Jack's 2016 Top Ten Favorite Ancients

Well I'm a little late to the "Top XX of 2016" threads but I wanted to wait until 2016 had ended and all coins were in hand. Well that has happened so below is a list of my favorites this year. Like most of us here it was challenging putting this together and most of the list is pretty fluid and could easily change.


#10
This little bronze was my first coin facing and I was immediately drawn to it for that reason and I find this depiction of Herakles with the styrax in his hair very cool.

Pisidia, Selge.
Æ12, 2.4g, 7h; 2nd-1st centuries BC
Obv.: Laureate and bearded head of Herakles facing, lion-skin around neck; club to left.
Rev.: Forepart of stag right, head left.

#9
Julian II, as the last pagan emperor, attempted to reintroduce large coinage with a pagan bull on the reverse. As the last pagan emperor with an overtly pagan reference, this coin type had to become part of my collection.

Julian II, AD 355-363
Æ28, 7.4g, 6h; Arles mint, AD 360-363
Obv.: DN FL CL IVLIANVS PF AVG; Diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: SECVRITAS REIPVB; Bull standing right, two stars above, eagle to right, standing right on wreath, holding another wreath in its beak
In Ex.: SCONST

#8
I have a soft spot for Constantine so I knew he would be in my top ten. This coin celebrates his victory in Sirmium, was minted there, and the campaign was recorded in Zosimus made this a must-have type for me. The amount of detail on the reverse was another plus.

Constantine I, AD 306-337
AE, 18mm, 2.7g; 6h; Sirmium, AD 324-325
Obv.: CONSTANTINVS AVG; laureate bust right
Rev.: SARMATIA DEVICTA; Victory advancing right, holding trophy, palm branch, spurning captive seated on ground to right
In Ex.: SIRM

#7
Camp gates are a collecting interest of mine so when I discovered the city gate reverses I had to add those! This photo makes the surface on the reverse look worse than it is but it's a nice big coin of a reverse type I wanted with a rule I didn't have on the obverse.

Diadumenian, AD 217-218
AE, 28mm, 11.4g; 12h; Nikopolis ad Istrum
Obv.: K M OΠΕΛ ΔΙΑΔΟUMENIANOC AV; draped bust right
Rev.: UΠ ΑΓΡΙΠΠΑ NIKOΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ ΠΡΟC ICTΠ; city gate with three crenulated towers

#6
Antoninus Pius with an elephant - need I say more?

Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161
AE, As, 27mm, 9.3g; 2h; Rome, AD 148-149
Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XII; Laureate head right, aegis on left shoulder
Rev.: MVNIFICENTIA AVG; elephant walking right with trunk raised
In Ex.: COS IIII SC

#5
Military or war themes are a major focus of my collection. This one was offered to me, with my collection in mind, and I jumped at it. Here's a cool link from CNG about the Brettii:

https://www.cngcoins.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=404

Another attraction to this coin was that it was minted during the Second Punic War, an era I wrote several papers on for school.

The Brettii, Bruttium
AE, reduced uncia, 23mm, 8.3g; 3h; BC 211-208
Obv.: Laureate head of Zeus right, thunderbolt behind
Rev.: BPETTIΩN; Warrior advancing right holding spear and shield, at feet, owl flying right

#4
What can I say, but I have a thing for large bronzes! Bigger the better! One day I'll add some of those diner plates from the Republic...
The Gallic empire is another interest and focus area of mine. The fact that it didn't last very long make the list of emperors to collect a lot shorter. This coin has a very decent portrait and features Virtus on the reverse.

Postumus, AD 260-269
Ӕ Sestertius, 31x29mm, 19.2g, 12h; Lugdunum mint, AD 261
Obv.: IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: VIRTVS AVG, Mars standing right holding spear and leaning on shield.

#3
This coin nearly made it to number 1. If it wasn't for the next two it would have been! This coin has a large, clear bust and a muscular Asklepios on the reverse. Caracalla is a major interest of mine, particularly his provincial coinage.

Caracalla, AD 198-217
AE30, 14.9g, 7h; Thrace, Pautalia.
Obv.: AVT K MAVP CEV ANTONEINOC, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: OVΛΠIAC ΠAVTAΛIAC, Asklepios standing front, looking left, leaning on serpent-entwined staff.

#2
A big piece of ancient Greek silver is hard to pass up. To me the facing types I find unusual and interesting.

Islands off Caria, Rhodes.
AR Didrachm, 21mm, 6.6 g, 12h; c. 305-275 BC
Obv.: Head of Helios facing slightly right.
Rev.: Rose with bud to right; E and grape bunch to left.

#1
This lifetime issue of Alexander the Great was an easy choice for my #1 spot.

Macedonian Kingdom, Alexander III
AR tetradrachm, 17.18g; Amphipolis mint, lifetime issue, struck under Antipater, c. 325-323 BC.
Obv.: Head of Herakles right, clad in Nemean Lion scalp headdress tied at neck.
Rev.: AΛEΞANΔΡOY Zeus enshrined left, throne without back and two leg struts,bright leg forward (archaic lifetime style), eagle in extended right hand, long scepter vertical behind in left hand, TE monogram lower left, concave field

 

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You have a mighty good eye for excellent coins!

 

Number 1 is pretty cool.
Congrats on a great year!

 

Very nice top ten. I like the Alexander very much.

 

Nice assortment, I like 9, 3 & 1 best myself.

 

Thanks for telling us your thoughts as well as showing us the coins.

 

Great choices.

 

Some very nice coins Jwt708, congrats on a great year of coin collecting.

 

Great coins! I really like#6, one I'd like to get.

 

Great top 10, great year for you! Thanks for your thoughts.

 

Gotta say the uncia is my favorite. Great group!

 

Thanks all!

Coins #1 & #7 were wish list coins.

I also got to beef up my Caracalla collection last year so that was fun. Hopefully 2017 will continue to see interesting coins added.

 

The Caracalla is very nice.

 

I like 5 and 10 best but agree with Valentinian

I wish all did this on their ten-lists.

 

=> Nobody puts Baby in a corner!!

... just jokes, Jack (Happy New Year)

Those are ten total winners, my coin-friend (oh, and I'm sure that my Xmas gift must have placed 11th)

 

I'm glad you tossed her in here because I almost put her with A.P.!

 

Nice selection. I like #3 and #1 the most !

Q

 

Interesting choices. I love the detail on the trophy on the SARMATIA coin.

 

I agree with everyone/great coins/writeups/photos and good year! Wish you even a better 2017!