Hell has frozen over: L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi denarius

Well the Caesar was sold in a lot of 10 maybe it was real...Many here thought it was an old forgery the lot of 10 silver Romans went for $300 you can still find it on Heritage by searching Julius Caesar Denarius Why would they sell that coin for $30 bucks?!

 

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Nice coin, congrats! You almost had yourself a bit of competition. I had seen it and liked it enough to consider trying for it (hadn't noticed your name on it, though). Common as these are, I don't have one yet and would like one. This was actually the first CNG in a long while that I placed no bids on at all.

 

Interesting they removed the picture of the lot!!!

LOT #64028 the picture is there last coin

 

Congrats on your Frugi, Salient. I got a new coin today, but not from CNG.

 

I am of the opinion that you paid about the right price for the coin and, considering it was a CNG sale, got a good deal. One of the lots I wanted went for 7x estimate while another went for start (60%) but it makes no difference since I napped through the sale and woke up two minutes after the last lot I wanted closed (for less than I was planning on bidding).

I have a possible explanation why some people (people like me) might have avoided the lot but most people are just looking for high grade coins and could care less about things I consider interesting. This one has nice clear Roman numerals on both sides identifying the dies but those numbers are nothing special. I have a few of the type (nothing great) but might prefer if buying another that it had a number like Bing's second coin showing the downward arrow form of L or a ridiculously high die number. If you think that is weird, I'll ask you remember that I have been called that many times. One of mine is like that with L (77/94 is about as cool as you get IMHO) and a second has an obverse symbol rather than a number. The third is fourree of the later moneyer who revived the type so I really do not need another of these. I see no reason you should not be thrilled with the coin! Yours does show a very appropriate spacing between the numbers illustrating the fact that obverse dies lasted longer than reverses.


Congratulations! It is a very nice coin.

 

Good looking Frugi. Haven't bid on CNG yet, their higher prices puts me a bit off. Maybe sometimes in the future though.

 

I'm finding you get what you pay for lol If there is a Secret to getting uncommon ancients at "bargain basement" prices no one is talking!

 

I think the secret is to collect something not many appreciate.

 

I think you got a good price. I paid a little less than that for mine from a dealer but still within the same ballpark and mine loses part of the horse's head and has a bit of die rust. They used the heck out of the dies(~1k obverse and a similar number of reverse) and many exhibit signs of die wear or rust.

 

I'm glad to see you got a lovely coin out of the CNG auction today. Clio was kind to you.

 

A couple of mine:

 

I'm in agreement as well @Sallent...I think you scored a cool coin at a fair price and I'd be quite happy with it too!!! CONGRATS!!!

I won a few auctions of late scattered among CNG, Roma and a well known e-Bay seller who accepted my low retail offer, so I think I did OK this time around although I sometimes feel I pay a bit more than I should have to win the coins I want....and I suppose most of us feel that way too.

I'm still missing a 'FRVGI'

 

As promised above, I have only a couple Frugi to show... well worn, but "they've been around"...



I think someone used a pellet gun on the 2nd one. Took ROMA out! (Probly me, when I was a kid...)

 

Another of L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, but not a denarius this time:

 

I like the ROMA in monogram. I find the monograms moneyers used interesting.

I think the flow marks add to the coin. I think they speak to the moneyer trying to make the most coins out of one die for an issue that had a large number of dies. Rome was paying a lot of soldiers a couple of these a week during the social war, 91 to 88 BC. One estimate has the Roman army at 150,000 = about 17 million per year and the Italian army at 100,000.
http://ancienthistory.about.com/od/republicanromanbattles/g/092807SocialWar.htm

 

Great score, Sallent (congrats, lawyer)

Ummm, I have a pretty sweet high relief Frugi-example ... wanna see it? (again)

C. Piso L.F. Frugi
61 BC


Cheers, coin-bro

 

Here's mine.

 

Wanna trade?

@Carthago you have a stunning example with great eye appeal. I especially love the details on the horse's muscles.

 

Nice coins folks.

Mine has what appears to be fractional marks either side of the bust :-

C Piso L. F. Frugi Denarius

Obv:– Laureate head of Apollo right, Fractional mark (two vertical pellets) behind bust and (four pellets) in front?
Rev:– Horseman galloping right, holding palm; L PISO FRVGI below, N Pellet above
Minted in Rome 90-89 B.C.
Reference(s) – Crawford 340/1, RSC I Calpurnia 11