feeder identity to acquire.. but not comparable to yours in any way...
I'm not that into the Republican era, although the ones I want at good condition are really expensive (those voting scene coins, sewage coins, aqua duct issues).
Its hard to choose favorites but here are three of mine: Emperor Philipp I. - Tetradrachm - Antioch mint Emperor Gallienus - Antoninian - Lugdunum mint Obv.: GALLIENVS PF AVG Rev.: GERMANICVS MAX V Emperor Constans - Follis - Alexandria mint Obv.: DN CONSTANS PF AVG Rev.: FEL TEMP REPARATIO Defining why they are the favorites is sometimes hard but I would say in my case its a combination of the coins quality, the shown imagery, sympathy to the ruling emperor and the happiness I may have felt when buying the coin for a good price.
I just discovered coin holders for ringed binders from a brand called "Uncle Paul". They are extremely transparent, making them excellent for viewing in the holders and they fit any binder. I'm very happy with them.
If we are looking for favorites, here are a couple of mine (as of this moment in time): JULIUS CAESAR AR Denarius OBVERSE: Diademed head of Venus right. REVERSE: CAESAR - Aeneas advancing left, carrying Anchises and palladium Carthage or military mint with Caesar in North Africa, 47 to 46 BC 4.0g, 17mm CRI 55, Sydenham 1013, RRC 458/1, S 1402 THESSALY, KRANNON AE Dichalkon OBVERSE: Thessalian horseman galloping right, wearing petasos and chlamys REVERSE: K-[P] / AN (retrograde), hydria on cart with long handle to left; to right, large crow perched left on wheel Struck at Krannon 350-300 BC 4.72 gg, 15mm BCD Thessaly 119.3 (same dies); HGC 4, 385 Ex BCD Ex Agora Auction 63 LYCIA. MASIKYTES; LYCIAN LEAGUE AR Hemidrachm OBVERSE: Laureate head of Apollo right REVERSE: Lyre, M - A across fields Masikytes 48-42 BC 1.7 g, 15 mm RPC I 3301
I cannot say that I really have a favorite coin. However there are some that I feel that are very special. Antiochos II Theos Ar Tetradrachm Sardies 261-246 AD Obv Head of Antiochos I diademed Rv Apollo seated upon the omphalos right holding two arrows. SC 518b HGC 236f WSM 1386 17.05 grms 28 mm Photo by W. Hansen Back in 1991 I was definitely living a rather basic existence. There was NO internet and I did not have a telephone. So when an auction came up I would go through the auction cat and try to figure out if there was something I liked get a bunch of 25 cent coins and phone the company using a pay phone. A Gorny &Mosch Auction literally showed up about 21 hours before so I literally only had a few hours to assess the auction lots and organize a bid. I saw this coin I did not have a coin of Antiochos II and made a bid. Later I discovered I won the coin and it was only then did I decide it was time to "find out what I had just bid on." So I went to my copy of Newell's "Coinage of the Western Seleucid Mints." Initially I was very disappointed. This coin features a portrait of Antiochos I (Rats of the very big and hairy kind). I already had a portrait of Antiochos I and I did not think I needed another. Infuriated with myself I continued to read. What Newell said of this issue makes this coin one of my favorites. He said "... a new artist, one of outstanding ability commences to work at Sardies. His portraits of the aged Antiochus I are extraordinary productions of the engravers art, surpassing (if that were possible ) even the justly renowned portraits of the Greco-Bactrian coinages." Pretty cool I thought. Though I am still a little miffed at myself. I have yet to acquire a portrait of Antiochos II.
I wouldn’t say the aqueduct coins are “really expensive.” Some of the most common Republican denarii depict aqueducts: AR denarius L. Marcius Philippus, Rome 56 BC. 3.97 g, 16.50 mm Obv: ANCVS below, diademed head of Ancus Marcius right; behind, lituus Rev: PHILIPPVS on left, equestrian statue right on arcade of five arches; within arches, AQVA (MAR)