I've been enjoying reading everyone's "top 10" threads and figured it was time to share my own top ten. Just like several other members of this forum, I do expect to receive at least one or two coins in the mail before the end of the year. But I've already got ten to show, so I'm going to do it now while I have some time. This is the fourth year I'm posting my top ten, but I've decided to do things a little differently this time. Normally I put the coins in order counting down from 10 to 1, but honestly this has been a difficult and somewhat futile exercise. How can I choose which coin is number 6 and number 5? Does it really matter? So this year I'm presenting my coins alphabetically by emperor. Instead of a "counting down," I'm asking forum members to vote for their favorites. I'm curious to find out which are most popular! Another thing I'm doing differently than in years past is to provide a rationale for my decision to purchase each coin. Usually my attitude is "let the coin speak for itself," why should anyone care what I have to say about it?" But I've enjoyed reading other members' commentaries about their own purchases, and I thought that maybe someone might enjoy mine. There does seem to be a "value added" to this, if only that it helps to document an individual's approach to collecting. One more thing: I realized that for 2019 I posted a top 10 list of denarii only. This is because I didn't have good photos of the bronze coins I purchased that year. So maybe I'll post another list before the end of the year — or early next year — consisting of the bronze coins I never showed last year, if I'm able to get around to photographing them. Another thing I plan to do is to share images of the coins I received as a Secret Saturnalia gift. Maybe I'll wait until sometime between 17–24 December, the dates during which Saturnalia is traditionally celebrated. In the meantime, and without further ado, here are my top ten coins for 2020: Caracalla. AR denarius, Rome, 202 CE; 19.5mm, 3.41g, 6h. BMCRE S272–3, Hill 581 (S2), RIC 124a (S), RSC 23. Obv: ANTONINVS – PIVS AVG; older boy’s laureate bust draped r. Rx: CONCO–RDIA – FELIX; Caracalla standing l., holding roll, and Plautilla standing r., clasping r. hands. Scarce; 16 in Reka Devnia. VF. My main collecting focus is Severan coinage, and particularly denarii. I've developed an interest in Concordia imagery, and I'm fascinated by the thought that most coins bearing Concordia themes, such as this one with Caracalla and Plautilla clasping hands, are permanent mini monuments to relationships that ended badly. Caracalla was forced to marry her and he apparently hated his wife. Eventually he divorced her and had her exiled. She disappears from the historical record after this, but it's possible that Caracalla had her assassinated. These coins aren't rare, but they're not common either, and they are tough to find with enough detail in the figures to recognize them as the individuals they are intended to portray. In this case I was interested in the distinct hairstyle of the female figure on the left, which is detailed enough to identify her as Plautilla. She wears the same hairstyle on coins which bear her portrait bust. The obverse portrait of Caracalla as a boy is engraved in fine style, and his visage on this coin is consistent with his young age: the wedding took place immediately after his fourteenth birthday. ---------------------------- Caracalla. Galatia, Ancyra, 198–217 CE. Æ30, 30mm, 17.13g, 12h. BM 18. Obv: AVT K M AVP ANTONEINOC AV; laureate head r. Rx: MHT ANKYPAC; Dionysos driving biga of elephants, seated l. with kantharos and thyrsos. Good VF. I've already mentioned that I mainly collect imperial denarii but I have been been buying more bronzes including provincials. In fact, this list contains more provincials than denarii! The reason I've become more interested in provincials lately is that they're impossible to resist. There seems to be almost endless variety in terms of imagery and style and size and color. But the primary reason I've expanded into provincials is because they also allow me to pursue some of my collecting themes with much more depth than imperials alone. For example, this coin features elephants, and it complements some imperial coins I currently own with imagery of elephants. The elephants on this coin are detailed and well struck. also, it's not very common on for elephants to be shown as beasts of burden, at least on coinage of the Roman world. ---------------------------- Caracalla. Bithynia, Nicaea Æ25, 10.12g, 12h. c. 205–9. Obv: Μ ΑΥ ΑΝΤΩ – ΝΕΙΝΟC ΑΥ; laureate and cuirassed bust of youthful Caracalla to r.; on the lower r., uncertain countermark within an oval indent. Rx: ΝΙΚΑΙ-ΕΩΝ, S below; Hekate striding to r., holding two torches; before her to r., serpent rising to r. About EF. The imagery on this coin reflects another theme that I've been cultivating recently, gods and goddesses related to the underworld and to the moon. The figure of Hekate is engraved in a refined and elegant style, and the detail in the goddess's face and also in the torches she holds seems exceptional. According to Nomos (it's from Obolos 15) this coin type is apparently unpublished but comparable to "the coin of Commodus from Nicaea, now in Oxford, with a very similar reverse, RPC IV, 1, 5553." Also from Nomos: "Hekate is not a particularly common goddess to find on Roman Provincial coinage, and when she does appear she is usually in the guise of Hekate Triformis. Here, we have a draped goddess rushing with two torches, an attribute of Hekate, but without the typical crescent moon on her shoulders (as on the cited piece in Oxford); so could she be Artemis? That is unlikely because our goddess is accompanied by [a] serpent moving along with her; a familiar of Hekate, but not of Artemis." ---------------------------- Julia Domna. AR denarius, Rome, 211–17 CE; 19mm, 3.52g, 7h. BMCRE C1, RIC C373A, RSC 32. Obv: IVLIA PIA – FELIX AVG; draped bust r. Rx: DIANA LVCIFERA; Diana standing half-l., holding long torch in both hands. EF. I've been wanting this type for a long time, it fits the lunar theme I mentioned above. It's a common type, but hard to find with this combination of great condition, strike, and surface, pleasant toning, and with a decent-looking figure of Diana including a well-defined flame at the end of her torch. On most examples the flame looks like mush. As a bonus, Julia's portrait is quite distinguished looking. ---------------------------- Elagabalus. AR denarius, Eastern, 219 CE. 19mm, 3.38g, 6h. BMCRE 284–5 var (rev. legend spacing)., RIC 195, RSC 268, Thirion 360. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS – FEL AVG; laureate bust r., draped and cuirassed. Rx: SANCT DEO SOLI / ELAGABA / L in exergue; slow quadriga r., bearing conical stone of Elagabalus of Emesa, on front of which, an eagle; about it, 4 parasols. VF. From the Richard McAlee Collection. This type for Elagabalus is listed as rare but they arrive on the market much more often than they should for something that's supposed to be rare. I've got a sub-collection of Elagabalus's Eastern denarii and am always looking to add a new variety. I have several of these SANCT DEO SOLI types but this variety with the last L in ELAGABALUS is extremely rare. This coin is an obverse die link with a coin with the same reverse type illustrated in Hostein, Antony, and Sophie Lalanne. Les voyages des empereurs dans l'Orient romain: époques antonine et sévérienne. Arles: Errance, 2012, p. 89, fig 9. The obverse die is also linked to another coin in my collection, Roma seated reverse type, very rare and unpublished, ex Naumann 59, 5 November 2017, lot 426. ---------------------------- Geta. Syria, Seleucis and Pieria, Emesa; 209–11 CE. AR tetradrachm. 27mm, 12.61g, 6h. BMC GC20 (same type, but attributed to Antiochia ad Orontum), McAlee 719 (this coin), Prieur 210 (24 specimens). Obv: AVT KAI • – • ΓЄTAC CЄB; man’s laureate head r., bearded. Rx: ΔHMAPX ЄΞ • – YΠA•TO • B •; eagle, with head r., wreath in beak and wings spread, standing facing on leg and thigh of animal. Well centered and struck, portrait in fine style, high-relief reverse, gray patina with golden reflections; Almost uncirculated. ex Richard McAlee Collection Reference: McAlee, Richard. The Coins of Roman Antioch. Lancaster, PA, 2007 (this coin illustrated) This is my first tetradrachm and a coin that speaks for itself. Another of my sub-collections is portraiture of Geta, and this one is exceptional, showing him in his role as Augustus. ---------------------------- Geta. Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, minted under Legate (Governor) Flavius Ulpianus, 209–11 CE. Æ27, 12.87g, 9h. Flavius Ulpianus, legatus consularis. Varbanov, GIC I 3304. Obv: ΑΥΤ Κ Π CΕΠ ΓΕΤΑC ΑΥ; laureate head r. Rev: Υ ΦΛ ΟΥΛΠΙΑΝ ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤΩ / ΠΡΟC ICT in exergue; Cybele, head front, rides on lion r., holding spear and drum. VF. I've been looking for a denarius with this reverse type, Cybele riding a lion, and they're not uncommon. Yet most are poorly struck, and the ones that aren't tend to go for higher prices. This coin is a good substitute and features a well-rendered lion. Also, the larger-sized coin allowed the artist to provide Cybele with a more clearly-detailed face than those found on denarii of the same type. I would still like to find the right denarius of this type for my collection as a complement to this one. ---------------------------- Geta. Pisidia, Antioch; 209–212 CE. Æ33. 33mm, 27.24g, 6h. SNG Copenhagen 48; SNG France 1170–1; Krzyźanowska, Group E, XVIII/33. Obv: IMP CAES P SE–PT GETA AVG; laureate head right. Rx: VIR–T AVG – COL ANTIOCH / S R in exergue (Virtus Augustus Colonia Antiochia, or Courageous Emperor of Our Masters, Antioch) / Senatus Romanus (Roman Senate). Geta on horse rearing r., preparing to hurl spear at fallen enemy and trampling another. Rare; VF. Based on the mature portrait style including the presence of a beard, the coin was probably minted ca. 211 CE. This coin fits several of my sub-collecting themes: portraiture of Geta and Severan types showing the emperor on horseback. Especially interesting to me are those showing the emperor spearing or trampling an enemy, and this one features two enemies! It's especially interesting to me that one has apparently already been dispatched, the other is shown a mere moment from meeting the same fate. Cool and morbid. ---------------------------- Septimius Severus. Mysia, Hadrianeia 193–211 CE. Æ34, 18.90g, 6h. SNG Copenhagen – ; SNG BN – ; BMC – . Obv: Aϒ K Λ CE CEOϒHPOC ΠE; laureate bust of Severus r., draped and cuirassed. Rx: AΔPIANEΩN ΠΠOC OΛϒMΠ; Dionysus seated in a biga of centaurs l., bearing torches, and holding a transverse thyrsos or scepter in his l. hand. Near VF. Unpublished and possibly unique. A coin with centaurs! I couldn't resist. It fits my developing interest in coins depicting beasts of burden, there's an interesting mythology associated with centaurs, and centaurs are just cool. Aside from "Gallienus's zoo" coins, it seems that centaurs aren't often depicted on imperial or provincial coinage, and even when they are, they're almost never shown harnessed to a vehicle. ---------------------------- Septimius Severus. Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum, minted under Legate (Governor) Flavius Ulpianus, c. 209 CE. Æ28, 11.16g, 7h. Flavius Ulpianus, legatus consularis. Varbanov, GIC I, 2794. Obv: ΑYΤ Λ CЄΠΤΙ CЄYΗΡΟC Π; laureate head r. Rev: YΠ ΦΛ ΟYΛΠΙΑΝ ΝΙΚΟΠΟΛΙΤ / ΠΡΟC I in exergue; Caracalla and Geta standing l. and r., vis-à-vis, and clasping hands. Rare. Good VF or Near EF. Based on my interests and the collecting themes I've already mentioned, it's probably pretty easy to figure out why I would want to add this coin to my collection. Similar to the Concordia type above showing Caracalla and Plautilla, this one showing Caracalla and his brother Geta is pure propaganda meant to project the image of familial unity. In reality Caracalla and Geta hated each other, and their relationship ended when Caracalla had Geta murdered. On this coin, the two heirs to Septimius Severus are easily recognizable as distinct individuals, and their faces are remarkably detailed. Caracalla, as the older of the two brothers, faces left and sports a fully-grown beard. Geta, facing right, is shown with a slighter build and less facial hair. Both brothers wear the laureate crown, indicating their rank as co-Augusti. ---------------------------- Please feel free to pile on and share anything you feel is relevant.
Fantastic acquisitions for your collection this year, @benhur767! Those are some of the coolest provincials I've seen! I have to go with the two Dionysus in a biga and the Hekate.
What a great line up, I would struggle to pick them from 1 to 10 as well because there all fantastic coins...but I have a slight leaning towards your Caracalla Galatia biga of elephants truly great coin.
You really make it hard to pick a favorite. This is about as interesting group as anyone has posted here as far as I am concerned and I know we had an EID MAR in one. If pushed, I'd have to pick the centaurs barely edging out the elephants. I would have trouble resisting the urge to take a toothpick to some of that dirt but I would not wet clean the coin. This post reminds me how weak I am in Provincials.
I appreciate your comments about the coins. Thank you! I agree with you about the centaur coin, I was wondering whether it would be possible to clean it up further, but I'm afraid of damaging it. A toothpick should be soft enough, though. I might try to knock off some of that crud and see how it goes, but it doesn't look like loose dirt. I don't know. I'm open to advice on this.
..most of yours are in the "oh wow" category....i reckon tho, since i long to have one, my pick would be the Elagalabus wif the stone-cart reverse..with, of course, elephants & centaurs....very nice selection sir!
I'm with @dougsmit on these coins. Incredible coins. I'm not sure I would pick the same as Doug, but I would have any and all in my collection. I was taken back from the first coin. Just look at the hair on Plautilla. Rarely do you see this kind of detail on reverses.
Fantastic! I voted for the Elagabalus with the stone in the quadriga and the Dionysos in the biga of elephants. I wanted to vote for both the Caracalla with he and Plautilla clasping hands, and the Septimius Severus with Caracalla and Geta doing the same, but since I could only pick one, I went with the Caracalla/Plautilla.
Holy Smokes! Your Severan coins have me all: From your Elegable stone (which he had married to the Tanit stone, brought from Carthage hundreds of years before), to your double centaurs... who has plural centaurs??? Amazing coins. Thanks so much for sharing
Nice selections! Your last two Septimius Severus are especially beautiful. I like the centaur reverse.
Terrific stuff! I went with the crowd favorites (elephant biga, centaur biga and emesa stone), but honestly, all the coins on the list are excellent!
benhur, You scored some gems this year ! Your denarius of Elagabalus with the "mystic meteorite" is my favorite, & coming from the McAlee collection gives it more importance . The Severus bronze from Moesia Inferior, with the bickering boys on the reverse is a stellar addition . The hefty bronze of Geta from Pisidia Antioch, is a wonderful addition too . I like the action scene on the reverse.
All of them are very attractive and carefully selected coins, but the eastern Elagabalus denarius with the stone of Emesa is my cleas favorite!
Fabulous selection, with some remarkable provincials. I think my favourite has to be the dynastic Septimus from Moesia with his ill fated children, but also couldn't resist the centaurs or the wonderful Syrian Geta.
I too am with the crowd, and any of them would make my day (so to speak, my month would be more right) To go with you fine reverse portrait of Plautilla, here's a fine reverse portrait of her "beloved" husband Q
This was definitely one of my favorite lists of the year. I love those provincials, especially the elephant and centaur biga reverses, and the big Septimius bronze with his boys shaking hands on the reverse. My favorite of the group is the Elagabalus denarius...just a spectacular reverse. Really enjoyed all of these, wonderful coins.
The Emesa stone type is one of my favorites but your Hadrianeia Severus is an exceptional piece of art!