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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2287845, member: 19463&quot;]Zumbly&#039;s wonderful post on 2015 favorites under $100 inspired this variation of that theme.&nbsp; My $100 idea was from 15 years ago when you could get several nice coins for under $100 total.&nbsp; Today, the numbers and grade are going down.&nbsp; The coins shown below are all 2015 purchases, all are $100 or under and NONE are on my regular list of 2015 favorites which I have been holding just in case something wonderful arrives in the next couple weeks. These are not my second favorites but they are a representative from each $10 bracket starting with a coin that cost between $90 and $100 and ending with one that was under $10. I looked at a lot of junk and have others I like better but were pushed aside by something I bought for the same price. A couple were selected for being the only coin I bought for a number in that span but only a couple are coins I might not buy again (because I paid too much). Prices include postage.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Coin purchased for $90 to $100</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458330[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Titus denarius / capricorn Coin show - $100</p><p>Actually this was exactly $100 at a coin show and I probably would have paid a bit more since its main fault is wear and wear bothers me less than some people.&nbsp; Many people don&#039;t like coins that grade below VF and this one is in that category. Flavian denarii were good enough silver that they wore quickly.&nbsp; Still I found it a nice strike and well enough centered to bring it home. </p><p><br /></p><p>$80-$90</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458311[/ATTACH] </p><p>Hadrian denarius / Minerva - European auction - $86.48</p><p><br /></p><p>You always pay too much when you buy at a European auction because the final number will include their buyer&#039;s fee and high postage. I bought this one mostly to justify paying postage on another coin bought at that same sale which cost too much to make this list and was not special enough to make my favorites. This is, as far as I am concerned, a pretty coin but nothing all that special. Its claim to fame is that it was the only coin this year for which I paid $80-$90.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>$70-$80</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458308[/ATTACH]C. Coilius Caldus denarius 104 BC – Coin show - $75</p><p><br /></p><p>The appeal of this Republican denarius is the standard Roma head is facing left and the tone is not the blast white you see so often. I had other coins in this bracket but felt more people would relate to a mid-grade Republican than some of the strange things in the bracket.</p><p><br /></p><p>$60-$70</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458309[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>L. Papius denarius 79 BC – Coin show - $60</p><p><br /></p><p>This is a beautiful, well struck coin of a popular type that should sell for a lot more were it not for the fact that the face of Juno was destroyed before it was struck by the flan being weight adjusted with a scoop of metal removed. Technically speaking, the coin is not damaged since the scoop was done before the coin was struck and is a regular part of the mint practice. That does not mean you should not get a big discount when you buy one. Demand for a coin like this is low. I buy them as a minor specialty. You shouldn&#039;t.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>$50-$60</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458312[/ATTACH] </p><p>Philip I AE tetradrachm Coin show - $50</p><p><br /></p><p>I considered this a bold and pretty example of a better than many reverse of a series I sort-of collect. It is not a rarity but a coin I was happy to find. It was not my first Alexandrian Philip type. I doubt it will be the last.</p><p><br /></p><p>$40-$50</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458313[/ATTACH] </p><p>Probus AE antoninianus eBay - $42.38</p><p><br /></p><p>This is a mid-grade example of a coin from the Probus EQVITI series from Ticinum (I have a web page explaining them). I already had the reverse in a much finer example but this one had the less common obverse legend including INVICTI. I would not have bought a duplicate of the ordinary obverse just because it was an EQVITI but the obverse made it worthy of a bid. No one else wanted it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>$30-$40</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458314[/ATTACH] </p><p>Sasanian, Kushro II 624-5 AD Coin show - $33</p><p><br /></p><p>This is a “Wonderful” coin. It says so in the obverse margin (APD means wonderful along with several other translations). I had been wanting an margin inscribed coin. This was clear enough that I figured I would be able to read the mint and date (MR 35, feel free to correct me). Sasanian drachms are as big as baubles from the old days get and this was reasonably pretty. These are very common but probably suffer in popularity from the legends being a script few collectors read. I do not pretend to read them but compare them to “wonderful” online resources and get the ID right at least part of the time.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>$20-$30</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458315[/ATTACH] </p><p>Persis AR obol 1st century AD eBay - $23.76</p><p><br /></p><p>I know very little about these small silver coins of Persis and find conflicting information on their identification. I do not have the book on them (Alram) and do not know if the information from any given source is current or long outdated. What I saw here was a lot of legend on a better looking coin than many of the ones I see sold for a lot more money. Whether I get into them more deeply or not is a question yet to be addressed. This one came maked Pakor but it seems more a match for some I see as Napad, son of Namopad. Anyone who is comfortable with these and would like to educate me, please do.</p><p><br /></p><p>$10-$20</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458317[/ATTACH] </p><p>Byzantine, Manuel I AE tetarteron 1143-1180 AD eBay - $13.99</p><p><br /></p><p>I bought quite a few low end Byzantine bronzes this year but none were spectacular. This one has a decent face of St. George and some legend (in other words – not the worst I&#039;ve seen). Byzantines should be priced according to rarity and appearance. I felt this one was. I did not have a St. George type so I bid.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Under $10</p><p>[ATTACH=full]458316[/ATTACH] </p><p>Byzantine, Justinian I Antioch AE 20 nummi 552 AD – Coin shop $5</p><p><br /></p><p>This was part of the group I bought at a small coin shop so the $5 is a breakdown after taking into consideration the &#039;bulk discount&#039;. They might have ask more if I had only bought this one but I would not have paid over $10 so here it is. It turns out the catalog says these were made with obverse dies intended for 40 nummi coins so you only get legends if the coin is off center. This is centered perfectly. It also have a clear reverse and the slightest hint of facial details (I said slightest!). It is what it is and that is not pretty. The other coins that might have been used here were messy overstrikes and other clearly outlined but faceless facing coins. $5 is more than fair but over $10 would strike me as unnecessary.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>My real list of 10 favorites will go up when I give up on finding another coin worth including that can arrive by year&#039;s end.&nbsp; That probably means I should post now.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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