Ancients => A(R+E) = AR + AE = ummm, seven? ... no, yellow!!? ... ummm?

Yah, my wife is outta town, so I'm bored and I'm kinda waiting for a cool thread ...

Hey => how 'bout we post our favourite AR coin and our favourite AE coin?

... as always, I realize that favourites change depending upon your mood, etc ... but who cares, this is merely a pile-on thread, which hopefully scratches the coin-itch and produces some cool coins and some good times ...

I always go first ... so this time, I'm gonna let some other sucka go first!! (well, until I get bored and then I merely go first ... but *whateva*)

 

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So I am first which makes me the sucker.

 

AE-AR or AU coins..

 

atta-boy, Mat => thanks for steppin'-up, brother!!

Oh, and oh-my => what a fantastic lookin' pair o' coins you've got there!! (gorgeous)

 

I've got to break this question down into the various categories which I collect.

Favorite AR and AE Roman Republic...

Man. Acilius Glabrio
AR Denarius, 18 mm, 3.75 g, 6h; Rome: 49 BC
Obv.: SALVTIS; laureate head of Salus right.
Rev.: III VIR VALETV MN ACILIVS; Valetudo standing left, resting arm on column and holding snake.
Reference: Crawford 442/1a; Seaby Acilia 8; Sydenham 922, BMC 3944.

Anonymous Roman Republic
AE Semis 21mm, 8.6g, anonymous, after 211 BC.
Obv.: Laureate head of Saturn right; S behind.
Rev.: Prow of galley right; S above, ROMA below.
Crawford 56/3; Sydenham 143a; BMCRR 229; Sear 766.

 

Favorite AR and AE Roman Imperial...

Septimius Severus
AR denarius; Emesa mint: 194-195
Obv.: IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II; Laureate head right.
Rev.: FORTVN R-EDVC; Fortuna standing, head left, rudder in right hand, cornucopiae in left.
Reference: RIC IV(a), 377 (p. 142)

Constantine I
AE Follis, 19.5mm, 3.61g; Trier mint: 322-3
Obv.: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG; helmeted, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS; Globe set on altar inscribed VO/TIS/XX, above, three stars // dot PTR dot.
Reference: RIC VII Trier 368 (p. 197)
Notes: ex-Langtoft hoard.

 

Favorite Greek. I don't have many pieces here. The Cleopatra countermark on the Antioch AE intrigues me greatly, even though I have other Greek bronzes in better grades. And the Kyzikos fraction is my only Greek AR, so that makes the choice a non-choice.

Kyzikos, Mysia
AR Tritatemorion, 9X12mm, 0.58g; 480-450 BC.
Obv.: Forepart of running boar left, tunny fish facing upward.
Rev.: Roaring lion.
Notes: Ex Sidney Mygind.

Antioch ad Orontes, Semi-Autonomous
AE23, 10.77g, 12h, Denomination A; Antioch: after 47 BC
Obv.: Laureate head of Zeus right; countermark of Cleopatra VII.
Rev.: ‭[‬A]NTIOΣEΩN‭ [‬ME]TPOΠOΛ[EΩΣ‭]; Zeus seated left, holding Nike and scepter, thunderbolt above.
Reference: Butcher 20, SNG Cop 80
Notes: The attribution of the countermark to Cleopatra is conjectural, but seems to jibe with the historical and numismatic evidence.

 

wow => "6" absolute winners!!

... thanks for showin'-up, JA!!

 

I don't have any Nabataean silver yet, though I have a drachm on layaway which I'll post when it arrives. In the meantime, two of my favorite bronzes and some Lancaster City parking tokens, lol.

Nabataean Kingdom: Aretas II, 120/110 – 96 BC
AE16, 3.3g, 10h; Damascus Mint
Obv.: Head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet.
Rev.: Nike standing left, wreath in right hand, uncertain object in left.
References: Meshorer 1A, Schmitt-Korte 2
Notes: Style I

Nabataean Kingdom: Malichus I, 60-30 BC
AE21, 9.5g, 12h; Petra mint: 35/34 BC
Obv.: Diademed head of Malichus I right, with long curly hair.
Rev.: Eagle standing left; around, inscription (Malichus the king, king of the Nabataeans).
Reference: Meshorer 13

 

I almost forgot. Favorite Roman provincials.

Provincia Arabia, Trajan
AR Drachm, 17mm, 3.37g; Bostra: AD 114-116.
Obv.: [AVTOKP] KAIC NEP TPAIANW APICTW CEB ΓEPM ΔAK; Laureate, dr. and cuir. bust r.
Reverse: ΔHMAPX EΞ [VΠATO S]; Camel to left
Reference: SNG ANS 1058

Septimius Severus, Nikopolis ad Istrum
Obv. AV KAI CE - CEVHROC; laureate head r.
Rev. NIKOPOLI - T. PROC IC; Hermes, nude, chlamys over l. arm, holding kerykeion in l. arm and purse in extended r. hand.
Reference: Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2013) 8.14.10.21



Ok, I'm done now. Carry on.

 

OK, I'll follow JA's lead.

Favorite Greek:

ALEXANDER III AR Drachm
OBVERSE: Head of Herakles right in lionskin headdress
REVERSE: ALEXANDROU, Zeus Aetophoros seated left, holding eagle and sceptre. Forepart of Pegasos left in left field, X on W monogram beneath throne
Struck at Abydos 325-323 BC
4.2g, 17mm
Price 1505


LYSIMACHUS KING OF THRACIA AE 20
OBVERSE: Helmeted head of Athena right
REVERSE: BASILEWS LUSIMACOU, above and beneath lion running right, small caduceus, spearhead below
Struck at Uncertain mint, Thrace 305-281 BC
6.1g, 20mm
SNG Cop1149-51

 

Favorite Roman Republic:

L CENSORINUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS MARCIA AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Laureate head of Apollo right
REVERSE: L CENSOR, the satyr, Marsyas, standing left with wineskin over shoulder; behind him, column surmounted by draped figure (Minerva?)
Rome 82 BC
3.66g, 17mm
Cr363/1d, Marcia 24


SEXTUS POMPEY; GENS POMPEIA AE As
OBVERSE: MAGN above laureate janiform head with features of Pompey the Great REVERSE: PIVS above, IMP below, prow of galley right
Sicilian 43-36 BC
22.8g, 31mm
Syd 1044a, Cr479/1, Pompeia 20v, Cohen 16

 

Favorite Roman Imperial:


CALIGULA AR Denarius
OBVERSE: C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT, bare head right
REVERSE: DIVVS AVG PATER PATRIAE, radiate head of Divus Augustus right
Struck at Lugdunum, 37/8AD
3.5g, 18mm
RIC I 10


MAXIMINUS II DAIA AE Follis
OBVERSE: IMP C GAL VAL MAXIMINVS PF AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: GENI-O-AVGVSTI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder, holding head of Serapis and cornucopiae. X-A across fields; ALE in ex.
Struck at Alexandria 312 AD
4.83g, 21mm
RIC VI 149b Ex Spink

 

Roman Imperial Provincial:

TITUS Billon Tetradrachm
OBVERSE: AVTOK TITOY - laureate head right
REVERSE: Bust of Serapis right, LB before
Struck at Alexandria, Egypt, Year 2 = 79-80 AD
12.7g, 25mm
Dattari 426, BMC 2741, RPC 2464


VOLUSIAN AE25
OBVERSE: AVTOK K G AFIN GAL OVEND OVOLOCCIANOC CEB, radiate and draped bust right
REVERSE: ANTIOXEWN MHTRO KOLWN D-e, SC below, Tyche seated facing within tetrastyle temple, the river-god Orontes swimming beneath her, ram leaping right above
Struck at Syria-Antioch, 251-253 AD
17.1g, 30mm
SNGCop 295

 

Wow Bing, that Volusian is pretty special.

 

I'll keep it simple with my two favorites




CORINTHIA, Corinth
AR Stater
Circa 375 - 300 BC
Calciati Pegasi 402; BCD Corinth 115.
O: Pegasus flying left, Q (koppa) below.
R: Head of Athena wearing Corinthian helmet left, A below chin, Thessalian helmet behind.
Ex Demetrios Armounta Collection (with an old Seaby ticket dated 10 Aug 1965)




ANTONINUS PIUS
As
Rome mint, 140 - 144 AD
RIC 733; Cohen 450.
O: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right.
R: IMPERATOR II, Great White Sow seated under a holm oak suckling three piglets, another one in front of her, SC in ex.
Ex Old Sable Collection

 

Alexander III AR Tetradrachm. ‘Amphipolis’ mint. Struck under Kassander, circa 316-314 BC. Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress / Zeus Aëtophoros seated left; shield in left field, pellet-in-Π below throne.
Price 136; Troxell, Studies, issue L8.

Antoninus Pius AE Sestertius. 157-158 AD. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P IMP II, laureate head right / TR POT XXI COS IIII, S-C in ex, Roma seated left on cuirass, foot on helmet, holding Victory and parazonium; shield behind. RIC III 979a Strack 1147 Banti 490 BMC 2036 . 27.7 g

 

Wow, super participation and awesome coins (as always) ... nothin' but winners!!

 

here's my favorite (and only) republican bronze..






and my favorite (and only) republican silver...





this coin is one of my favorites period!

 

sweet additions, chrsmat ... fantastic RR-Serratus & Prow