New Satavahana Portrait Coin - GPYS

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ancientnoob, Jun 30, 2017.

  1. Ancientnoob

    Ancientnoob Money Changer

    I already owned a very rare portrait coin of Gotamiputa Siri Yajna Satakarni , but I found an upgrade. I ended up paying a little more than two times what I paid for the under-grade. I always feel no one collects what I collect right up until I have to bid on it in an auction then the 5 people in the world who want it end up creating a bloodbath. (I hate auctions.)

    Having finally recieved the example I am more than pleased. The portrait is nothing less than exceptional and fabulous for the type, location and era. These coins are very often well worn and most often holed. This one only being a tad off center and a little worn is totally awesome and well worth the money. (to me anyways) He will sit beautifully next to my other portrait kings of the Satavahana Empire.

    I find these coins unique in the great scheme of coins. They are indigenous Indian coins modeled on the denarii of the Roman emperors of the first century. They honor the the maternal line rather than the paternal line of the kings. (Mamma's boys.) They have both Brahmi and Telugu legends on the coin, and the kings appearance and attire is well crafted.

    Did I mention that all silver Satavahana portrait coins are rare, even more so in this condition. :bookworm:

    India, Andhra
    Satavahana Empire
    Gotamiputa Siri Yajna Satakarni (AD 200 -250)
    AR Drachm (15 mm x 2.20 grams)
    Obverse : Portrait bust of king with Kakapaksha hair-style and heavy ear-plugs, wearing a high head ornament (Shiromani), Brahmi legend Rano Gotamiputasa Siri Yaña Satakanisa around
    Reverse : Satavahana dynastic emblem, composed of six-arched hill with crescent, modified Ujjain symbol, a wavy line, and sun; Southern Brahmi legend Arahanaku Gotamiputaku Hiru Yana Hatakanaku.
    Ref: I.K. Sharma Pl. XVII, P-15
    Note: Very Fine, Rare.
    gysdrachm.jpg
     
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  3. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    WOW! What a GREAT coin! Congrats! And, WAY COOL! I have none from this Empire or time in their History.
     
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  4. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Congrats on a great win!
     
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  5. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    Very cool catch - and I feel the same way with my tokens...that I'm the only collector until I get in a bidding war...:mad:
     
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  6. ancientcoinguru

    ancientcoinguru Well-Known Member

  7. Ancientnoob

    Ancientnoob Money Changer

    Thanks @ancientcoinguru your's and everyone else's encouragement is much appreciated.
     
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  8. ValiantKnight

    ValiantKnight Well-Known Member

    Not a culture I collect but its definitely interesting, especially its connection to Roman denarii :woot:
    Yeah, sure, no one cares about those funny-looking, obscure, and seemingly uninteresting rare late Roman and Germanic types... until they're put up for auction, that is! :mad:
     
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  9. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    that is a fantastic coin AN! congrats on this win!
     
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  10. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    Thats a neat addition!
     
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  11. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    I guess there are bunches of collectors of these out there somewhere. Maybe they just aren't very active on discussion boards, or maybe not on English-language discussion boards?

    Celtic coins strike me the same way. Who's buying all of those? The bidding is often fierce and prices high for decent examples, yet they are not often posted and discussed here. Celtic collectors are as mysterious to me as the coins they collect :D
     
    4to2centBC and Ancientnoob like this.
  12. Loong Siew

    Loong Siew Well-Known Member

    It is a fantastic portrait! Just look at those lobes..
     
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  13. Nerva

    Nerva Well-Known Member

    Celtic coins are relatively rarer, I think. I collect British Celtic coins. They were issued over a short period in only part of a country that was much poorer than the central parts of the Roman Empire. Good ones are even harder. They were often sloppily made. They use similar motifs so you can only post so many before non-specialists get bored. And we know very little about them and their context; no great stories as with Roman coins. Those are my theories anyway.
     
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  14. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    That's why I haven't gone for many of them-- I gravitate more towards "story coins" and coins whose design I find pleasing.
     
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  15. Nerva

    Nerva Well-Known Member

    Me too. Which is why I gravitate towards the same coins as you! I inherited a group of Celtic coins, which is the main reason I collect them. But I am fascinated by the degeneration of ancient motifs and the mysterious hints of a civilisation of which we know so little.
     
    Severus Alexander and TIF like this.
  16. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I think we all underestimate the number of people who are interested in any of these coins but have no interest in talking, sharing, showing or even learning about their coins. It would be interesting to know just how many different people bid on or won even one lot in any particular sale. We see something posted saying that a sale realized $9.5 million dollars but not something like "the 875 lots sold to 436 winning bidders with a total of 1234 bids placed by 765 unique bidders." We may live right next door to someone with a collection very much like ours and not know it.
     
  17. Nerva

    Nerva Well-Known Member

    I'm writing this on the way back from a party where I was taking with a guy I've worked with for ten years who I've just discovered collects ancient coins.
     
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