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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;furryfrog02, post: 5362448, member: 41219&quot;]Now that it&#039;s officially 2021, I figured that it is time to post my top 10 of 2020.</p><p><br /></p><p>I had a really hard time picking these since every coin is top in my book but since lists are a thing...</p><p><br /></p><p>There isn&#039;t much rhyme or reason to my collecting besides collecting things that are interesting to me.&nbsp; FFIVN is still working on his top 10 but I imagine he will be finished in the next few days (lots of competing interests right now, including finishing up the school work he didn&#039;t do before x-mas break <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie4" alt=":mad:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />)</p><p><br /></p><p>Ok, so here are the coins I picked for my top 10. They are not in &quot;favorite&quot; order since I couldn&#039;t decide so I went with chronological order:</p><p><br /></p><p>#1 - I love this one for being the biggest chonker in the FF collection. I know it&#039;s not as big as some others, but it is still a beast!</p><p><br /></p><p>Ptolemy IV, Philopater</p><p>AE38, 38.15g</p><p>221 - 205 BC</p><p>Obverse: Diademed head of Zeus Ammon right</p><p>Reverse: ΠTOΛEMIAOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on thunderbolt, looking back at cornucopiae over right wing</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227716[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#2 - FFIVN has a big fascination with Chinese cash coins and while I think they are pretty interesting and enjoy the history, I have a hard time differentiating between a lot of them. This is the oldest one in our collection and I like the simplicity.</p><p><br /></p><p>Western Han Dynasty</p><p>118-113 BC</p><p>Five Zhu</p><p>Provincial Mint</p><p>Obverse: Wu Zhu, half moon below hole</p><p>Reverse: Blank as made</p><p>Hartill 8.10</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227718[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#3 - This is a coin I think everyone should have in their collection and is the one that got me on a &quot;Victory/Nike&quot; kick. This is my 2nd of these and is a big upgrade from the one I bought at the first coin show that FFIVN and I attended with the express purpose of looking at ancients.</p><p><br /></p><p>Amisos, Pontos</p><p>AE22</p><p>Time of Mithradates VI</p><p>Ca 85-65 BC</p><p>Obverse: Aegis facing </p><p>Reverse: AMI-ΣOY to left and right of Nike walking right, holding palm tied with fillet over left shoulder; monograms to left and right</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227727[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#4 - Continuing with the Victory/Nike theme, I snagged this provincial of Gordian III with a beautiful green patina and a great depiction of Nike on the reverse.</p><p><br /></p><p>Gordian III</p><p>AE25</p><p>Hadrianopolis, Thrace</p><p>Obverse: AYT K M ANT ΓOΡΔIANOC AV, laureate, draped bust right </p><p>Reverse: AΔΡIANOΠOΛEITΩN, Nike standing left with wreath and palm branch</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227729[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#5/5b - This is a twofer, thus making my top 10 really the top 11...But I couldn&#039;t split them up! A pair of beautifully thick Alexandrian tetradrachms of Gallienus and his wife Salonina, both minted in year 15! They came from two different places but finally managed to be reunited after 1750+ years. How cool is that?!</p><p><br /></p><p>Gallienus</p><p>Potin Tetradrachm of Alexandria</p><p>Year 15 = 267-268 AD</p><p>Obverse: AVT K Π ΛIK ΓAΛΛIHNOC CEB, laureate and cuirassed bust right </p><p>Reverse: Eagle standing facing, head left with wreath in beak; palm branch left, LIE to right</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227735[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Salonina, wife of Gallienus</p><p>Potin Tetradrachm of Alexandria, Egypt</p><p>Year 15 (267/268 AD)</p><p>Obverse: KOΡNHΛIA CAΛΩNEINA CEB, draped bust right </p><p>Reverse: L-IE, eagle standing left, wreath in beak, palm-branch behind</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227736[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#6 - Ok back to the regular countdown!</p><p>This one is special to be because 1) it was a gift 2) continuing with the Victory/Nike theme and 3) it was minted in London. I spent my first 2 years in the Navy stationed in London and loved it. I hope that some day I can take my family to visit and show them all the amazing things there. Especially the British Museum.</p><p><br /></p><p>Constantine I</p><p>AE Follis</p><p>319-320 AD</p><p>Obverse: IMP CONSTANTINVS AG, helmeted, cuirassed bust left, spear over far shoulder </p><p>Reverse: VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP, two Victories standing facing holding shield inscribed VOT PR on altar decorated with diamond</p><p>Mintmark PLN</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227743[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#7 - I got heavily into Byzantine coinage this year and this is one of my favorites. I love the patina (way better than what is showing in the picture!) and the detail. Something that seems to be lacking in a lot of the coins from Phocas.</p><p><br /></p><p>Phocas and Leontia</p><p>AD 602-610</p><p>AE follis</p><p>Antioch as Theopolis</p><p>Obverse: DN FOCA NE PE AV or similar, Phocas on left, holding cross on globe and Leontia, usually but not always nimbate, on right, holding sceptre topped by cross, standing facing </p><p>Reverse: Large m (lower case), ANNO to left, cross above, regnal year (sometimes with dot above) to right, mintmark THEUP&#039;</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227745[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#8 -&nbsp; I had been wanting a coin of Theophilus after listening to the podcast &quot;History of Byzantium&quot; and hearing all about the iconoclasts.</p><p><br /></p><p>Theophilus</p><p>AE Follis</p><p>830-842 AD</p><p>Constantinople</p><p>Obverse: ThEOFIL&#039; bASIL&#039;, crowned, three-quarter length figure of Theophilus facing, pellets on crown, wearing loros, holding labarum and cross on globe </p><p>Reverse: ThEO-FILE AVG-OVStE SV-nICAS in four lines</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227746[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>#9 - Another Byzantine emperor who I learned of from the &quot;History of Byzantium&quot; podcast. He was &quot;born into the purple&quot; and an interesting reign. This is a follis that features his mother, Zoe who served as his regent when he was young, who was an interesting character in her own right.</p><p><br /></p><p>Constantine VII and Leo</p><p>AE Follis</p><p>Constantinople</p><p>913-959 AD</p><p>Obverse: CONSTANT CE ZOH b, crowned facing busts of Constantine, unbearded, on left, wearing loros, and Zoe, wearing chlamys, on right, holding patriarchal cross between them </p><p>Reverse: CONS / TANTINO / CE ZOH bA / SILIS RO / MEON, legend in five lines</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1227748[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>To be continued:[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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