I now have a small collection with basically two tiers that I consider complete or close to it. My full collection stands at fifty or so very special and fifty or so not as special but still fine coins. Here are the top few recent additions: Attica, Athens. Large "New Style" Tetradrachm of 100-99 BC. Head of Athena right in triple crested helmet ornamented with Pegasus; forepart of horses rt. / Owl standing right on prostate amphora inscribed I, head facing ATE; Greek legend on either side. Two standing figures to right, ME below, monograms in fields. Reference: Sear 2556/2559 v, Thompson 871a. 28 mm, 16.13 g. Fantastic, large coin with great detail! ex-Dr. Krosen Stoer collection, Ludwigsfelde, Germany. An upgrade from my first Greek coin, an Athens new style drachm purchased from Alex G.Malloy at a show in the 60s. A Pius, Pamphylia, Side Æ18 138-161 Laureate head rt. - A KAI ANTWNEINOC Athena advancing left over serpent holding pomegranate and shield CIDH-TWN RPC IV online 5717.1, Weber 7366 Extremely Rare with RPC just citing the Weber specimen 8.25 Grams VF Serious deep portrait with Athena holding a pomegranate and standing on a serpent all symbols of the wisdom traditions. Sweet little very coppery quadrans of Imperial Rome with Minerva and an olive tree. Very round and fine with coppery tones lost in the photo. Attribution: RIC II 9 Date: time of Domitian to Antoninus Pius Obverse: Helmeted head of Minerva right Reverse: S-C, Olive tree Size: 13.50mm Weight: 2.46 grams Description: good Fine. Anonymous Æ Quadrans / Olive Tree from: Marc Breitsprecher Kingdom of Pontos, Mithradates VI 120-63 BC, Tetradrachm, 15.66g: Obv: Diademed head of Mithradates VI right Rev: Stag grazing left, star and crescent symbol to left, "HKS" = year = 229= 69/68 BC. "BASILEWS MIThRADATOY EYPATOPOS" all within a wreath. De Callatay S 22 D75R2b. Overstruck on another coin (uncertain undertype), Collection of Alexandre Carathéodory Pasha (1833-1906) Never thought I could afford a silver coin of this incredible ruler but found one with a great provenance to boot! Lot 973 Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar, 139-161. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 31 mm, 27.64 g, 12 h), Rome, 145. [AVRE]LIVS CAESAR AVG [PII F COS II] Bare head of Marcus Aurelius to right. Rev. [VOTA PVBLICA / S C] Faustina and Marcus Aurelius standing vis-à-vis, clasping right hands; behind them stands Concordia placing her hands on their shoulders. BMC 1786. Cohen 1022. RIC 1253a. Minor smoothing and some cleaning marks, otherwise, fine. Leu Numismatic auction 2018 This coin marks a noble high point of the empire.This type was issued to commemorate the marriage between Marcus Aurelius and Faustina Junior. Lot 858 Octavian, 44-27 BC. Cistophorus (Silver, 28 mm, 10.74 g, 1 h), Ephesus, 28 BC. IMP•CAESAR•DIVI•F•COS•VI•LIBERTATIS•P•R•VINDEX• Laureate head of Octavian to right. Rev. PAX Pax standing front, head to left, holding caduceus with her right hand; behind her, a snake emerging from cista mystica; all within laurel wreath. RIC 476. RPC I 2203. Sutherland Group I. Nearly fine. From the R. Marbacher Collection, Switzerland. The beginning of the celebration and ideal of the Pax Romana with a lot going on on the reverse. Denar 76 v. Chr. Römische Republik L. Lucretius Trio, Kopf des Neptun / Cupido auf Delphin s-ss, schöne alte TönungGrade: s-ss, schöne alte Tönung | Abbreviations Catalog: Craw. 390/2; Syd. 748 Material: Silver Weight: 3.84 g L. Lucretius Trio Denar Rom, 76 v. Chr. Vs.: Kopf des Neptun mit Lorbeerkranz n. r., dahinter Dreizack, darüber Kontrollmarke Rs.: L LVCRETI / TRIO, Cupido reitet auf Delphin n. r. ex Slg. Hommel, mit altem Sammlerzettel great provenance and cruising on a dolphin-can't get much better than that. And finally I got this lot in an Ed Beck auction for a few dollars. So my students had a lot of fun Iding online after I gave some hints and then they secured coins they discovered(in the ballpark anyway attribution) for themselves. funny moment was when one student brought up by "chance" the "highrating-lowprice ebay seller" and they all thought that was a funny seller-bio etc. I used it to explain how sometimes coins are marked way above their value and then discounted so you think you are getting a deal. Careful not to be a sucker lesson. Thank You for all the CT ancient folks who are helping me continue to learn a bit about the ancient treasures of numismatics. My tier two coins are for admiring as well as for giving to others like my students and friends who may be interested. That way I also make room for an occasional new addition. I thoroughly enjoyed my thirty or so coins as a teenager and at some point did not have the need to acquire more. So I am working on keeping the collection at a place that I am enjoying what I have but open to new surprises.
Amazing coins! and... BEAUTIFUL MITHRIDATES, great addition and a very special provenance, totally love it.
Nice! The Mithradates VI is hands down my favorite, but the Athens tet, Octavian cistophorus, Marcus Aurelius, Lucretius Trio and olive tree quadrans are all excellent and enviable as well.
Agreed with @zumbly - you got a KILLER Mith VI! Great piece of History too! Great additions! I would take them all...
