Gavin Richardson 2017 Top 10

Here’s my top 10 list for 2017. Apologies ahead of time for this long-winded preamble.

I started collecting ancients around 2004 and collected fairly aggressively into 2007, at which point my money and interests were drawn elsewhere. Late last year, however, a student and I embarked upon a project to catalogue my university’s small collection of some 30 coins. Doing so rekindled an interest in my own collection, and I jumped back in with both feet, adding about 30 coins of my own to my collection in the past year.

So despite having technically collected ancient coins for some 14 years, my collection really is of someone who has seriously collected for fewer than 5 of those years. If I have a specialty, it’s Constantine, though I have spent a good bit of this year filling in the blanks of important, unrepresented emperors and acquiring certain “classic” coins that most collectors at one point in time will acquire (e.g., a Vespasian Judea Capta, a Tribute Penny, etc.)

I discovered this forum about a year ago. Aside from the coins themselves, this forum has been most important thing that has rekindled my interest in ancients. When I became a forum member a year ago, among the first things I noticed were the top 10 lists people were beginning to post. Many of the coins were quite stunning, and I enjoyed the write-ups as much as the coins themselves. Viewers of my Top 10 list will find no fleur-de-coin aurei here, but I’m not going to poor-mouth my more modest purchases. Ancients offer something for everyone. So here are ten coins that have brought me a lot of pleasure this year— pleasure fostered by having this forum to share them with.



10. Constans AE centenionalis. 348 A.D.
OBVERSE: DN CONSTAN-S PF AVG
REVERSE: “Barbarian” and Hut type; FEL TEMP REPARATIO. Arles mint.

This ugly coin was $8. So why is it in my Top 10 list when plenty of other coins could take its place? Because this Arelatum-struck coin was the final one needed to complete a mint city set of Constans “Barbarian” and Hut FEL TEMPs–a set I had been haphazardly working on since about 2004, and which wedded my interests as an academic with those of a private collector. I will probably upgrade this coin one day, but I will still keep it.



9. CONSTANTINE I, AS CAESAR
AE (bronze) follis or nummus;
ca. Summer 307 A.D.
25.45 mm. 7.84 g. 180°
OBVERSE: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB C; laureate, cuirassed bust right.
REVERSE: GENIO-POP ROM; Genius standing facing, towered head left, loins draped, patera in right hand, cornucopiae in left.
PLN; London Mint. RIC VI Londinium 88b

This one was a gift from @jamesicus . It’s pretty nice when one of your Top 10 coins is a freebie! It marks Constantine’s appearance on the world stage as a major player, and it also is a testament to how great this board is and to Jamesicus’s personal generosity.



8. SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS AR denarius; 209 A.D.
18 mm. 3.09 g. 0°
OBVERSE: SEVERVS PIVS AVG; laureate head right.
REVERSE: PM TR P XVII – COS III PP; Neptune standing left, nude but for chlamys draped over left shoulder and right forearm, right hand resting on upper right leg, right foot on rock, long trident vertical in left hand. N/A; Rome mint. RIC 4.228

My first and so far only Septimius Severus. I wanted to make it a nice one, and I think I did. Love that tortellini beard!



7. HADRIAN
AE Sestertius. 119-121 A.D. 32 mm. 22.25 g. 0°
OBVERSE: IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG PM TR P COS III; laureate bust right.
REVERSE: LIBERTAS PVBLICA; Libertas, draped, seated left on throne, holding branch in right hand, which rests on lap, and vertical sceptre in left. SC. RIC 2.583

I am filling in the gaps of my collection these days, and while I have no illusions about getting a coin of each emperor, I do want to acquire coins of significant emperors unrepresented in my collection. Hadrian was one of these until recently, when I found this worn but still pleasing turquoise sestertius in an Artemide Aste unsold lot.



6. CARACALLA
AR tetradrachm of Tyre; 213-217 A.D.
26 x 27 mm. 11.71 g. 0°
OBVERSE: AYT KAI ANTωNINOC CE; laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust to right seen from behind.
REVERSE: ΔHMAPX EΞ VΠATOC TO Δ. Eagle seen from the front, wings spread, head left, standing on club, murex shell between legs.

I stared at this coin in Warren Esty’s online shop for a long time, wondering why somebody hadn’t bought this underpriced, scowling beauty. One day I decided that somebody needed to be me.



5. ANTONINUS PIUS AE As. 162-168 A.D.
OBVERSE: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TRP COS III, Laureate head right.
REVERSE: IMPERATORI II, Sow r. under holm-oak, suckling four young; in front, two more.

This is my only slabbed coin, which I will probably liberate one day. I teach the Aeneid pretty regularly, and the reverse is a reference to the prophecy that a sow with thirty piglets will mark the site of Alba Longa, the city that served as the nearby precursor to Rome. The sow image was thus associated with images of Rome’s foundation, featuring prominently in prophecy in Aeneid Book 3 and realized in Book 8, when Aeneas finds this sow. I was very pleased to find an affordable version of this literary type.



4. VESPASIAN AR denarius; 69-70 A.D. 17 mm. 2.76 g. 180°
OBVERSE: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; laureate head right.
REVERSE: Jewess, in attitude of mourning, seated right, trophy behind, IVDAEA in ex.

I’ve always wanted one of these popular and historical types. Can one coin be more “historical” than another? Maybe not. But the Sack of Jerusalem still resonates today, and this coin was struck at the historical ground zero of the Jewish Diaspora. The deposits on the obverse kept the coin affordable for me, but I don’t think they get in the way of an expressive portrait of Vespasian.



3. CLAUDIUS AE As; 14-37 A.D.
28 mm. 10.71 g. 180°
OBVERSE: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TR P IMP; bust left.
REVERSE: LIBERTAS AVGVSTA S C; Libertas standing, head right, holding a pileus in her right hand, her left hand extended.

A Spanish purchase from a reputable dealer. Can you say patina? I’m currently working on the world’s ugliest Twelve Caesars collection. But this Claudius would be at home anywhere.



2. MARCUS AGRIPPA,
STRUCK UNDER CALIGULA AE As; 37-41 A.D. 28.75 mm. 11.11 g. 180°
OBVERSE: M AGRIPPA L F COS III, head left wearing rostral crown.
REVERSE: S-C, Neptune standing facing, head left, naked except for cloak draped behind him and over both arms, holding small dolphin in right hand and vertical trident in left.

I lost a very nice version of this type to bronze disease a few years ago. I’ve been looking for a replacement ever since. Among the top criteria was that the coin had to have a visible dolphin on the reverse. I found this one and it checked off all my boxes. I won it in my first “big boy” auction, from Münzen und Medaillen GmbH.



1. JULIUS CAESAR AR Denarius; 47-46 B.C. 11.5 mm. 3.28 g. 180°
OBVERSE: Diademed head of Venus right.
REVERSE: CAESAR downwards, on right; Aeneas walking left, carrying his father Anchises and the Palladium.

I had a G-F version of this coin and saw an upgrade opportunity one day in VCoins. I ordered the upgrade and promptly sold my existing JC coin to pay for it. And then the upgrade never came–lost in the mail. So while I got my money back, I had no coin of this type at all, and it’s an expensive one to replace. I found this coin a few months later. While I’m none too crazy about the obverse graffito, it probably brought the coin into my price range, and the coin overall stands as an upgrade to my upgrade.

So Hail Caesar! And Hail CoinTalk!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Hard to beat that Agrippa!!!! Nice top ten.

 

Great coins with some of great historical interest. Congratulations!

 

A carefully selected set of nice coins.

I liked reading your reasons for getting each one. It is always interesting to know what other collectors are thinking.

John

 

I really like your approach to your collection. All of your coins are interesting for one reason or another. Personally, I like the JC most.

 

Wow, REALLY like that Agrippa! All 10 are super. I would really enjoy that AP Sow! I collect Pigs/Boars/Sows (well pretty much any farm animal, or well, pretty much any animal... no scratch that, I collect anything cool, even my focus coins...)

PIG! Cuz you have a cool pig in your Top 10:

Iberia - Castulo AE14 Quarter Unit Bust - BOAR w-star 2nd C BCE

 

The sow, for me, please !
Very nice portrait style on the Agrippa, and an overall nice selection

Q

 

Great set of coins, each with their own historical interest, especially like Agrippa's portrait. Very nice selection.

 

I very much appreciated your preamble. One of the things that makes this hobby and this site so much fun is the interest that everyone takes in the history and uniqueness of thier coins.

As to your top ten I think most will pick the JC just as you did... I really liked the Caracalla Tetradrachm the best!

Well done

 

Super coins

And this little piggy went to market (or maybe wee wee wee all the way home)

TI VETURIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VETURIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Helmeted bust of Mars right
REVERSE: Youth kneeling l., between two warriors who touch with their swords a pig which he holds., ROMA above
Struck at Rome 137 BC
3.7g, 18mm
Cr.234/1; RSC Veturia 1

 

Thanks! Warren (@Valentinian ) had a better picture of this coin on his site. It really is nice in-hand too, as most coins are.

 

A lovely set of coins! The JC and Vespasian are my favourites.

 

Great list! I’ve always loved that A-Pi sow and piglets type and mine was the first coin I ever posted on CoinTalk. I think yours is an excellent example. My other favourites are the ones I don’t have and that are on my perennial want list - the Vespasian Judaea Capta denarius and the Agrippa. Both of those you scored are really nice!

 

Well done Gavin/ really like the Caracalla!

 

Great top ten! I especially love the Claudius, and I'd say the graffito on the JC is a plus! And I think there's an even nicer coin hiding under the deposits on the Vespasian, are you tempted to have a go at them?

 

Cool scowling Caracalla tet, cool Vespasian, very cool AP piggies, very very cool Agrippa!

 

Ha. Not me. I might let a pro have a crack at it. But I’m too chicken.

 

So am I, totally!

 

Nice group!