It's the 31st here, so time for a quick review of 2020 coins. I use Tantalus to keep track of my coins and I see now that I added 183 coins in 2020 - 102 Roman Republican, 44 Roman Imperial, 13 Greek and a few random bits and pieces. Some were overdue additions from previous years, most were purchased during the year. The coins below are in order of their addition. 1 - Carthaginian Gold Stater I'd wanted one of these for many years and finally got one, which arrived at the end of 2019 and got added to Tantalus on 1st January 2020, so a good start to the year. Obv. Head of Tanit (Kore-Persephone) left, wearing barley-wreath, bar and triple pendant earrings and necklace with pendants Rev. Unbridled horse standing right Mint: Carthage (ca. 350-320 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 9.12g / 19mm / 0h References: Jenkins-Lewis Group III MAA 4 Provenances: Ex. M.J. Collection I went to New York in January, to the NYINC, met up with some fellow collectors, including CoinTalkers. I got some coins, books and cookies and wrote a blog post about it (my blog is very inactive): http://blaidan.blogspot.com/2020/05/nyinc-2020-three-books-three-coins-and.html 2. Servilia Denarius This is one of three coins I got in NY - the reverse recreates the reverse of an earlier Servilia denarius and depicts an earlier ancestor, presumably M. Servilius Pulex Geminus, consul of 202 BC. The lituus on the obverse would also refer to the ancestor, who had been an augur. Moneyer: M. Servilius C.f. Obv. B / ROMA / * - Laureate head of Apollo right; behind, lituus Rev. Battle on horseback between man armed with sword and man armed with spear; latter's shield inscribed M Exergue: C. SERVEIL Mint: Rome (ca. 82-80 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.91g / - / 2h References: RSC 7 (Servilia) Sydenham 720 Crawford 370/1b Acquisition: HJB NYINC Bourse 18-Jan-2020 3. RR Quadrigatus I have five quadrigatii, the other four being all of type Cr. 28/3, which covers quite a varied group. This is, however, an example of Cr. 30/1 - the positioning of Victory being the distinguishing feature. Obv. Laureate Janiform head of Dioscuri Rev. ROMA - Jupiter, holding sceptre and hurling thunderbolt, in fast quadriga right, driven by Victory Mint: Uncertain (ca. 225-214 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 6.69g / 21mm / - References: Sydenham 64 Crawford 30/1 4. C. Piso L.f. Frugi Denarius The later Piso Frugi minted a large number of coins in around 67BC in a similar style to those of the earlier 90BC issue, but of better style and execution. They're often in much higher relief than the earlier coins and I quite like this one. (I just noticed that the photo' is out of focus on the left) Moneyer: C. Piso L. f. Frugi Obv. Laureate head of Apollo right; behind, club Rev. C•PISO•L•F•FRVG / F• - Horse galloping right, holding whip and reins Mint: Rome (67 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.74g / 18mm / 5h References: RSC 24d (Calpurnia) Crawford 408/1b BMCRR Rome 3743 Provenances: Ex. Michael Kelly Collection of Roman Silver Coins 5. Victoria Halfcrown By now, we've got to late February and the Irish International Coin Fair took place - it was the 50th anniversary fair, so a medal was struck to mark the occasion: The obverse of the medal reproduces the St Patrick Halfpenny, subject of a recent book - https://www.coinbooks.org/v21/esylum_v21n21a05.html I attended a gala dinner for the occasion and won a book in the raffle (about Thomas Simon, the medallist) and, true to form, ended up getting to the fair itself very late on the last day when most dealers were packing up. I ended up with a book on Irish buses, a train conductor's cap badge and the halfcrown. In the 1980s, I spent two summers as a bus conductor and so retain an interest in public transport. The halfcrown was sold by Bill, a collector who's a fellow member of the Numismatic Society of Ireland and often takes a table at shows to sell some of his coins. He gave me a discount on the coin, so it was a good buy. Obviously, it's not an ancient coin and I wouldn't include it except that it's the last purchase I managed to make at a fair this year. Obv. VICTORIA DEI GRATIA - Veiled and crowned bust left Rev. BRITANNIARUM REGINA FID: DEF: - Crowned shield in garter and collar Mint Date: 1887 Wt./Size/Axis: - / - / 0h References: Spink 3924 Anyway, I talked to Bill and his wife Eileen and said we'd meet again at the BANS in Portsmouth in April, which is normally a good weekend of coiny lectures and excursions which is held in a different location each year - since I've been going, it's been in Belfast, Colchester, Harrogate, Gillingham, Douglas (Isle Of Man). The BANS weekend was soon cancelled and is looking doubtful for 2021 also. We were lucky to get to Austria for a week in early March and returned on 14th to a changed world, with lockdowns and I haven't been out of the country and rarely out of the county since. 6. Faustina I Denarius With more time at home and my commute reduced to a roll downstairs, I had a bit more time to organise the coins a bit and started with the Roman Republican coins, then the Imperial coins (an unfinished task, but a start has been made). I found quite a few coins that hadn't been catalogued and have been unable to find a few which are around somewhere. Below is one tray of Antonine denarii in a small Swann cabinet that I've had for a few years - bought in a DNW sale (a good source of secondhand cabinets, though postage will be expensive) a few years back and empty since. Now I had time to house my coins properly One coin in the tray is the Faustina denarius. The bust type - with veiled head - isn't in RIC, so it's an interesting coin. I found an email reference to when I'd bought it, in 2013, but had forgotten about it, so it had lain in its flip ever since. I like anepigraphic reverses, at least partly because I like the word anepigraphic Obv. DIVA AVG FAVSTINA - Veiled bust right Rev. Ceres, veiled, standing right, holding sceptre and corn-ears Mint: Roma (After 141 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.41g / 18mm / 7h References: BMC 328 (A. Pius) RIC 404B var (A. Pius) Notes: May 2, 20 - The veiled bust obverse isn't in RIC. 7. Eraviscan Denarius The only thing to do when stuck at home all the time is to buy coins online I got a few coins from @red_spork during the lockdown, including this one. I love the colours on the reverse. The package containing this coin spent quite a long time in San Francisco, from some time in March until early June, but it arrived intact, which was a relief. There have been other threads about the Eraviscans - I'm not aware that they left much of a mark on world history except for their coins, which are based on Roman Republican prototypes. Region, Tribe: Pannonia, Eravisci Obv. Bearded male head (Jupiter) right Rev. RAVIZ - Globe between rudder left and thunderbolt right Mint: Budapest (1st century BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.16g / 18mm / 2h References: Freeman, Essays Hersh pl. 29, 4 (this coin) Davis Class B, Group II Pannonian, Eraviscan Provenances: Ex. M. Foss 23-Oct-2018 Ex. RBW Collection Acquisition/Sale: red_spork Private sale 16-Mar-2020 Notes: Jun 8, 20 - The Roman Republican prototype for the reverse is a denarius of Cn. Cornelius Lentulus (RRC 393/1). Freeman dies 2 / C 8. Augustus Denarius A Baldwin's Of St James sale on September 2020 auctioned off the collection of the late T.R. Hardaker, best known for a book on Indian punchmark coins. He had a fairly large collection of Augustan denarii and I ended up with four of them, including a couple which reproduce Roman Republican themes - this is one. Obv. AVGVSTVS - CAESAR - Bare head right Rev. M DVRMIVS / III VIR - Calydonian boar right, spear in shoulder Mint: Rome (19-18 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.88g / - / - References: RIC 317 Provenances: Ex. T.R. Hardaker Collection This reproduces the reverse of Cr. 407/2 (Hosidia 1), though minus the hound: 9. Vibia Denarius The last two coins I'll include were in an NAC sale in October. The first one is quite rare and in good condition, though not well struck. Moneyer: C. Vibius C.f. Pansa Obv. PANSA - Mask of bearded Silenos right; below, control mark (two bells) Rev. C·VIBIVS·C·F - Mask of bearded Pan right; before, control mark (sistrum) Mint: Rome (90 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.55g / 17mm / 5h References: RSC 1 (Vibia) Sydenham 689 Crawford 342/1 BMCRR Rome 2310 10. Aburia Denarius And finally, a cautionary tale! I generally look through auctions for RR coins I don't have - in some cases I believe I have coins when in fact I don't. I was sure I had an example of Cr. 244/1, a fairly common denarius of C. Aburius Geminus. Then I looked and realised that I didn't have one, so threw in bids for three of them in upcoming auctions. Murphy's Law was in effect, so I now have three examples of Cr. 244/1 This is the nicest and was more than five times as expensive as the cheapest. Moneyer: C. Aburius Geminus Obv. GEM - Helmeted head of Roma right Rev. C. ABVRI - Mars in quadriga right, holding spear, shield, trophy and reins Exergue: ROMA Mint: Rome (ca. 134 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.89g / 19mm / 1h References: RSC 1 (Aburia) Sydenham 490 Crawford 244/1 RBW 1006 Provenances: Ex. Kuenker Sale 193, lot 364, 26-Sep-2011 And that's about it. I got four coins this week and am waiting on five more - from Belgium, Italy and the US, but they're looking very much like 2021 arrivals at this stage. I hope we all stay healthy and have a better 2021! As for coins, I want to finish my database and suck all my data from Tantalus into it. I have a few ideas on what coins I'd like to add, but we'll see - there are more pressing things! Happy New Year! ATB, Aidan.
Looks like you had a fantastic coin year! All are super nice/ but if I had to pick one....the Cathage AV Stater Happy 2021! John
Also "wow"! I love the Republic coins -- especially the Vibius Pansa; I want one to go with my Vibius Pansa Mask of Pan/Jupiter Axurus -- but the Carthaginian stater has to take first place in my opinion.
Happy New Year (almost), @akeady! All excellent coins. Congrats on teh Cathaginian gold, and I will call out the Quadrigatus and the beautifully toned C. Piso L. f. Frugi (especially obverse).
I read your blog post. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself in New York in January. Perhaps you can come again in 2022. This group of Roman Republican coin collectors you met up with: are any of them here on Coin Talk, or do you know them from elsewhere? Sounds like great fun.
All absolutely stunning, @akeady! I am, unsurprisingly, drawn to the Faustina I denarius with the anepigraphic Ceres reverse type. The veiled and stephaned bust type is particularly rare. It's one of the few types Strack makes no mention of. I only have the type with the bare-headed bust in my collection.
Fascinating collection. Love that silver of queen Victoria though it's not ancient. Happy New Year to All.
Not really through CoinTalk, but hey we should have a CoinTalk bash too - I know a good pizza place ATB, Aidan.
Your Carthage stater is beautiful! This year definitely won't be the same without the NYINC but hopefully everything is back to normal for 2022. Video calls are better than nothing but not good enough!
Thanks - I like the coin. I think when I bought it I hadn't noticed that it wasn't the normal RIC 404B - I later got one of the bare head types too, but it's more worn, this is nicer. ATB, Aidan.
Aidan, It looks like the "Luck of the Irish" was with you this year ! The Carthage stater is a real prize . You managed to score one of the early heavy coins when their artwork was at its peak . Finding a choice example of this coin type has escaped me for a long time, & they keep getting more expensive . You did well with Republican silver this year too . Happy New Year.
Aidan, Somehow I missed this post so I will chime in here. Great array of versatility and style. I like it that you included the modern items. The Victorian halfcrown is really a lovely portrait example of the middle years of Victoria. As a favorite, I'm torn between the quadrigatus and the C. Vibius C.f. Pansa. The reverse on the quadrigatus is spectacular -- you can (almost) see the eyelashes on victory. The Pansa though, is of great classic style and lovely. I was glad to meet you at the NYINC this year. I think most of the RR collectors at our luncheon are also CT members. By 2022 I expect the group to be larger as a result.
Many Happy Returns. You know - I was about to buy a stater as far back as seventeen or eighteen years ago and it seemed just a little too expensive and, like you say, they haven't got cheaper I got the Jenkins-Lewis book too, but I don't expect to build up a large collection of Carthaginian staters - one representative example is enough ATB, Aidan.
