A Decade of Searching

I have been collecting Plantagenet coins for almost 2 decades and for most of that time there have been two coins at the top of my want list: an Edward III series B groat and an Edward III Calais groat. While there are rarer, even semi-mythical, Plantagenet coins out there, the two groats have always been my most desired coins. In October I finally got an Edward III Calais groat.

About a decade ago I thought I had found my Calais groat. It was in one of Tom Cederlind's sales and was absolutely gorgeous, being well struck and nicely centered on a full flan. I was ready to pull the trigger then fate struck. My Tuscan girlfriend decided she really wanted to go to Italy with a group of my friends. I had a choice between a plane ticket and a girlfriend or a Calais groat and the single life. While torn, there was only one choice, so I packed my bags and off we went. While the trip was a blast and my girlfriend and I are now married and have kids, I always mourned that groat.

In the years between the trip to Italy and 2018 I would see an Edward III Calais groat from time to time, though none were what I wanted. Some were badly worn, others on small flans, heavily clipped, or very porous. None of them were desirable to me. Finally, in October a beautiful Edward III Calais groat came up for auction at CNG with a great provenance. I had to have it. After crunching the numbers and figuring out what I could afford I put in a bid and began the torturous wait for the auction to end. On the day of the auction closing I shut myself away in my office and agonized over the increase in price with each new bid that came in. I couldn't afford much above the CNG estimate, and those are usually low. Needless to say, I was elated when the lot closed and I was still the high bidder. I even refreshed the page for several minutes to make sure my victory wasn't a mistake.


Edward III AR Groat 4th Coinage Treaty Period Series B2g 1363 AD Calais mint. mm cross potent
26.5mm 4.52g
Obv: +EDWARD DEI G REX ANGL DNS HYB Z AQT; crowned bust of king facing, annulet on breast, annulet stops.
Rev: +POSVI/DEVM A/DIVTOR/EM MEV; VIL/LAC/ALE/SIE. Long cross pattee with pellets in quarters.
SCBC.1619 N.1258

When the coin arrived I couldn't put it down and have been admiring it ever since. To finally acquire a coin after years of waiting and searching is a great feeling. It's a coin so rich in history.

I know there are lots of coins that have be long sought ( @Bing and @David Atherton come to mind) so feel free to post any coins, regardless of type , that took you a long time to acquire.

 

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And well worth the wait - it is a gorgeous coin!

 

Wow, congrats and it's a beauty as well.

 

Congrats!!! (And I'm so glad the decision a decade ago worked out too. )

Fantastic centring, and I love the somewhat dopey portrait.

Took me a very long time to land an Aemilian... eventually took a chance on this cheap, slabbed, and poorly photographed coin on ebay, and was pleased with the result (rare variety to boot):

 

Nice and scarce coin, for sure!

See, even though back then between your girlfriend (now you wife) and the coin, you made the right choice, the coin gods have now rewarded you, and you now have both.

This is the coin that took me 'ages' to find: a Sestertius of Vespasian directly related to the Jewish Revolt. This was actually also the coin which got me back to ancients after a break of a few years, I was so perked by finally finding one.
It has a scarcer reverse type, which is the one that I wanted, which does not directly allude to the Judaean Wars, but is undoubtedly related to it.

It was also specially interesting because it is, seemingly, only the second known example with this specific reverse legend.
The other one is in the British Museum Collection.

 

A beauty, congrats.

 

@TheRed ... I do not collect in this area, but WHAT a GREAT coin and fantastic historical significance! Worth the journey! Congrats! Well done.

Now that the hunt is over... what is next?

 

A great story and a wonderful coin @TheRed Congrats on finally acquiring one of these beauties. I also have an Edward III, and it also happens to be the Calais mint.



Edward III AV Quarter Noble (c.1361-1369AD)
(18.49 mm 1.65 g)
Treaty-Period Calais Mint,
Obv: shield within tressure, cross in circle above, French title omitted, pellet before edward,
Rev. floriate cross, arms extending from central panel containing an annulet
Bold, very fine detail, clipped with a little damage on one edge.
(Schneider 100; Stewartby B2, p.258; N.1245; S.1513)
Halls Hammered Coins October 9, 2017
Coin depicted in the Wildwinds.com database.

 

Fantastic story and coin. Hope your wife knows how lucky she is though

From the first one to le last of the Divi series it took me 18 years to put it together. The last, and among the rarest, arrived this year, thanks to @Ancient Aussie who attracted my attention to the auction. Not the best coin ever, but the series is now complete


Marcus Aurelius, Antoninianus Rome mint AD 250/251
D MARCO ANTONINO, Radiate head of Marcus Aurelius right
CONSECRATIO, Altar
23 mm - 3.84 gr
Ref : RIC IV # 92a, Cohen # 1058
In qblays catalog : MA08-P114
Same dies as the example in the Bibliotheque nationale de France


Q

 

Great pick @TheRed ! Lovely coin and your patience in acquiring one is amazing.

 

That's one fine looking groat. Glad you finally got it.

 

Nice groat! It must be fulfilling to wait that long and finally get one. Just out of curiosity, what makes you want to get a series B groat?

 

Fantastic coin @TheRed! Well worth the wait!

 

That a great looking coin man! Congrats on the win, way to play the long game...get the coin and keep the girl....good call!!

 

A big congrats @TheRed !

To some, almost 7 years is probably not a real long time for acquiring a sought-after coin, but that encompasses nearly my whole ancient coin collecting career, so I suppose that means something?

Odoacer, Kingdom of Italy
AE nummus
Obv: OD[O-VAC], bare-headed, draped, cuirassed bust right
Rev: Odoacer's monogram (letters ODOVA) within wreath
Mint: Ravenna
Date: 476-493 AD
Ref: RIC X 3502

 

Great story and you certainly made the right choice so long ago as your true treasure is uniquely herself. I'm sure the gods of patience will reward you sooner rather than later with a Series B.

 

Wonderful story .. the result must have felt awfully sweet when you attained your goal so many years later.

You got the girl AND the coin!

I am a new collector so have no similar examples but I will take your lesson of patience to heart... another coin will always come around.

 

Thanks everyone for all of the congratulations and kind words. It's great to be able to share the acquisition of stuck a long sought coin with people that understand the feeling and joy.

I am pretty darn lucky to have Mrs. TheRed as my wife. She is a great woman and tolerates my love of coins, even buying me coins from time to time.

Those are some great coins @Severus Alexander @Eduard @Orfew @Cucumbor and @ValiantKnight Congrats to all of you on getting such wonderful coins after long searches.

There are a couple English coins that are still in my want list, such as a Rhuddlan penny and a Gros of the Black Prince, but those are going to require a lot of saving. For 2019 I may switch to fuedal French coins.

Thanks Miles! I actually picked up an Edward III series B groat last year. The reason I wanted one is because it is really the start of the circulating groats.

 

@TheRed Do you have the Jon Mann ticked to show? I was really curious about the "elaborate ticket?"

Fantastic coin by the way!