It's been a long while since I have purchased a coin, as I am saving for a milled pre 1800 8 Escudos (which will be by a large margin the most expensive coin I have ever bought). However, I just couldn't let this one go by - $29 USD. Obv: Antoninus I. Pius Rev: Vesta 138 to 161 AD Denarius, 3.27g I thought the obverse was fairly decent (which is what I am collecting it for anyway - as part of the 'Good 5 Emperors'), despite the worn reverse.
As one who started collecting as a graduate student with 3 children, I remember when $29 was a splurge. Nice coin.
That's a lovely coin! It's well-centered and pleasingly toned. It is fully attributable, too. The coin demonstrates that the economy under the "five good emperors" was quite good and commerce was vigorous. Coins circulated for decades. Worn coins of this period are a visible reminder of this. Now, look at the situation a hundred years later -- when was the last time you saw a denarius of Gordian III with this sort of circulation wear?
I would guess that particular coin circulated into, even through the reign of Commodus. After that its higher silver content would have made it a target for the hoarders and the melters.
One of my first AR coins was a sub 30 buck A Pius denarius I picked up at a coin show. Antoninus Pius, AR Denarius, 138 - 161 AD O:ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVIII, laureate head right R: COS IIII, Vesta standing left, holding patera & palladium; altar at feet left. 19 mm, 3.1 g.
Indeed, it's a funny situation when $29 is a splurge Thank you for your kind words about this old worn coin But yes, I agree - the upside of a worn coin is that it saw the ancient world, and wasn't just buried somewhere and found in a hoard. To be honest, history is a significant driving factor for any coin I purchase. That's a fantastic coin! And Vesta has far more detail than mine.
It is an attractive denarius, and at a very good price. I would love to see your 8 Escudos when you get it. Are you looking for any particular mint, or a peninsular (Spanish) mint?
Thank you kind sir In terms of the Escudos and what I was looking for, my parameters were very broad. Essentially it had to be minted in the New World, and it had to be pre 1800s. That's it! And here it is: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/my-newest-edition-8-escudos-1790-da.324335/