Curtisimo’s Top 10 of 2019

I must admit that 2019 has been a relatively down year for me on a number of fronts, including additions to my collection. I missed out on some really good opportunities to acquire coins on my list when I was forced to take a break through most of the first half of the year. That being said I did manage to snag a few winners that I hope you all will enjoy looking over and commenting on if you are so inclined.

Since I am well aware I tend to ramble endlessly in my enthusiasm for ancient coins I have included a long and a short version of why I chose each example. If you’re the type of reader that prefers the Cliffs Notes to the book feel free to skip the long version.

10 A World War II Provenance


Roman Empire
Caracalla
AR denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 206
Dia.: 18 mm
Wt.: 3.18 g
Obv.: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; Laureate head right
Rev.: PONTIF TR P VIIII COS II; Mars in military dress standing left, right hand resting on shield, left hand holding spear
Ref.: RIC IV 83
Ex Otto Helbing Nachf. 86 (Nov. 25, 1942); Ex Gorney & Mosch Auction 241, lot 3068 (Oct. 12, 2016); Ex arnoldoe Collection

Provenance: Otto Helbing Nachf. 86 (Nov. 25, 1942); Gorney & Mosch Auction 241, lot 3068 (Oct. 12, 2016); Ex arnoldoe Collection


The short: Captivating WWII provenance and story. Readable legends, good centering.

The long: Otto Helbing Nachf. was a prominent Jewish family run auction house based in Munich which was founded in 1878. In the mid 1930s the family was forced to flee Germany and the firm was seized by the Nazis and transferred to Karl Kress at some point before 1938 (a process often referred to as aryanizing). Until 1944 Kress continued to use the Otto Helbing name. A look through restitution claim records show that some of these auctions were populated with material seized by the SS and sold through the Kress-run auction house. This coin was part of an auction in November 1942 held under these circumstances. My research leads me to believe that this coin was unsold in that sale and that it and the other unsold lots were retained by Karl Kress for the rest of his life. Kress died in 1969 but his firm continued until 1986. These WWII era unsold lots as well as the rest of the Karl Kress inventory were purchased as a group and sold by Gorney & Mosch at auction in 2016. This coin spent some time in the arnoldoe collection before I purchased it from AMCC 2 earlier this year.

However, the provenance isn’t the only reason to like the coin. The legends are readable and it has good centering and nice old cabinet toning. This was one of four coins that could have claimed the #10 spot but since the other three are posted to my price category thread, here, I decided to give this one the nod for my Top 10.

9 Second Punic War era Victoriatus


Roman Republic
Anonymous
AR Victoriatus, mint in Sicily, struck ca. 211-208 BC
Dia.: 17 mm
Wt.: 3.3 g
Obv.: Head of Jupiter right
Rev.: ROMA; Victory right crowning trophy
Ref.: Crawford 70/1, Brinkman Group B

The short: Struck in Sicily during 2nd Punic War. Interesting fabric.

The long: You might recognize this coin as my entry in the Guess the CTer game. It was struck in Sicily during the Second Punic War and was used to pay the Greek allies of Rome. I find the fabric interesting because it is very reminiscent of archaic Sicilian coins. I can’t help but wonder what the context for this coin’s manufacture was. Was it struck by Greeks at a mint seized by the Romans or was it struck at a Roman camp traveling with the army? The style and metal quality was usually less developed on these Victoriatii than on the contemporaneous denarii but the examples made in Sicily were usually made with a bit more care, style-wise. So many interesting questions.

The image of Victory crowning a trophy on the reverse is a clear message of Roman military domination. I wonder what the Greeks of Sicily must have thought being paid with debased coins, struck with silver seized from the sack of Greek cities and carrying a message of Roman military victory? These are interesting coins made during an interesting time.

8 My door is always open

A Thread Honoring “Campgates.” Post Yours!

Roman Empire
Constantius II as Caesar
BI Follis, Arelatum Mint (Arles), 4th officina, struck AD 328
Dia.: 19.9 mm
Wt.: 3.2 g
Obv.: FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: VIRTVS CAESS; Campgate with 4 turrets, star above, gates open, each door with two panels, each panel ornamented with two dots; S – F flanking sides; QCONST in exergue.
Ref.: RIC VII Arles 323
Ex Zachary “Beast” Beasley Collection of Camp Gates. Ex CNG Electronic Auction 134, Lot 452 (March 2006). Ex VAuctions 250, Lot 167 (Aug. 5, 2010). Ex FORVM Ancient Coins (Jun. 2019)

Provenance: Ex Zachary “Beast” Beasley Collection of Campgates

The short: open doors

The long: I like campgates. For a fun discussion on these see the above linked thread. I have wanted to acquire an example that shows the campgate with a set of doors open and one with the doors closed. These seem to be less frequently available in nice condition compared to other types. The open doors (like my #8 example) were only struck at the mint in Arles (Arelatum). This coin has great eye appeal, an “open doors” reverse, a left facing bust and a fantastic provenance. There is a lot to like here.

7 Chocolate delight


Egypt, Alexandria
Elagabalus (AD 218-222)
BI tetradrachm, struck RY 4 (AD 220/21)
Dia.: 23.9 mm
Wt.: 12.56 g
Obv.: Α ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ΜΑ ΑΥΡ ΑΝΤⲰΝΙΝΟϹ ƐΥϹƐΒ; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: L Δ; Homonoia standing left, raising hand and holding double cornucopia
Ref.: Emmitt 2937.4, RPC online 10082
Ex zumbly collection; Ex CNG Auction 407, Lot 460 (Oct. 11, 207); Ex Hermanubis Collection.

Provenance: Ex Hermanubis Collection; Ex Zumbly Collection

The short: Beautiful dark patina. Nice style. Cool provenance.

The long: I am not particularly knowledgeable on these Alexandrian tetradrachms but I know enough to see that this is a quality example. This coin is really wonderful in-hand. It is a nice hefty piece with pleasant detail and retains a rather nice dark chocolate colored patina. I have not been able to find many specifics about the Hermanubis Collection other than the fact that the collector had an immense collection of Alexandrian coins and had an eye for quality and superior style. This same instinct for quality can also be attributed to my coin-friend Zumbly who also owned this example. In following in the footsteps of these two connoisseurs how could I be wrong to pick this coin for inclusion in my top list?

6 Hadrian’s coin shaped post card

Hadrian: Benefactor of Africa

Roman Empire
Hadrian (AD 117 – 138)
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 134 – 138
Dia.: 17 mm
Wt.: 2.98 g
Obv.: HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP; Laureate head right
Rev.: AFRICA; Africa with elephant headdress reclining left, holding scorpion and cornucopia, basket of grain at feet
Ex L. Rose Collection

Provenance: Ex L. Rose Collection

The short: A clear Hadrian travel series example with a personified province. Nice eye appeal.

The long: This coin, along with two others on the list were purchased this year as part of a sub-collection I’ve been working on to collect the Nerva-Antonines in imperial silver. For my Hadrian example I knew I really wanted one of the famous “travel series” coins. Part of my parameters were that the coin be one of the types showing the province as a personification and that the objects associated with the iconography of the personification be clear and readily identifiable. This example showing Africa met all my parameters and more. The scorpion, the elephant headdress, the basket and the cornucopia are all very clear on this example. Further, Africa has clear facial features, the legends are all clear and readable, the style is nice and the toning is pleasant. All this together earns this coin a #6 place on my 2019 list.

5 The Persians are mean and I wanna go home


Roman Empire
Philip I the Arab (AD 244-249)
AR Antoninianus, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 245
Dia.: 23 mm
Wt.: 4.36 g
Obv.: IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG; Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: ADVENTVS AVGG; Philip on horseback left, raising right hand and holding spear
Ref.: RIC IV 26b
Ex David Kallai (ca. 1908-1924); Ex AMCC 2, lot 194 (Nov. 9, 2019)

Provenance: Ex David Kallai (acquired in Vienna between 1908 to 1924)


The short: Fascinating provenance. A reference to an historical event. Beautiful toning.

The long: I did a write up on this same type earlier this year. However when I saw this one in AMCC 2 I knew I would be acquiring a duplicate.

ADVENTVS coins were struck by emperors to commemorate their return to the capital. This coin was most likely struck as a donative by Philip I to pay the troops who had just recently declared him Emperor after the murder of Gordian III. The reverse references Philip’s return to Rome after signing a humiliating peace treaty with the Persians on the back end of a failed invasion. I like the style of this example and I find the toning to greatly enhance the eye appeal. When held in the right light this coin’s toning really shines!

Further, if a coin is measured solely on the fun and fascinating research it leads to then this coin would be even higher than #5 on my list. Digging into the provenance of this coin has been fascinating. I will hold off on posting the details until I have finished my research and have time do a worthy write up.

4 Who??

Aelius: The Emperor Who Wasn’t

Roman Empire
Aelius as Caesar (AD 136-138)
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 137
Dia.: 17 mm
Wt.: 3.24 g
Obv.: L AELIVS CAESAR Bare head right
Rev.: TR POT COS II Felicitas standing left holding caduceus and cornucopia
Ref.: RIC II 430 (Hadrian) Scarce
Ex Pars Sale 3, lot 357 (Oct. 2019), Ex Numismatik Naumann 75, lot 643 (Mar. 2019), Formerly slabbed by NGC

The short: Great style. My first coin of Aelius. Rescued from a slab.

The long:
Me: “Hey, look at my new denarius of Aelius!”

My wife: “Who??”

Even people, like my wife, who have a deep interest in history aren’t very familiar with Aelius. However he is an indispensable part of my collection of the Nerva-Antonines and for good reason. While his own political accomplishments were not all that important his life is important to understanding the period of the adoptive emperors. The sources tell us about the preparations for his succession that never happened which is a fascinating detail we might not have had if he had actually become emperor. Of course, his son did eventually become co-emperor so that is yet another reason to take note of this lesser known figure.

My above Aelius example is of beautiful style with good surfaces. I enjoyed rescuing this coin from its slab using my new vice I purchased exclusively for this purpose.

3 An historically significant building


Galatia, Ancyra
Caracalla (AD 198-217)
AE Tetrassarion, Ancyra mint, struck after AD 212
Dia.: 28 mm
Wt.: 16.59 g
Obv.: ANTΩNINOC AYΓOYCTO-C; Laureate head of Caracalla right
Rev.: MHTPOΠOΛEΩC ANKYPAC •; Octastyle temple with shield in pediment
Ref.: BMC 33 var
Ex Lanz 163, 7 December 2016, 378

The short: Interesting portrait. Great detail. Reverse shows the building that preserved the Res Gestae.

The long: Many of you may remember this coin from my thread about bronze disease. In a happy ending for everyone the auction house offered to treat the coin for me which they are doing currently. That is a great outcome since I like this coin very much.

In addition to having a really appealing portrait of Caracalla , this coin also shows one of the most important buildings to our understanding of the early Roman Empire. The temple on the reverse is the Temple of Augustus in Ankara (ancient Ancyra) whose remains can still be seen today. This building is responsible for preserving the Res Gestae of Augustus. The significance of the building has been well known for centuries which means this building has an extremely long history of being documented, studied, drawn, photographed etc. This coin marks one of the earliest representations of this temple and shows it in its original state. I’ve done a lot of research on this coin and I hope to compile a suitable write up after I get the coin back from Europe... hopefully BD free.

2 Marcus the Magnificent


Roman Empire
Marcus Aurelius
AR denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 173
Dia.: 19 mm
Wt.: 3.31 g
Obv.: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII; Laureate head right
Rev.: IMP VI COS III; German captive seared left at foot of trophy
Rev.: RIC 280
Ex Walter Stoecklin Collection (before 1975); Ex Orfew Collection

Provenance: Ex Walter Stoecklin Collection (purchased before 1975); Ex Orfew Collection


The short: Reference to Macromannic Wars. Scarce. Old provenance. Acquired from a CT friend. Excellent coin.

The long: My top 2 coins of 2019 stand apart from the rest for me. This was the only coin this year that posed a challenge to my #1 and my purchase of it was a bit of a stars align moment. I almost never check the “for sale” section on CT but for whatever reason I did one day and noticed a post from Orfew. I clicked on the post and saw to my surprise that Andrew was selling one of my favorite coins from his collection. I messaged him and purchased the coin and I could not be happier that I did.

I have been looking for a denarius of Marcus Aurelius with a reverse that references one of his campaigns in Germania. Most of the coins you find commonly offered at auction show references to the Parthian Wars which I think are more interesting on the coins of Lucius Verus. This coin celebrates the Roman victory over the Macromanni in the year 172 as a consequence of a Roman punitive invasion across the Danube. This campaign was the impetus for Marcus Aurelius taking the title of Germanicus.

Even though the reverse type shown on my new example is listed as common in RIC, it appears very infrequently at auction based on what I could find in my research and I tend to think it at least scarce.

Last but not least, I was happy to acquire another coin from the wonderful Stoecklin Collection. A coin from this collection has made my top 3 in every year since 2017 so it is appropriate that this year continue that tradition. The Stoecklin coins sold by Nomos often have provenance above and beyond what was referenced in the sale. This coin will be a fun exercise in research on top of the many other reasons given for liking it.

1 I’ve had about enough of your bull

Julian: The Beard and the Bull

Roman Empire
Julian II (AD 360-363)
AE1, Antioch mint, struck ca. AD 361-363
Dia.: 28 mm
Wt.: 8.7 g
Obv.: D N FL CL IVLI-ANVS P F AVG: Diademed, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: SECVRITAS REI PVB; Bull, head facing, standing right. Two starts above
Ref.: RIC VIII 216, pg 532
Ex Frank S. Robinson Collection, Purchased from David Micheals (Palladium) in the 1990s, ex FSR Auction 107 lot 389 (Jan. 2019), ex FSR Jan. 2010 sale.

Provenance: Ex Frank S Robinson Collection (Purchased from David Micheals in the 1990s)

The short: A coin written about by an emperor during the time it was circulating. Fascinating mystery. Unmatched style. From the collection of a respected numismatist.

The long: This was my first purchase of 2019 and for most of the year no other additions came close. I purchased this coin from FSR’s January sale and after the sale Frank let me know that this was once part of his personal collection and was purchased by him from David Michaels (of CNG) when he was running the coin dealership Palladium in the 1990s.

As @Severus Alexander can attest I have been on the hunt for one of these for the last few years after admiring his fabulous example. Of all the examples I have seen while researching and watching coin auctions over that time this example is by far my favorite and I was thrilled to win it. It really ticks all the boxes I could want and then invents a few more I didn’t know I was looking for. 1) it is from the Antioch Mint, which is important considering the historical context of this type. 2) It is marvelously preserved and well centered. 3) The style is such that this engraver can rightly be considered a master of his craft. This is made all the more impressive considering the overall loss of elegance in engraving on base metal in the 4th century. 4) This example retains traces of silvering which is extremely rare on these bull coins. 5) I like Julian’s beard on this example.

I could go on but I think you get the point. Adding to all of this is, of course, the mystery of why the bull on the reverse was so offensive to the early Christians of Antioch. For a discussion on this please see the above link.

....................................................​

Well that is it my friends. Please feel free to comment and tell me about your favorites.

Also, please feel free to vote in my above poll. I’ve done one every year and I always find it fascinating to see how my favorites compare to the general opinion of the board. Quite often there are some surprises... but really that is one of the things that make participation here so much fun!

 

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Hadrian
Julian
Aelius

Those are my top 3. Though all of your top 10 are great!

 

Those are great coins Curtis, I love most of them but you can probably guess my favorite... the Caracalla and I'm glad you had the problem resolved, but your Hadrian Africa is one of the best I have seen beautiful detail. Congrats on a great year of collecting and all of the help and work you have put in to making this website the best for ancient coin collectors.

 

A fantastic and carefully composed list! Congratulations on a terrific collecting year.

It's clear that all ten coins have some feature that adds special interest to them, and it is thus hard to pick favorites.

On the one hand, I very much like the Kallai, Helbing Nf., and Stoecklin tickets. Such provenances yield fascinating insight into the more recent history of our coins. On the other hand, the Marcus Aurelius and Hadrian denarii clearly stand out to me with regards to both eye appeal and historical interest. These two would have been my number one and two.

Also, thanks a lot for your write-ups with all the fascinating background information. I greatly enjoyed reading them!

 

Those are some great additions to your collection, Curtis! Your extensive research into your coins and their provenances does justice to them. I wish I was as thorough! 2020 goals, I guess.

Voting for three was hard. I chose that incredible Julian bull, the Caracalla temple coin (excellent that the AH is treating the BD for you), and the Hadrian Africa, a great example from one of my favourite Roman series. This really doesn’t take anything away from how great all the others are, though. I also love the ex Stoecklin MA, the lovely Aelius, Philip I, and sharp open-door campgate. All excellent stuff!

 

Great coins, all of them. I had trouble picking 3 favorites, and after changing a few times, went for no. 1 (a beauty), 3 (great background story and historical significance) and 6 (interesting and beautiful).
Its nice to see and read the thought you put into your coins, either be it provenence, historical significance or eye-appeal. All your additions seem to have been carefully considered, I admire that.
Good luck collecting in 2020!

 

Fantastic coins, my favorites are Hadrian Africa and Constantius II campgate.

 

Great collection of coins and provenance tags, @Curtisimo ! My favorite is the Aelius denarius. I’ve never heard of him before. He looks a little like Eric Clapton.

 

Do I actually have to pick just three? All of them are great examples and most have wonderful provenance. For example, I have come to regard campgates as ho-hum even though I have several. Bur your campgate is near mint condition, well centered, and well, just beautiful.. So I guess my three picks are:

Constantius II Campgate
Hadrian Africa
Aelius
or
Caracalla

 

Saweet stuff, the Great(ish)!
You're denarii are always winners
That Hadrian and then your Marcus the magnificent are beyond cool
And I personally blame you and your #1 for me having to pick one up this year as well:

 

@Curtisimo, as one who appreciates long and rambling context, I enjoy the "Long versions" - Thanks! Hadrian's Africa, the sharp Julian, and well provenanced Marcus Aurelius from the Macromannic wars were my three picks, all are attractive coins with interesting stories. #2 with the Antonine plague, the beginning of sole reign after the death of Lucius Verus in 169, the battles with northern enemies, "Meditations" written ~171-175 while on campaign....at risk of rambling, best wishes for 2020!

 

I unknowingly played mainstream : 1, 3 and 6 which are currently the three leading the poll.
Should everybody agree, I think you'd better get rid of the 7 others and why not send them to me, they would make my 2020 Cucumbor's 7....

Excellent selection and writeups, as always Curtis
Thank you for being who you are and for doing so much here at CT
Q

 

Caracalla #3 tops my list.

 

Congrats on the marvelous acquisitions in the midst of a challenging year! Thanks for your many valuable contributions to CoinTalk, Curtis . Here's to a fruitful and enjoyable 2020!

My top picks are the same as Z: Julian II, Galatian Caracalla, and Hadrian travel series denarius.

 

Lovely coins, all of them, but my favorites are the Caracalla with the temple of Augustus in Ankyra containing the res gestae, the Hadrian Africa, and the Aelius denarius, which is of very nice style and happily broken out of its slab.

I hope 2020 is good to you!

 

Hard to argue with your top 3. A most stellar list!

 

Great coins, and I always enjoy your extended write-ups. The Aelius denarius and the Caracalla provincial are my two favorites from the list. Best wishes for a great 2020.

 

I'm usually very predictable with picking my top picks from my own collection area, and the Hadrian, Marcus and Aelius coins are all stunning examples I would grab without a second thought, but the Philip bull is just remarkable and has to take the top spot.

The provenance and story behind your first coin, however, push it into contention also. It is remarkable to think of a family named firm could simply be given to someone else as a result of the accidents of one's birth, and then remain under the new ownership so many years later.

Very enjoyable write ups, thanks!

 

I voted 6-1-3. Preference to number 6 of Hadrian, because frankly I can't resist a woman who is holding a scorpion with her hand. Very original and attractive collection. Cheers and Merry Christmas.

 

I love your choice on the #1 Julian II . I agree with your choice, yours has more of the silvering than mine.