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Message:: [QUOTE="AncientJoe, post: 1756778, member: 44357"]"5. Metal (gold, silver, bronze)" I admit that I've fallen into the trap of preference by metal type. It wasn't until IdesOfMarch01 posted his set of Twelve Caesar denarii that I even considered building a similar set as I prefer(red) gold so significantly, but I'm more than coming around to the idea now. There are many coins which are excessively rare in gold, which makes me wonder if they were ever meant to be struck in gold, or if they were created later. The "Circus Maximus" coinage of Septimius Severus is a great example - an aureus of the scene sold for more than 30x what I bought my denarius for. Granted, the aureus was in better condition, but considering that every other factor is identical except for metal, I find this bias somewhat surprising. (#87) <img src="http://imageshack.us/a/img838/6084/syf0.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />  I felt as a whole that Greek gold was underrepresented in the "100 Greatest" book and was quite shocked at the lack of an Alexander the Great stater, considering the exciting historical connections and the fact that there are a great deal of them available. Here's an example of the much rarer denomination, the distater, which weighs twice as much as a normal stater but has the same design: <img src="http://imageshack.us/a/img822/9251/d5aj.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />  "6. Innovativeness" I think this is a very interesting attribute and definitely adds to the historical significance. Lydian electrum is probably the best example of this and it is completely understandable why so many people want the first coins ever made. This hekte is from Mytilene and is later than Lydian electrum (ca. 500BC) but shows how designs started to get progressively more intricate: <img src="http://imageshack.us/a/img407/8563/nr27.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /> Some innovations like 3/4ths facing portraits on Greek coinage end up having the earlier issues priced many, many times more than somewhat later issues. Here's an example of a coin of this type that I'm completely satisfied with - it's a solidly Mint State coin and cost 1/100th of what a larger and slightly earlier example would have cost: <img src="http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3694/j03y.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />  "7. Quality of strike/condition" I was a bit surprised to see what Ides of March denarius Harlan chose for the "100 Greatest" book's cover. There are several, much nicer examples which, in my eyes, truly deserve the title of #1. Perhaps a single type should appear multiple times throughout, occupying lower spaces with lesser examples. If we try to assemble this list, I suggest expanding it to the "1000 Greatest" and canceling any appointments for the next decade or so! I bought the coin below specifically because of its grade (FDC) and color. It's not particularly expensive or rare but I think it represents a great coin (although probably not one of the greatest) simply because it is exactly what they intended. Its quality means I feel sufficiently covered for this type of later-era denarius. <img src="http://imageshack.us/a/img842/716/s50l.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />    Another factor to add into the mix is denomination. This affects Greek coinage more than Roman but often a dekadrachm will cost many times more than a tetradrachm. Rarity does play into this as well but I think the size of the coin psychologically makes a good portion of the difference. I don't have a similar tetradrachm but here's my dekadrachm from Euianetos. I love this coin but almost the exact same design can be owned for 1/10th of the price in a coin of half the weight: (#3) <img src="http://imageshack.us/a/img713/7904/fufx.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />  medoraman also brought up an interesting observation in that circulating coinage is handled differently from ceremonial pieces. Roman medallions and the pentekaidekadrachm (a mouthful!) are two clear examples of this type and I also consider them in a different category, more along the lines of a medallion or sculpture, especially when they're known to be unique. I'd prefer to see them along a list of the "100 Greatest Works of Ancient Art" rather than alongside coins specifically. Sorry for the lengthy post but let me know your thoughts on any of this![/QUOTE]

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