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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;AnYangMan, post: 5387549, member: 87271&quot;]Thanks all for the very kind words! Glad to see love for each of them, no matter their ‘ancientness’. It seems the portrait JC with its magnificent provenance and the siege coin of Vienna, the youngest and second oldest on the list, are appreciated most! Followed closely by the Axum after its impressive comeback! As for me, well I love them all equally <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Indeed, the 12 aren’t cheap! They generally start at a couple of hundred dollars (if you are willing to sacrifice on condition), with the later ones especially being more affordable. The Engi tsuho is generally the cheapest, while the Nyoyaku Shinpo is near impossible to get. Steve Album has a complete set in his upcoming auction, but there is at least one of which I am sceptical… Anyhow, I really like the Jingo Kaiho I got, despite its cracks:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1231315[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Japan, Empress Shotoku. AE Jingo Kaiho (765-782). Calligraphy by Kibi-no-Mabi.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>What are the odds! I too had my eyes on it the first time it appeared, but dropped out way before you probably. I had thought this time it would climb a little bit more towards the first hammer price, so I was a little surprised to win it for near opening! Maybe its appearance without ticket scared off bidders this time? Strange how things happen sometimes…</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Now there’s a plan! Do we leave the coins in while dipping the cabinet for a nice cleaned look? <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; </p><p>Ah don’t bring that up!!!! A dark day in my bidding history that shows how stupid, yet ultimately not disastrous, adding an additional 0 can be… I would much rather look back on the first time I broke a certain barrier with Jacoba&#039;s coin! Many sleepless nights indeed, but not a single regret.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I had to make some difficult choices once I got to the last 14. In an earlier iteration of the list it did make it, but it was just pushed out by the Adrian VI Giulio. It eventually came down to which I considered a bigger milestone for me personally and the Giulio, particularly with its provenance and the circumstances as to how I acquired it, just won out. But it was a close match! The fat-necked Etruscan [USER=100731]@Roerbakmix[/USER] is referring to is the ex. Renfrew 10 asses I posted <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/newp-published-provenanced-populonia.366190/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/newp-published-provenanced-populonia.366190/">here</a> earlier this year. I recently photographed it myself with the latest version of my photography setup (the only image I have actually made with this version). Quite happy, although there is always room for improvement:</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50781237091_c89808ed85_h.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>11.</b> <i>Etruria (Etrsucans), Populonia. AR 10 Asses (300-250 BC). Ex Vecchi and Lord Renfrew. (<a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50781237091_5bbae3cb40_o.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50781237091_5bbae3cb40_o.jpg" rel="nofollow">Full res</a>)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>And I might as well post the other coins that almost made it onto the list (including one Chinese coin [USER=78244]@TypeCoin971793[/USER]! Can we be friends again???)</p><p><br /></p><p><b>12. </b>Another Siege coin! Crossing off Breda, a smallish city relatively close to me, from my wishlist was something I came close to on multiple occasions, but always got outbid. I was ready to settle for a visually less impressive copper 1 or 2 stuiver. Even the lowest silver denomination, the 20 stuiver, is quite bland when compared to the 40 and 60 stuivers and apparently I am not the only one who thinks so, as they shoot up in price while they are about as rare as the 20 stuiver. Luckily a large collection of siege coins were recently auctioned at a somewhat less well-known auction house and this snook through the cracks; I got it for around half what these normally go for.&nbsp; The 1985 dealer-provenance is neat (bought for no less than 12.000 Belgian Francs at the time), but had it been an exceptional provenance it would have certainly made the list!</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49874258597_2befa56b2e_h.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>City of Breda, AR Emergency 40 Stuiver (1625, struck during the Siege)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>The siege Breda is a rather sombre moment in Dutch history. Thrice before, during the initial phase of the eighty years’ war, Breda had been besieged, with the city eventually falling in the hands of the Dutch republic. As this war of independence raged on into the early 17th century, financial and human resources were depleted and the general populace was tired of the everlasting fighting. A temporary truce was deemed to be beneficial to both sides; the Twelve Years&#039; Truce was signed in 1609 and would expire twelve years later in 1621. Breda, whose position as a major fortification at the edge of the Spanish Netherlands, made it a strategical and prime target for the Spanish. Preparations, under the command of the famous Ambrogio Spinola, were made almost as soon as the truce was over and in August 1624 he marched on Breda. The defences were well-prepared for a long siege; it would last until the 5th of June 1625 till their supplies ran out and the governor had to capitulate. While there were only a couple of minor skirmishes, the diseases rampaging through the city killed around a third of the population of Breda! Roughly half way through the siege, in January 1625, the city council had issued a series of siege coinage to pay the defending garrison; they ordered all citizens to turn in their silver cutlery and platters at the town hall, out of which emergency coinage would be struck (60 stuiver, 40 stuiver, 20 stuiver, later to be followed by an emission of copper ½, 1 and 2 stuiver).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>13. </b> A new spade! Chinese purchases were far and few between. A couple of minor pieces that were certainly neat, but little standout wowie pieces. I did manage to get three new spade inscriptions; <i>Lu </i><b>露</b>, <i>Zheng</i> 鄭 and Zhangzi 長子. None extremely rare, but all far from common. It seems the further I get, the more difficult it is to add new inscriptions. The <i>Lu </i>I bought from Steve Album has to be the rarest of the bunch, albeit not to great quality-wise<b>:</b></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.numisbids.com/sales/hosted/album/038/image00965.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>State of Han, city of Lu. AE Square foot spade (circa 250-250 BC) </i></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>14.</b>&nbsp; I posted this Toison d’argent/Zilveren Vlies and its <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-couple-of-recent-medieval-wins-and-a-provenance-question%E2%80%A6.371116/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-couple-of-recent-medieval-wins-and-a-provenance-question%E2%80%A6.371116/">write-up already before</a>. Each coin from that topic could have easily taken this spot, but eventually its fascinating iconography and pleasing appearance landed the Zilveren vlies of Philip the fair this spot. I just love the gothicesque coat of arms on the reverse, its early date, the rendering of the sheep skin and most of all the historic connection it has to the order of the Golden Fleece!</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50661448476_e319d03844_h.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><i>Duchy of Brabant, Philip the Fair. AR Zilveren Vlies (1498, Antwerpen)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>For those that wanted a quick peak inside the cabinet (apologies for the quality):</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/741412738974220333/791639924041973770/20201224_124919.jpg?width=507&amp;height=676" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Anyhow, thanks all, here’s to an equally diverse and eclectic 2021![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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