One of my favorite coins...

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Volodya, Nov 17, 2015.

  1. Volodya

    Volodya Junior Member

    Phil (50).JPG

    This is one of two coins with a special tag in my trays, telling my wife to put it on the cover of the catalogue if I die suddenly. (My current avatar is the other.) It's Crawford 335/3f, struck in 96 BC by C. Poblicius Malleolus. Readers I suppose may say, well sure, it's very nice, but your favorite? Really? Anyone familiar with just how dreadful this type usually is will get it though. Normally I hate descriptions like "finest known," because how can we ever know that, but this time I think it's apt. I can't imagine a better example of the type.

    For years I had admired this coin in the Leu 17 catalogue (lot 276), where it was my favorite coin in the whole wonderful Nicholas Collection. When it appeared as lot 395 in NFA XXVII (the Roberto Russo Collection, though not named as such in the catalogue,) I knew I had to have it. I gave myself a firm limit of $2500 +10% commission, which I really thought would be enough. I was in the room; this was one of the few auctions my wife attended with me. After early bidders dropped out, it came down to me and a gaggle of Spaniards a row in front of us. I was careful to hit my $2500 limit. The Spaniards spent a couple of minutes whispering together and one of them finally raised his hand at $2600. I said edited; young and innocent days when we still had a mortgage and I'd never spent anywhere near this much on a single coin. My wife looked at me and said, you really want this, don't you? I nodded. She sort of pushed my hand a little; I nodded. I think it was just momentum that got my hand all the way up.

    The Spaniards said edited in Spanish and started whispering again. Finally they disgustedly said no. Phew... Little did they realize that I was done. Even a cut bid would've won it. If they had bid again and I'd lost this coin, I'd still be kicking myself from now until Tuesday. (Wait, it is Tuesday!) Sorry for the long-winded way to say nice coin.
     
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  3. 4to2centBC

    4to2centBC Well-Known Member

    Nice story. Nice wife.

    My wife would be hanging off whatever arm I was laboring to raise. If she knew the power of my finger on the on-line bid button, she would put iron mittens on my hands.
     
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  4. ancientcoinguru

    ancientcoinguru Well-Known Member

    A difficult type to acquire with sharp details -- an outstanding coin!
     
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  5. Mikey Zee

    Mikey Zee Delenda Est Carthago

    Wonderful coin!!

    But the type and the superb condition will always be one I admire from afar LOL

    I'm nervous when I give serious thought to raising my budget limit to $1,000.00, since about $800.00 in today's money is the most I have spent in all the years I have be interested in collecting----maybe that winning lottery ticket will change my mind one day:rolleyes:;)
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2015
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  6. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    Good for you, givin' those uppity Spaniards an ass-whuppin', lol.
     
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  7. Volodya

    Volodya Junior Member

    I think iron mittens are collectible, so there's that.
     
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  8. Eng

    Eng Senior Eng

    Awesome coin, i can see why you like it. i was a club auction and wanted a coin, with the wifey at my side. it came up, i new it would go for over three hundred dollars. i made the opening bid at $200 and i felt a lot of finger nails dig into my arm. i was done,:( the coin did go for over three hundred. never have taken the wife again.:)
     
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  9. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    With a cursory search, I see what you mean by, "how dreadful this type usually is." Was the issue a short run? It seems many examples have roughness indicative of ground finds as well.
     
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  10. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    Beautiful and pricey coin. Congrats! Is that a naked Amazonian woman on the reverse?
     
  11. Carthago

    Carthago Does this look infected to you?

    An absolutely stunning coin and a wonderful backstory story. If ever there were a story of a coin that talks to you, this is it. Of course, this coin is a Siren and narry a mortal man would be able to not hear it signing to him!

    Btw, have you got a provenance prior to Nicolas?

    You will do very well on that coin when I eventually buy it. Wow, it's going to be a heck of a lot more expensive than $2600+juice! Now I have to worry about Russians and not Spaniard!

    Oh to have a time machine...:shifty:
     
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  12. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    That's for sure a fantastic coin in admirable condition.

    Having a supportive wife in this hobby is certainly a plus. I've often said, here and there, how good is mine when it comes to high bids. On the three most expensive purchases of coins I ever made she was on my side, saying "come on, that's a once in a lifetime opportunity, just do it !".I love her !!

    Q
     
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  13. Volodya

    Volodya Junior Member

    It's scarce, but certainly not rare--Crawford estimates 90 obverse and 112 reverse dies for the whole issue. This variety showing the voting tablet is the most interesting and of course is scarcer by itself than the entire issue, but they do come up for sale regularly enough. As you discovered though, they typically are a homely lot at best. You sort of wish the hammer would finally land on Mars' head and put the whole issue out of its misery.

    The matter of the fabric of RR denarii is something that I think would repay serious study. It's remarkable how widely and how rapidly it changes, sometimes year-to-year, and this type is typically ill-struck on very rough, poorly-prepared planchets. I imagine these punk kid moneyers coming in each year and deciding they would be the ones to finally put the Rome mint on a sound financial and artistic footing; firing all the old experienced staff and loaning their own kitchen or garden slaves to the mint. The results were, shall we say, uneven.
     
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  14. Ken Dorney

    Ken Dorney Yea, I'm Cool That Way...

    Yes, that really is the nicest I have seen of the series. They are usually crudely struck, bad surfaces, etc. One can get one for well under $500, but not of this caliber.

    I do love the wife story. My wife is not even sightly supportive of coins. I remember about 15 years ago I had a table at the San Francisco show which she attended with me. Berk had a nice Eid Mar aureus which she looked at and handled (I didnt get to handle it, I was busy at the table). When she came back I asked about it, but she wasnt impressed. Just asked me how I was enjoying my 'little coin friends'. Ah well. Sometimes things are just lost on some people!
     
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  15. Volodya

    Volodya Junior Member

    There surely is an earlier provenance, but I've not been able to find it. The Leu 17 cataloguer--Sylvia Hurter I suppose--was not at all systematic about including that info.
     
  16. John Anthony

    John Anthony Ultracrepidarian

    This theory resounds with me, being the father of three teenagers. I have been led to understand that I know nothing about anything, and their way is always so infinitely superior to anything I might suggest.
     
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  17. Volodya

    Volodya Junior Member

    Well, unless you had the only time machine, things would still get pretty pricey. When I look at the coins in that sale that were high on my list and hammered at prices that weren't overpriced per se, but which I had to pass on because I didn't feel I could afford to spend more... Harumph.
     
  18. Ken Dorney

    Ken Dorney Yea, I'm Cool That Way...

    I wouldnt worry about anything missed in an NFA auction. Most people wont see an appreciation in value in their lifetime. But, NFA and McNall, Freeman etc are a topic unto their own.....
     
  19. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    The NFA photo of the coin makes it look like there is a flaw on the cheek. Your photo makes it look more like a shadow under the cheekbone. I wonder if that caused anyone not present to avoid it.

    Why didn't you buy the cover coin from that sale? :troll: Saturninus doesn't come up everyday.
     
  20. Ken Dorney

    Ken Dorney Yea, I'm Cool That Way...

    I currently own the Saturnius.
     
  21. Ken Dorney

    Ken Dorney Yea, I'm Cool That Way...

    Naw, just kidding!
     
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