Just got a digital scanner(!!)so am looking at photos of my original collection from slides and negatives only, taken in the 60s as a teenager. All of those are gone but the first coin that ignited the passion which I found in a box of old beat up anonymous coins. Those were obtained as a gift when I was around 14 from an uncle who knew I collected coins(USA at the time). See the JC elephant denarius. When I found the plate matching that funny looking worn coin with an elephant in my little pb book Coins of the World my life changed forever. Either the next or third coin which I bought from Alex G.Malloy at a coin show was my first Greek silver, a new style Athens Drachma worn but so beautiful- see her on the bottom right of the large group photo. A coin I would like to re-obtain was the Dionysus portrait which I think had a cysta mystica on the reverse- maybe from Amisos or Halicarnassus? All I know is that portrait was-is- so fine- see the enlargement. Haven't found a reverse shot on all the coins but I think I may somewhere have single B&Ws of them all in thousands of negatives I am reviewing. My newest favorite addition for the year is a New Style Athens Tet like the first little drachm but with amazing details. That is the last one pictured and learning how to get photos side by side from editing software. Thanks to TIF and others who have provided links to the software. Attica, Athens. Large "New Style" Tetradrachm of 100-99 BC. Head of Athena right in triple crested helmet ornamented with Pegasus; forepart of horses rt. / Owl standing right on prostate amphora inscribed I, head facing ATE; Greek legend on either side. Two standing figures to right, ME below, monograms in fields. Reference: Sear 2556/2559 v, Thompson 871a. 28 mm, 16.13 g. Fantastic, large coin with great detail! ex-Dr. Krosen Stoer collection, Ludwigsfelde, Germany. This coin has it all-even a provenance!. It recaptures the first Athens Owl that was just a fond memory yet it adds great beauty, detail and a lot of spirituality connecting with the global wisdom lineages, with the sacred twins and the four horse pegasus chariot on her crest.
I would love to have one of those 'new style' tets. There is so much happening on that coin! A great addition to your collection. I also enjoyed your writeup on the coins you once possessed.
Great story and pictures. You should be able to obtain all those types again if you desire. Funny how many people were turned on to ancient coins by receiving a single one as a gift. John
Somebody gave me a Nero tet of Alexandria when I was 7 and I spent quite awhile attributing it, kind of got the fire started. Turns out it was a fake, but the torch was lit and I kept going from there, started buying coins when I was 11 using funds from my neighborhood lawn-mowing business.
