I once was lost, but now I'm found!

In honor of Mr. Dorney's thread on vacation regrets, I'm starting one to showcase regrets that have been righted, coins that have been reunited, and generally successes turned out of defeats in coin our collecting.

I just bought this coin from Harlan Berk's new bid or buy sale. It came from the NAC auction in May that included the better portion of E.E. Claim-Stefanelli's collection of Roman Republican coins. I had a target list of bids in that auction which included this coin, but due to some miscommunication and misunderstanding on my end I ended up not bidding on it. I was crestfallen.

When I saw this coin in the Berk BBS, I fell over myself getting to a computer, getting it in the basket, updating my outdated shipping info and old credit card...making sure I wasn't going to lose it again to some opportunist. It was modestly marked up from the hammer at NAC and I'm so happy to get a second chance!

I haven't received it, but I don't buy into superstition about posting early, so here it goes LOUD AND PROUD!

L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus. Denarius 62, AR 4.03 g. PAVLLS LEPIDVS – CONCORDIA Diademed and draped bust of Concordia r. Rev. Trophy; to r., togate figure (L. Aemilius Paullus) and to l., three captives (King Perseus of Macedon and his sons). Above, TER and in exergue, PAVLLVS. Babelon Aemilia 10. Sydenham 926. RBW 1497. Crawford 415/1.




Post any of your coins that you've snatched from the jaws of defeat.

 

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Thats a beautiful coin. Love the bust, really like the reverse, congrats.

 

That is one of my favorite of the Republicans. Very nice, and what a great feeling to have captured like that! Congrats!

 

Stunning coin, C. Do update us when you uncover a back-provenance for it!

 

EXCELLENT!!!!

 

Fantastic! I'm glad you were reunited.

I also picked up a great coin in the new HJB auction. I was entering my check card number as quickly as possible while fearing other customers were doing the same!

As for the thread theme, I've shared the story many times but it definitely qualifies! It is nearly miraculous that I managed to get the bid through. The same problems I had may have also prevented it from selling higher, and it hammered for just one increment below my max. Phew!

It's a long tale, so rather than recapping it here is the full version:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ancient-adventures-in-bidland-agathokles-tetradrachm.243930/


SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles (317-289 BCE)
struck 310-305 BCE
AR tetradrachm, 17.40 g, 24 mm
Obv: head of the nymph Arethusa left, wearing grain wreath, earring and necklace; around, three dolphins; under, monogram (NK?)
Rev: ΣYPAKOΣIΩN, fast chariot charioteer leads to left, holding reins and kentron; above, triskeles; in exergue, monogram
Ref: Ierardi 12 (O2-R8); SNG Copenhagen 573 var., SNG ANS 637

 

Working on it, my friend Carausius. Always, working on it...

Love that story, TIF! You earned that coin for sure (and what a showpiece!!)

 

You got a winner there. Glad you got a second chance at it.

 

That's a gorgeous coin. Congrats on capturing it this time around!

 

Wonderful coin and great story @Carthago. I love that coin.

 

That has to be one of the most beautiful coins I've ever seen. I don't collect ancients I only have a couple of lower grade pieces but this is just amazing. Thanks for sharing. I look at a lot of the ancients posted here and I'm glad I didn't miss this.

 

Awesome looking coin. Its usually third times the charm, but I guess in your case its second times the charm.

 

oh wow, what a fantastic coin cathago, that reverse scene is awesome.

 

Fantastic coin @Carthago, I wish my example of the same were half as good as yours


L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus Rome mint, 62 BC
PAVLLUS - LEPIDVS {CONCORDIA] diademed and draped bust of concordia right
Trophy with Lepidus Paullus on the right and three captives on the left (king Perseus of Macedon and his sons). TER above and PAVLLVS at exergue
4.00 gr
Ref : RCV # 366, RSC, Aemilia # 10


As for a "coin that you've snatched from the jaws of defeat", I do have an example that stands out in my mind, although not ancient but medieval

As some of you may know, I do collect coins from the principality of Dombes ). Gold coinage of this principality, apart from a half pistole and a pistole of Louis II de Montpensier, both minted in 1578, is exceedingly rare. When Mr Jean Paul Divo's Numismatique de Dombes has been first edited in 2004, I jumped on it as soon as it's been available. Out of many rarities, a coin caught my interest : # 64 in the book ; a pistole minted for Francois II de Montpensier in 1587. Not only was it the only gold coin for this prince, but also the only year of issue, and Mr Divo wrote "unicum" (the only known example had been sold with the Claoué collection in 1993)

Two years after, the magnificent Couchard collection was offered at auction, and a second example of this coin popped up, better by far as to it's strike and conservation. Of course I bid on it but was laaaargely outbid, being probably a bit tender for such a battle at this time. I had to admit this coin would never be part of my collection. After that, the same example has been sold (or unsold, God only knows) two times in the following years.

In 2010, I inherited some money from my grand mother (after he had hesitated for a while since she had sadly passed away, my father decided himself to sell her house, and he eventually shared the money with my sister and me). One month later, the same coin popped up again at auction, and, cherry on the cake, a friend of mine was coorganizer of the sale. So I had a man in the place, who could do the bidding on my behalf. I got the coin 100 € below my maximum....


Francois II de Montpensier (1582-1592)
Pistole, or - 1587
+ FRANCIS . P . DOMBAR . D . MONTIS . M . Ecu de Bourbon couronné
+ DNS . ADIVT . ET . REDEM . MEVS . 1587 Croix feuillue
6.30 gr - 28 mm
Ref : Divo Dombes # 64, Mantellier # 37, Poey d'Avant # 5135, Friedberg # 124

Q

PS : and of course, this coin, everytime I look at it, reminds me of my grand mother and of my father's generosity, which is even better than just a coin !!

 

That makes it a very special coin indeed! Congratulations

 

That's a wonderful denarius @Carthago !!!

I'm glad you had a successful second attempt.

I haven't gotten to the point of 'intensely desiring' a certain coin and then losing it at auction or otherwise missing out (although several went beyond my maximum numerous times)-----probably because I've only returned to ancients a bit more than 1 1/2 years ago and I 'wanted' them ALL and constantly try again and again to make budget and coin match up. !!! LOL

 

My RR Aemilius Lepidus Paullus 62 BCE Concordia Perseus Maced captv Sear 366 Craw 415-1

 

Wonderful story. I love the niche collections as I enjoy them too. VERY nice Pistole... I personally collect for the History and the meanings attached to them.

 

It's always nice to read of things such as this. A most beautiful coin too.

 

Great story and neat coin Q! Thanks for sharing it.