My top buys 2017

Heraclius, with Heraclius Constantine. 610-641.
Heraclius, with Heraclius Constantine. 610-641. AV Solidus (22mm, 4.36 g, 6h). Constantinople mint, 5th officina. Struck circa 616-625. Crowned and draped facing busts of Heraclius and Heraclius Constantine; cross above / Cross potent set on three steps; Є//CONOB. DOC 13d; MIB 11; SB 738. VF, minor deposits in devices, traces of underlying luster, areas of flat strike at periphery, reverse struck with worn die, lightly clipped.

Ex Artemide XLIV (12 December 2015), lot 317; CNG 405, lot 589.
Mytilene. Circa 521-478 BC. EL Hekte – Sixth Stater (11mm, 2.51 g, 11h). Gorgoneion / Incuse head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress; rectangular punch to left. Bodenstedt Em. 19.1; HGC 6, 944. VF, lightly toned.

Constans II. Struck 651/2-654. Crowned and draped facing bust, holding globus cruciger / Cross potent set on three steps; I//CONOB. DOC 19j; MIB 23; SB 956. VF, a few light scratches.

Kyzikos, EL hemistater!

Gela tetradrachm

Gold buffalo- my father was dumping some bullion so I bought at melt.



Alciato's Emblemata (not a coin but has a couple man-faced bulls, so I include it. Also some pictures of coins, like the EID MAR Denarius).

And a grotto for my Acheloios shrine

Happy New Year All.

 

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Fantastic coins. They are all unforgettable.

 

Super cool coins and I love the book and grotto.

 

Nice Gela tetradrachm!

John

 

Some very nice additions, and quality coins. Congrats on a top year.

 

The coins are magnificent @Nicholas Molinari

 

And Alciati! That's a smart move.

 

A lovely selection! That beautiful hemistater is my favourite.

 

I agree with Davids sentiments! Excellent coins Nicholas! Happy New Year!

 

The book and the grotto are very cool, and of the coins the EL MFB is by far my favorite. Superb!

 

That was an unintended purchase- I hadn't heard of Alciati when I came across the book and it was love at first sight. What a fascinating work, which was actually a side project he did for fun, his real professional work was as a legal scholar (and he achieved much notoriety in that field as well).

Thanks for the comments everyone.

 

Nicholas, the is a great group of coins. Congrats on a fantastic collecting year. Myself , I love the Byzantine gold.

 

I'm curious where I could buy a sweet statue like that?

 

A really nice selection.

 

Wonderful stuff man!

 

Hand-sculpted by yours truly!

 

Utterly fantastic!!

I LOVE them all and can't help but go back and take yet another look at the Hekte and Tet

 

Great @Nicholas Molinari ! Super additions for the year! I really like the Gela Tet, The Hemistater, the Total Shrine, Gorgon Hekte... the Buffalo (I can never get enough of those...)

Here is a Gela Acheloios to toss on your Shrine:

Sicily Gela AR Litra Horse-Achelous 0.63g 13mm 465-450 BCE HGC 2 p 373

 

Love that gold buffalo. It makes me hungry indeed.

 

Ok, here's mine fresh from an auction. Constantine IV follis of Constantinople, large module. It wasn't a huge rip, but it make me happy. S 1173 ofc 4. The large folles of Constantine IV are all scarce. And yes, it is indeed an ugly coin other wise why collect Byzantine bronzes?

I have another large that I purchase from Harlan Berk in 1998 at the ANA Worlds Fair of Money show in Portland, Oregon. Got 2nd place in my category, first time I exhibited. I exhibited the various types of the follis through it's entire run start to finish.

If any of you go to the ANA shows, try exhibiting, you learn a lot about your own collection.