Here are my 5 favorites from 2015. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Coin #1 Roman soldiers retired to Nemausus (modern day Nimes, France) and used coins depicting Agrippa, Augustus & a crocodile. The crocodile personifies Egypt and it is depicted chained to a palm. This particular crocodile was captured by me in November 2015: GAUL, Nemausus Augustus & Agrippa AE Dupondius 20 BC to 14 AD 10.7 grams, 25 mm Obv: Laurelate Caesar Augustus r. (on right) with Marcus Agrippa wearing rostral crown l. (on left) IMP above DIVI below. Rev. Crocodile r. chained to a palm, a wreath with long ties above. COL-NEM. Grade: Overall a good fine coin with nice patina and lower obverse lettering running off the flan. Coin #2 was also acquired in November. SELEUKID KINGDOM Philip I (Philadelphus) AR Tetradrachm 95-75 B.C. 15.67 grams, 28 mm Obv: Diademed bust right with fillet border Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ / ΦIΛIΠΠOY / EΠIΦANOYΣ / ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOY Zeus seated left holding Nike and scepter Grade: A good Extra Fine. Beautifully made including many precision details. Other: Philip I ruled 95-83 B.C. during this frozen date coin of 95-75 B.C. Precision details include Zeus beard and Nike’s crown of laurel & berries. Obverse is only slightly off center with reverse perfectly centered on tight flan. Coin #3 is another Roman depicting Elagabalus with a small horn placed over the forehead. The horn (signifying divine power) is a dehydrated bovine phallus. ELAGABALUS AR Denarius A.D. 218 – 222 (struck A.D. 221) 3.73 grams, 19.5 mm diameter Obv: IMP.ANTONINUS PIVS AVG, Laureate draped bust right with horn over forehead. Rev: P.M.TR.P.IIII.COS.III.P.P. Elagabalus standing left sacrificing over small fire alter holding branch/club in left arm and patera in right hand with star above. Grade: Good EF, well centered on good silver fabric. Other: Variety with horn. Ex Littleton coin. Sear Roman Coins and their values #2112, depicted on plate 7. Coin #4 is from Taxili in Gandhara (located in Modern day India). The silver coin is stamped with the local badge of Gandhara which appears like a flower with three-pronged pitch-fork flower petals. GANDHARA, Taxili AR Satamana (bent bar) ca. 650 B.C. 11.14 grams, 37.7 x 12.3 x 5 mm Obv: Two Gandhara symbols at either end including a punch mark near center Rev: Blank with anvil pattern only Grade: A good VF coin including strong device details and showing no evidence of typical harsh cleaning. Other: Good silver with overall height/thickness of 7.7 mm thick due to inherent bend of the coin type. An anonymous issue possibly minted in Taxili. My fifth favorite of 2015 has got to be this Tetradrachm depicting Pan. Kings of Macedon Antigonus II Gonatas AR Tetradrachm B.C. 277-239 (struck 271/0) 17.00 gms, 30.8 - 31.4 mm Obv: Horned head of Pan left, lagobolon (pedum) over shoulder, in the center of a Macedonian shield decorated with seven 6-pointed stars within crescents. Rev: BAΣIΛΕΩΣ ANTIΓΟNOY Athena Alkidemos advancing left brandishing thunderbolt and holding shield. Helmet symbol below left and monogram below r. Grade: aVF very well centered coin of good silver w/ nice convex shape. Other: Alpha Bank 987, Sear 6783. From Harlan J. Berk 9/2015 lot 400988327311. The year is not quite over and another coin could always jump into the 2015 mix. I have not yet opened my secret Santa gift so there may certainly be a new favorite & post script to this thread. Please post ‘em if you got em. Let’s see a float of crocodiles and a plethora of Pans from you folks.
Those are some great coins, Collect89! I've never seen the crocodile coin. I'll have to add it to my 2016 wish list. Are they expensive? Thanks for sharing! Erin
SUPER selection!!! Congrats!!!! I suppose, not too surprisingly, I'm most attracted to #1 EDIT: Of course 'Pan' is right up there!!
Erin, if you search Vcoins for "col nem" you will see a few. Here is mine: Augustus Coin: Bronze As IMP DIVI F P-P - Back-to-back heads of Agrippa, in combined rostral crown & laurel wreath, and Augustus, laureate COL NEM - Long, vertical palm with crocodile chained below, wreath to left of palm tip with ties trailing to right. Mint: Gaul, Nemausus (10-14 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 12.42g / 26mm / - References: RIC 160 RPC 525
This link will direct you to a great page on Doug Smith’s Website. Doug uses the crocodile coin to illustrate why grading ancient coins is not a subject to be taken lightly. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/impossible.html Perhaps Doug singlehandedly created a Worldwide demand for the coin. These are other threads at CT describing the coin type: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/au...codile-tied-to-palm-tree.269239/#post-2246864 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-nemausus.261749/#post-2118410 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/another-croc.259318/#post-2084889 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/always-smile-at-a-crocodile.254454/page-2#post-2008493 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/nemausus-dupondius-opinions-sought.222128/page-2 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancients-crocodile-of-nemausus.241197/#post-1847384 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/an...ins-augustus-and-agrippa.236892/#post-1794724 https://www.cointalk.com/threads/nemausus-dupondius-opinions-sought.222128/#post-1632065 I cannot add much to what has already been said about this cool crocodile coin at CT.
Thanks for the info, Collect89! I've been looking at Vcoins and see quite a price range. There are a couple I'm going to keep my eye on. Erin
cool mix c89, i always like to see some coins diversity! augustus/croc is high on my list, and may be a 2016 coin for me...i hope so. i have one coin that will make my list that matches yours, but i'll post this one that is similar to you bent bar. i'd like to get one of those, but i do have this fractional unit.
Thanks for all the coin complements folks. I've only recently read some other 2015-in-review threads. I didn't attempt to put my five in any particular order. You guys & gals can continue to do that for me. Here are a couple Greek contenders that didn't make it into the top five: Bruttium Kaulonia CALABRIA, Tarentum
I can certainly see why each one of these would make your top 5. An interesting variety on display too!
Nice => C89, man those are 5 sweet scores from 2015 (congrats) They're all cool, but I think my favs are #4 and #5 (winners!!) ... oh, and I also love both of your "contenders" great year cheers
The croc has very different style that would make me want to research it in comparison to many others. I'll not post my 'float' but these links show them. I have not added any for about 2 years now. http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/impossible.html http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/f00.html
