Finally, my Top 10 for 2020, all Roman Republican

A thoughtfuul and attractive selection.
Your "pair" of Cr. 382.1 and 383.1 are my favorites

 

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Thanks to everyone for your very kind words. I had a lot of enjoyment this year from adding to my collection of Roman Republican coins. Finding enjoyment this year, in whatever way, has been especially important for reasons we all know.

Of course it hasn't just been "see coin, buy coin" for me; I probably looked at more than 200 Republican coins for each one I decided to buy, not even counting the ones out of my price range. A substantial number of Republican coins are so off-center or so worn that much of the design is missing or not visible, and there are many other coins that may be in great condition but are so repetitive, with minor differences, that they just didn't interest me -- an endless procession of bigas and quadrigas with Roma on the obverse. But when I see a Republican coin I do really like, with an interesting reverse (I like dynamic reverses with "things happening," like @dougsmit, plus I love non-equestrian animals of course!) I tend to fall in love with it in an instant. Including the one biga I did buy, together with the triga that I feel goes with it.

@Restitutor, welcome to Roman Republican coin collecting. There's plenty of room for both of us!

@dougsmit, I'm sure you've posted them all before, but I'd be very curious to see the other Republican types you particularly like. I do know that there's one type you have -- the other Fonteius with a galley, different from mine in that the Dioscuri's heads are jugate, and the galley is in a sort of three-quarters view -- that I very much want. But I rarely see decent examples.

@svessian, I agree that the Vibius Varus (panther) and Fonteius Capito (Roman horseman) are often off-center. The same is true of some of the others, like the Mamilius with Ulysses and his dog on the reverse -- it seems that more than half the examples are missing the dog! So when I saw examples that were almost fully centered, and weren't missing anything important from the design, I jumped on them right away.

@Marsyas Mike, I apologize for not selecting my Apollo-Marsyas denarius for my top 10. But don't forget that it was one of the five I posted that didn't make the top 10, which means it was in my top 15 -- tied for 12th with the Vibius Pansa, in fact. Which isn't bad! Here it is again:

 

Great coins, congratulations on such a fine list! I really enjoy seeing no's 1 and 5.

 

All great selections, Donna. You surely have a very fruitful 2020.

I keep looking at the various beautiful reverse designs, and wonder if you usually display the coin reverses in your stackable trays. If you display their reverse designs, would you put all animal designs in one row, and something else on another row? Or just according to purchase date?

 

Great choices! You make Roman coins look interesting, and they are not even my area of collecting. I would say that my favorite one is the Naevious Balbus one, partly because of the comedic name of the moneyer, but mostly because of that cheeky horse. I love chariots on coins!

 

Yes, I display all but a few of my Republican coins with the reverses showing in the trays. And I have them all in chronological order. I do have to move them around a little every time I buy a new one. to make space for it, but it doesn't take long to do that with only 42 Republican coins. If I had 420, it might take too long to do that every time and I'd have to figure out something else!

 

Great selection @DonnaML !! You certainly have an eye for interesting and beautiful Republican denarii. The reverse on the Publius Fonteius P.f. Capito is spectacular!
Congrats on your 2020 acquisitions!

 

Here's a question about the reverse of the Naevius Balbus (No. 6). What is the object resting on the exergue line between the chariot wheel and the back legs of the horses? All I can think of is that perhaps it's supposed to be part of the other chariot wheel; I don't know what else it might be. Thanks.

 

I know that you haven't collected Roman coins before, but have you really found them uninteresting? I find that interesting!

 

Other wheel but not real well done.

Of course I can't remember what you have and did not include but my favorite RR denarii are below.
My favorite of all is the one you want. Mine is not the greatest but Bing has a nicer one.






No longer mine - sniff, sniff:

 

Thank you @dougsmit. It is rather nice

 

All great types. Thanks. I have the Sergius Silus and Sulpicius Galba. (I also have the other type of "supplicant kneeling before a camel" reverse, the Aulus Plautius with Cybele on the obverse and "Bacchius Iudaeus" as the supplicant.) Besides the M. Fonteius/galley, the other two I've specifically wanted for a while are the M. Volteius with the snake biga, and the T. Didius with the gladiators on the reverse. The problem with the M. Volteius is that it seems that either or both of the snakes aren't visible on a substantial majority of the examples (sort of defeating the purpose of buying one!). Or, if the snakes are visible, the coin has other issues. See this example, currently the only one on VCoins: https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/nu...ome__silver_crawford_3853/952343/Default.aspx. And despite those problems, it's almost $300. Too much.

The problem with the T. Didius is that -- presumably because "gladiators" -- decent examples are extremely expensive. I haven't seen one yet that I could reasonably afford.

Good examples of the Fonteius I want are very expensive too these days. I'd love to have this one, but, tempting as it may be, $1,300 is a bit steep! See https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ap...denarius__dioscurigalley/1398049/Default.aspx .

 

@Bing, that's a beautiful example. I would be proud to own it!

 

Excellent coins!

#3 is a classic.

 

Perhaps it was a strong word.. From all the periods of Roman coins I prefer the republican ones style wise, and I actually got one. It is mostly the Roman empire ones I find hard to like. To my eyes they are all too similar. But at the end of the day it is all down to personal taste.

 

Lovely collection!....#1 for me is the Biga, wonderful reverse movement with both sides having really nice detail and well balanced.....Followed closely by the elephant. But they are all sweet coins, Congrats on a good year.

 

Very nice! - A good year for RR coins. I like them all, but #42 is of course special mostly for being the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything.

ATB,
Aidan.

 

Donna, it is an impressive array of attractive and interesting RR silver coins. The write-ups are quite comprehensive. You should be commended. My first ancient coin was a Roman Republican denarius and the allure has grown over decades.

 

@DonnaML, as you know, I start too many posts about RR denarii with "this is one of my favorites"....congrats on an excellent year of RRs. The C. Fonteius and Cn. Plancius are my favorites (at least until I browse your post again). Best wishes for 2021 collecting!

 

An awesome 10! All well-chosen examples of interesting types. The Limetanus is my favorite here for being the type I'm most keen to add to my collection and for your coin being an especially enviable specimen. Looking forward to seeing what coins 2021 will bring you.