Lord Marcovan's "Eclectic Box" collection as of January 3, 2019

January 3, 2019

In 2013, I did a major purge of all my coin collections and decided to simplify to just one small box of "nicer" coins, focusing more on quality than quantity. However, pursuing quality remains an ongoing challenge on my budget. I have tried to develop a discerning eye for nice coins that are still obtainable on a working-class salary.

I also abandoned the idea of structured "sets", and have gone completely "freestyle", liberating myself to collect whatever catches my fancy, though you'll likely still notice some subtle themes which reflect my personal tastes.

Aesthetic "eye appeal" is my first goal and historical, artistic, or cultural appeal a very close second. In keeping with the "eclectic" attribute, I'm also trying to add as wide a variety as possible of time periods, cultures, and geographic regions here.

Until mid-2016, I stuck to the "Box of 20" principle, where the collection was always 20 coins (in other words, if I wanted to add one, I had to sell one). I have since abandoned the 20-coin limit and let the collection grow.

Coin photos in this collection are not shown to scale.

Main galleries:

"Eclectic Box" gallery on CollectiveCoin (the current lineup)
"Bygones" from the Eclectic Box (gone, but not forgotten)

Last update: November 21, 2018
Number of coins as of last update: 40
Number of coins as of this update: 48

As always, thanks for looking.

~Robertson ("Rob") Shinnick (aka "LordM")
St. Simons Island, Georgia, January 3, 2019

 

Greece (Ionia, Phokaia): electrum hekte; Athena and quadripartite punch, ca. 478-387 BC

NGC VF; Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5.

Greece (Thessaly, Pharkadon): silver hemidrachm; Thessalos restraining bull, ca. 440-400 BC

Presently uncertified; ex-Sphinx Numismatics.

Greece (Corinth): silver stater; Pegasus and Athena, ca. 345-307 BC; control mark of Artemis Phosphoros with torch

NGC AU; Strike 5/5, Surface 3/5.

Greece (Mysia, Lampsakos): silver diobol; janiform heads and Athena, ca. 4th-3rd century BC

Presently uncertified; ex-Ken Dorney.

Greece (Spartans in Taras, Calabria, Italy): silver drachm; Athena and owl, ca. 302-281 BC

NGC XF; Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5.

Greece (Kingdom of Macedon): silver "Mercenaries" drachm of King Perseus, ca. 175-170 BC

NGC Ch MS; Strike 5/5, Surface 5/5.

Roman Republic: silver denarius of moneyer L. Furius Brocchus; Ceres and curule chair, ca. 63 BC

NGC Ch VF; Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5.

Roman Empire: silver denarius of Vespasian; capricorns and globe, struck by Titus ca. 80-81 AD

NGC AU; Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5.

Roman Egypt: billon tetradrachm of Hadrian, Year 15 (130-131 AD); Hadrian receiving corn ears from Alexandria

Presently uncertified; ex-Ex- Arkadien Numismata, Switzerland.

Byzantine Empire: gold tremissis of Justinian I; Victory with wreath and cross, ca. 527-565 AD

NGC MS; Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, "wrinkled".

Sasanian Empire: silver drachm of Khusrow II; fire altar with two attendants; struck 611 AD

Presently uncertified; ex- Marc Breitsprecher.

 

Sicily (Norman Kings): gold tari of Guglielmo I ("William the Bad"), ca. 1154-1166 AD

Presently uncertified; ex-Nomos AG.

England: silver penny of King John, ca. 1213-1215, from the Gisors hoard found in Normandy

PCGS XF45; population 2 with none higher as of 1/3/2019.

Crusader States (Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus): silver gros petit of Henry II, King of Cyprus and Jerusalem, ca. 1285-1324

Presently uncertified; ex- Classical Numismatic Group, eAuction 435, Lot 447.

France (Duchy of Lorraine): silver "sword" type demi-gros of Antoine the Good, ca. 1508-1544

Presently uncertified; ex- Künker am Dom.

Lithuania: silver half-groschen of Sigismund II Augustus of Poland, 1550

PCGS MS63; population 5 with 8 higher as of 1/3/2019.

 

(Part 1)

German States (Teutonic Order): silver 1/4-thaler of Grand Master Maximilian of Austria, ca. 1615

PCGS XF45; population 1 with 1 higher as of 1/3/2019.

Belgium (Liège, Chapter of St. Lambert): copper communion token; memento mori, ca. 1680s

Presently uncertified; ex- Heritage Auctions Europe.

Bolivia (Spanish Colonial): silver "cob" type 1-real coin of Charles II, 1694 VR, Potosí mint

PCGS VF25; population 1 - the only example graded by PCGS as of 1/3/2019.

Germany (Nuremberg): silver medal by Daniel Dockler the Younger, 1730; bicentennial of the Augsburg Confession

Presently uncertified; ex- Künker am Dom, Germany.

Switzerland (Zurich): silver "city view" 1/2-thaler (1 gulden of 36 schillings), 1739

PCGS AU58; population 1- the only example certified by PCGS as of 1/3/2019.

Spain: gold half-escudo of Ferdinand VI, 1759-JB, Madrid mint

PCGS XF40- population 1 - the only example certified by PCGS as of 1/3/2019- also the key date for the type.

Mexico (Spanish Colonial): silver 8 reales ("Pillar Dollar"), 1761-Mo-MM, Mexico City mint

PCGS AU50; population 5 with 15 higher as of 1/3/2019.

India (Mysore): gold fanam of Tipu Sultan, AH 1200 (1786), Patan mint

PCGS MS62; population 1 - the only example certified by PCGS as of 1/3/2019.

Belgium (Austrian Netherlands): copper 2 liards (2 Oorden); Insurrection coinage, 1790

NGC MS63 BN; population 3 with 4 higher as of 1/3/2019.

Great Britain: gilt copper proof halfpenny of George III, 1806, Soho mint

PCGS PR65 DCAM, ex-NGC PR64 CAM; PCGS population 1 with 1 higher as of 1/3/2019.

 

(Part 2)

United States: silver half dollar, Draped Bust type, Heraldic Eagle reverse, 1807

PCGS F12, CAC verified; population 162 with 1,524 higher as of 1/3/2019.

Iran (Persia): gold toman of Fath Ali Shah, AH 1233 (1817), Yazd mint

PCGS MS62; population 5 with none higher as of 1/3/2019.

United States: copper large cent, Coronet type, 1818; likely from the Randall Hoard found in 1869

PCGS MS62 BN; population 166 with 321 higher as of 1/3/2019.

Great Britain: silver shilling of George IV, ca. 1826-1829, mint error (struck 20% off-center)

PCGS XF40; no population data since errors are unique, but a rare error for the type.

Liberia: proof copper cent; Liberty in Phrygian cap and palm tree; first coin issued for Liberian independence, 1847

PCGS PR65 BN, ex-NGC PF64 BN; PCGS population 1- finest graded at either service as of 1/3/2019.

United States: silver dime, Seated Liberty type, arrows at date subtype, 1853

PCGS AU53; population 55 with 860 higher as of 1/3/2019.

United States: gold dollar, 1855; Type 2; small "Indian Princess" head

PCGS XF45; population 310 with 3,426 higher as of 1/3/2019. (Temporary photo.)

Japan (Meiji Era): silver and gold Nibu-Kin (2 bu), ca. 1868-1869

PCGS AU55; population 106 with 53 higher as of 1/3/2019.

France: silver jeton (insurance token) engraved by Ernest-Paulin Tasset, 1869

PCGS MS63; population 2 with none higher as of 1/3/2019.

Belgium: copper 2 centimes of Leopold II, 1874 (small wide date variety); lion and monogram

PCGS MS65 BN; population 1- the only example certified by PCGS as of 1/3/2019.

 

(Part 3)

Channel Islands (Guernsey): copper 2-doubles coin, 1889-H; Heaton Mint, Birmingham

PCGS MS65 RB; population 1- the only example certified by PCGS as of 1/3/2019.

Great Britain: gold half-sovereign of Queen Victoria, 1901, from the Terner collection

PCGS MS64; population 13 with 6 higher as of 1/3/2019.

United States: silver dime, Barber type, 1901, ex-Stacks-Bowers Galleries

PCGS MS64, CAC verified; population 103 with 70 higher as of 1/3/2019.

United States: copper "Hard Times" token; C.D. Peacock Jeweler, Chicago, "1837" (1902)

PCGS MS63 BN; population 1 - the only example certified by PCGS as of 1/3/2019.

United States: cupronickel 5 cents, Buffalo type, 1913, Type 1 ("raised mound" reverse)

PCGS MS65; population 3,978 with 2,998 higher as of 1/3/2019.

Greenland: copper-nickel 25-øre, 1926 (h) HCN GJ; Danish arms and polar bear

PCGS MS65; population 23 with 27 higher as of 1/3/2019.

Great Britain (Island of Lundy): bronze 1-puffin coin (token) issued by Martin Coles Harman, 1929

PCGS MS65 RD; population 5 with none higher as of 1/3/2019.

China (Republic): silver yuan ("Junk dollar"), Year 23 (1934); Sun-Yat Sen and sailing junk

PCGS MS62; population 11,601 with 25,199 higher as of 1/3/2019.

Ireland: cupronickel halfcrown (2 shillings 6 pence), 1951; Irish Hunter horse

PCGS MS65; population 14 with 3 higher as of 1/3/2019.

Greece: silver 30-drachmai of Paul I; "Five Greek Kings" commemorative, 1963
PCGS MS65; population 163 with 58 higher as of 1/3/2019.

 

(Part 4)

San Marino: silver proof 10-euro, 2006-R; Antonio Canova's "Three Graces" statue

PCGS PR69 DCAM; population 10 with none higher as of 1/3/2019.

Austria: silver proof 10-euro, 2008, Klosterneuburg Abbey commemorative

Presently uncertified; ex- Münzenhandlung Dirk Löbbers, Germany.

 

January 3, 2019 update:

Last update: November 21, 2018
Number of coins as of last update: 40
Number of coins as of this update: 48

We have had 9 arrivals and 1 departure since last time.

I fleshed out the modern end of the collection a little bit, but also added a Roman provincial coin, a nice medieval Crusader piece, and a classic US gold coin, since I lacked anything in that category after the departure of my former "top gun", the 1842-D half-eagle.

Here's what came in:

Roman Egypt: billon tetradrachm of Hadrian, Year 15 (130-131 AD); Hadrian receiving corn ears from Alexandria


Crusader States (Lusignan Kingdom of Cyprus): silver gros petit of Henry II, King of Cyprus and Jerusalem, ca. 1285-1324


Germany (Nuremberg): silver medal by Daniel Dockler the Younger, 1730; bicentennial of the Augsburg Confession


United States: gold dollar, 1855; Type 2; small "Indian Princess" head


Belgium: copper 2 centimes of Leopold II, 1874 (small wide date variety); lion and monogram


Ireland: cupronickel halfcrown (2 shillings 6 pence), 1951; Irish Hunter horse


Greece: silver 30-drachmai of Paul I; "Five Greek Kings" commemorative, 1963


San Marino: silver proof 10-euro, 2006-R; Antonio Canova's "Three Graces" statue


Austria: silver proof 10-euro, 2008, Klosterneuburg Abbey commemorative



And here's what went out:

United States: cupronickel dime, Roosevelt type, 2001-P, mint error (missing obverse clad layer)


That last was a nice little error coin, but PCGS wanted more to slab it than the coin itself cost. Sometimes I don't mind that, but with their $65.00++ "Errors" tier fee, return shipping, and so on, it would have cost $90-something to slab! So forget that- I sold it. Maybe it would have been worth the hassle and maybe not, but I sold it off to fuel further purchases.

Thanks for looking and commenting, as always.

 

Thanks. I like it when folks take the time comment on their favorites.

 

Just got that. It looks better in hand. I mean, it's not in hand yet, but I've seen it before when I visited @Aethelred, from whose shop inventory I bought it (at a nice price, I might add). These temporary pictures don't do it justice, I think. Hope to get it reimaged eventually.