In the interest of not being overly optimistic, for the second year in a row, my goal was to add just one coin. And yet again, I've managed to cross off 25+ items from my wantlist. My mantra from this year is "second chances": shockingly, seven of my top ten coins were coins I previously attempted to buy but was outbid on or otherwise missed when sold privately (by a matter of hours in one case). This proves to me that coins eventually find their way to their rightful owner even if it requires a circuitous path. Here are some of my favorites from the year: #10: Cleopatra denarius. It's a common type but I've finally managed to find an example with the full "CLEOPATRA" name visible on the obverse and a pair of fairly nice portraits. I've added a number of other - arguably nicer coins - which could occupy the #10 spot but Cleopatra is historically important enough that I couldn't cut her from the list. #9: Antoninus Pius Liberalitas aureus. I don't always upgrade coins but when this example came up, I knew I wanted to try for it. It sold for an excessively high price in its last auction appearance and I picked it up for roughly half of its previous cost. #8: Seleucius I Nikator tetradrachm. One of the nicest examples of the type that I've seen and a nice artistic pair to the Agathokles tetradrachm I posted here quite some time ago. #7: Claudius "IMPER RECEPT" aureus. I technically committed to buying this at the end of last year but paid for and received it in January so I'll count it for 2018. I've wanted an example of this type for years and ultimately passed on another nice example floating around. This coin has a realistic portrait which I find more appealing than some of the idealized examples. I was kicking myself for not buying this coin when it sold at NAC but happily it was purchased by a dealer who was willing to take a fair profit. #6: Caracalla Vesta temple aureus. I was disappointed when I didn't pull the trigger quickly enough on this coin at the New York show in January. Happily, it was bought by a dealer and I found it in their inventory a couple months later and promptly purchased it. #5: Elagabalus "Emesa stone" aureus. I've been looking for an example of this type for ages as I have a collection of meteorites, a moon fragment, and other minerals. I was kicking myself for not biding more on this coin when it sold but, as luck would have it, a dealer bought it and was willing to work on price. Also adding to its appeal is that it is ex. Mazzini and ex. Sir John Evans. #4: Thasos hemidrachm. I've always admired this type and tried and failed to acquire the two most recent examples that came up for sale. This coin is much nicer than the ones on which I was outbid further proving the mantra that "there's always another coin coming up". #3: Domitian aureus. This coin comes from the Boscoreale hoard, buried under the ash of Mt. Vesuvius for ~1800 years, and was subsequently in the famous Biaggi collection of aurei. Its condition and iconography of Romulus & Remus make it my favorite aureus in my collection. I was outbid on it in 2014 and managed to buy it for the same price thanks to a somewhat weaker market in Roman gold. #2: Knossos stater. I was offered this coin privately and it was my first finalized transaction of 2018. After buying it, I said to myself that if I didn't buy a single other coin all year, 2018 will have been great. I've loved this obverse style since seeing an example in the Boston MFA collection and have badly wanted a stater (11 grams) as an upgrade from my 4g drachm. This is a firm example for why it is beneficial to work with a dealer who knows what you like. #1: Athens gold diobol. I felt there was a decent chance I would never cross Athens gold off of my wantlist but this coin happened to come out of the woodwork from the John Whitney Walter collection. It isn't the most expensive from the year, its condition isn't pristine, and it isn't as beautiful as other types, but the history is unbeatable and I couldn't be happier to have acquired it (see my full post here). I hope everyone has a great holiday season and here's to a numismatically exciting 2019!
What a year of wonderful additions to your collection! I remember thinking to myself about a month or two into 2018 that if I didn't pick up another coin, it would already have been a great year... but they kept on coming anyway. The Knossos stater is my favorite, but really only because I'm extra fond of the labyrinth type. The Boscoreale aureus, Caracalla aureus, Cleo denarius, and that incredible Seleukos tetradrachm are all close seconds. Amazing stuff as usual, AJ!
WOW, absolutely amazing top 10, it must have been a great 2018 for you regarding coin additions. Gorgeous coins. I am really fond of the Knossos stater, because of the labyrinth and that it is in such mint condition (which is quite hard to find with coins from Crete). But the Athens diobol, seleukos tetradrachm, thasos hemidrachm, caracalla are all on my second place, in other words all coins are amazing and it's hard to choose. Great additions.
Few collectors with the resources to buy high end coins have anything approaching the taste to separate the finest from the ordinary glittery. Joe has taste. His coins are not just great types in high grade but define fine style or are tops in some other categories few would understand. Of the group, my favorite is the Athens. That it made #1 when all the competition was FDC shows what it is I respect about the person who selected these coins. I hope everyone picked up the clue dropped more than once in that list: When the market drops and coins are selling for half what they did previously is the time to buy, not cry.
Absolutely incredible, beautiful coins, and amazing photos. I expected no less when I clicked on this thread.
Once again I'm blown away by these coins and what they tell about @AncientJoe's taste, eye, sense of opportunities and wealth I sincerely admire you, Sir ! Q
Well, Joe, you never disappoint! What a fantastic year! Watching you curate your collection has been a joy and an education. I love them all, of course (who wouldn't?) but do have some favorites: The Athens diobol, for its amazing story The Knossos stater for its beauty, rarity, design, and story The Elagabalus for its beauty and story The Caracalla, Thasos, and others for their unsurpassed beauty The Domitian Boscoreale because of the coolness factor Eh, I guess they're all my favorites, plus ones which didn't make this year's top 10! Looking forward to next year's list .
A list that has a Cleopatra portrait coin at #10 is indeed truly spectacular! Congrats on a very good year!
That is an amazing list, each coin is a masterpiece of atristic, historic and numismatic significance. My favorite on the list is number three. The portrait of Domitian is compelling and the reverse is delightful. The fact that it was witness to the destruction of Pompeii and the knowledge that it probably would not exist today had the disaster not happened put it at the top of the list of coins I've seen anywhere this year.
Every single coin is a winner. Talk about outstanding, but we come to expect nothing less from @AncientJoe
That would be a collector’s lifetime highlight list, not a single year top 10. How does one pick out a single coin to celebrate? For me, the historical context of that Pompeii aureus makes it my favorite. But each is astonishing.
"For the moment – an eternity it must have seemed to the others standing by – I was struck dumb with amazement, and when Lord Carnarvon, unable to stand in suspense any longer, inquired anxiously "Can you see anything?", it was all I could do to get out the words 'Yes, wonderful things'."
Spot on analogy. Just as my eyes acclimate to the wonder in front of me, I think, "How is this only #8?" Then I scroll down and am further dazzled and stupified! #10- Did Marky Marc really think the Roman population would be cool with him, a Roman general, sharing a coin with a barbarian queen?? #8- A true bucket lister for myself. So, is the portrait that of a Helmeted Seleucius or ATG? #2- I couldn't wait to see this one again. It was after you opted to show your upgrade that I began my ongoing hunt for a labyrinth coin. And I think it's safe to say that your #1 would win as the #1 coin for all of coin talk for the year...though if anyone thinks they have a more historically significant specimen I would LOVE to see it Thanks for sharing @AncientJoe
All fantastic works of numismatic art, absolutely beautiful coins, if I had to pick only one for my collection it would be the Caracalla Vesta temple aureus. But all are a credit to you.
Beautiful coins @AncientJoe - My favorite is probably Elagabalus with the black stone of Emesa - but all of them are truly masterpieces.