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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Finn235, post: 8118432, member: 98035&quot;]My goal in 2021 was to purchase less, sell more, and bring a bit more focus to my collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>I failed quite spectacularly on all three accounts <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>My first list will be 10 Newcomers to my Roman collection - I am nearing the price ceiling of what I can stomach at my salary level without restricting myself to just 1-2 new adds per year, so adding 10 new Roman faces is something of a major accomplishment for me!</p><p><br /></p><p>10. Britannicus, with Antonia and Octavia, children of Claudius, AE from Cyzicus</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413187[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>This hideous little coin is one I sadly missed out on back when they would go for cheap, but is the only coin type in existence to depict Claudia Antonia, the Elder sister of the more prominent Britannicus and Octavia.</p><p><br /></p><p>9. Anthemius, AE4 nummus</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413188[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>The portrait is totally gone, but the monogram is unmistakable- Ruling until 472, Anthemius is the last Western emperor I am likely to obtain without my wife putting me 6 feet under!</p><p><br /></p><p>8. Basiliscus, AE4 Nummus</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413272[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>For now, I draw the arbitrary line between &quot;Eastern Roman&quot; and &quot;Byzantine&quot; at Justinian, so Basiliscus is a pivotal figure in my book. His usurpation against Zeno provided a long enough distraction from the West that Nepos was displaced by Romulus, who in turn was displaced by Odoacer, who declared an end to the Western Empire.</p><p><br /></p><p>7. Libius Severus, and Ricimer, AE4 nummus</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413275[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>This was in the same lot as the Basiliscus, and remarkably has a visible portrait and a decent monogram. Libius Severus was nothing more than a puppet to Ricimer, who from 461-465 felt secure enough in his position to place his own monogram on his emperor&#039;s coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p>6. The Second Triumvirate, AE from Ephesos, Ionia</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413296[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Lepidus was the only member from the Second Triumvirate that I was missing, and although I still want to get him on a denarius, I couldn&#039;t pass up the unique iconography of this one. Somehow the simplified and idealized portraits reminded me of the much later Tetrarchy. </p><p><br /></p><p>5. Tiberius &amp; Germanicus Gemellus, sons of Drusus, AE Sestertius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413297[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>A classic and popular sestertius of Drusus&#039; two ill-fated boys - Germanicus would succumb to childhood illness in a pre-vaccine world, and Tiberius would be groomed to inherit the purple jointly with Caligula, only to be out-maneuvered and ultimately forced to &quot;commit suicide&quot;. Since recent findings have all but dashed my hopes of owning Tiberius Gemellus as a purported provincial, this (and one other provincial) remains the only way to obtain these two young boys.</p><p><br /></p><p>4. Paulina, wife of Maximinus I &quot;Thrax&quot;, AE sestertius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413301[/ATTACH] </p><p>Paulina has been on my radar ever since I got serious about Roman collecting several years ago, but after dozens of lost auctions I came to terms with the fact that her denarii are simply overpriced, so I began a hunt for a more reasonable sestertius. This was the perfect middle spot between good eye appeal and good wallet appeal.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Cn Statilius Libo, Prefect of Hispania</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413303[/ATTACH] </p><p>Despite the poor centering, this remains one of the best coins of this elusive 1st century BC Spanish governor that I have seen. We know nothing about him, and in my opinion a little mystery is never a bad thing!</p><p><br /></p><p>2. Galerius Antoninus, biological son of Antoninus pius, with Diva Faustina I, AE &quot;As&quot; of uncertain Greek city[ATTACH=full]1413298[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>This may be one of the ugliest examples known, but I am still ecstatic to own one in any condition, especially missing out on one from a FSR auction last year for over $400! Little is known of this son of Antoninus Pius and Faustina I, except that given how smoothly Aurelius and Verus were adopted and named heirs, he must have died prior to 138. He appears only on this, and a larger denomination of the same type from the same uncertain city. He is the second rarest member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, second only to Domitia Lucilla, Marcus Aurelius&#039; mother.</p><p><br /></p><p>And drumroll please...</p><p><br /></p><p>1. Gordian I Africanus AE Sestertius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1413304[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>It ain&#039;t pretty, but pretty isn&#039;t possible when dealing with Gordian I and II unless you have some serious budget behind you. I spotted this one in a Nomos auction and had to put in a middling-to-strong bid, and was shocked to win it, especially in the 2021 market. With Gordian I down, I only need Gordian II and I will own all Senate-ratified emperors between Augustus and Theodosius.</p><p><br /></p><p>Feel free to chime in with your favorites, post any related coins, and stay tuned for the next part shortly![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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