After the introduction Five, the Islamic Ten, the Celtic Nine, (and the Worst coin of 2020), finally, the last of my top tens. A general list, without Celtic and Islamic coins, consisting of a Greek, four Romans, a Byzantine, a Medieval and three Ancient Orientals. 10. The first is an Alexandrian tetradrachm of Aurelian. The condition is excellent and the reverse less common: a wreath with E = Year 5, no doubt to commemorate the anniversary, the first lustrum. AE tetradrachm Aurelian 270-275, Alexandria, year 5 = 273/274. Obv. Bust r. Rev. Year L ε = 5 (of Aurelian’s total 7) in wreath. VF+. 21 mm, 8.53 gr. Emmett 3961. Ex-Divus Numismatik. 9. The emperor Phocas! I’m collecting coins of this (unpopular) Byzantine emperor and bought a number of them in 2020. This one struck me because of its large flan. What happens on a coin outside its frontiers? That’s what you see here. Large, bleak and empty areas, torn and wobbly, around the emperor’s thin, suffering face. Byzantium, Phokas (602-610). AE follis (40 nummi), Constantinopolis, 606. Obv.: D N FOCAS. Facing bust of Phokas, wearing consular robes, holding mappa & cross. Rev.: large XXXX, ANNO above, V to right, exergue CONΓ. 35 mm, 12.02 gr. 8. I like brockages and other evidence of technical things that went wrong. In 2020, I bought only one. Severus Alexander 222-235. AE20 Cappadocia, Caesarea. Obv. Laureated bust r. Rev. Incuse brockage. 20 mm, 4.94 gr. 7. Growling lion’s scalp. Here I put it on CoinTalk. Islands off Ionia: Samos. C.210-190 BC. AR Tetrobol. Obv. Facing lion’s scalp. Rev. Forepart of bull butting right; amphora, monogram TAT, and barley ear below. Text above: ΣAMIΩN. 16 mm, 3.01 gr. Barron p. 147, type j, cf. nr. 27. 6. One of my favorite emperors, Julian II. This is a nice portrait on a silver siliqua. The reverse is doublestruck. It’s from a famous coin 19th century very large British coin find, the East Harptree Hoard, found in Somerset in 1887. (Somerset is where my family lives). Last summer, a small number of these siliquae came on the market, other CT members pouncing on them as well. AR siliqua Julian II. Obv. Diademed bust t.r. Rev. VOT X MVLT XX. 17.5 mm, 2.19 gr. From the East Harptree, Somerset Hoard. 5. Sasanians were my first enthusiasm. And I always wanted this rare king with his square beard, Varhran I (or Bahram I). Varhran I (273-276), silver drachm. Obv. Head right with hairball-topped crown, square beard and straight curls. Left legend in two lines. Rev. Fire altar, the assistants looking the other way (left the King, right Mithra), each holding a long staff. No mint, no date. 26 mm, 4.15 gr. Göbl 41. Zeno 251359 (this coin). 4. A relatively large AE coin for the late Roman period, minted in the farthest east of the Empire, in good condition and very rare. AE2 Theodosius II (402-450). Minted in or for Chersonesos (Krim). Obv. Helmeted and cuirassed bust to the right, armed with a spear. THEODO-SIVS Rev. The two emperors Valentinian III of the West and Theodosius II of the East holding a long cross between them. [CONCOR-DIA AVG/ CON] but no text visible. 22.5 mm, 4.17 gr. 3. I’m always interested in the transition period between the Ancient period and the Medieval, between the Zoroastrian and Christian religion and the Islamic. This coin was issued in Persia, newly conquered by Arab armies from the Sasanians, but before Islam was forcefully implemented. It was minted for regional use only by local authorities that were only subject to the Arabs by paying tax to them, like they paid to the Sasanian shahanshahs before. Therefore, this coin shows a disintegrated Sasanian-like king and a reverse with local significance. A crowned goddess or a legend, carrying a goblet or a tulip? on a horse. Lady Godiva, no, her hair is too short – but John Collier thought otherwise in 1897. Tulips come from Persia, and this coin is from Kazirun in Persis – near Bishapur. I don’t think there is anything sure about this rare type, so there is a lot of room for speculation. Arab-Sasanian AE pashiz, c.700-720. Kazirun (near Bishapur, southern Iran), ND. Obv. Sasanian style bust right. Rev. Woman on horseback (Lady Godiva), holding tulip, goblet or samovar (‘vase-like object’ according to Album 40). 18.5 mm, 0.99 gr. Album 40, Gyselen-35a. 2. There is something very attractive in the year Zero and the year One Thousand. I’m a calendar fanatic! Going for days like December 12, 2012 and November 11, 2011. Soon it will be February 1, 2021 or 2-1-21… But this is so much better, this coin nears the year Zero rather precisely. It is one of not too many coins that indicate not only years, but months. Parthian tetradrachms! It was issued by the infamous king Phraataces of Parthia, who reigned from 2 BC to 4 AD. Naturally, one would want a coin from December (named Audunaios), 1 BC or January (Peritios), 1 AD. That is something for the future. This nice large silver coin dates from Artemisios: April, 1 BC. Phraataces (2 BC-4 AD). AR tetradrachm. Obv. Bust to the left, pointed beard, wart on brow, Nike flying at his left. Ear is visible. Rev. King enthroned to the right with bow; Date AIT (311), [A]PTEMISI[OV] (Artemisios = April) = 1 BC. 26 mm, 10.13 gr. Sellwood 57.4. 1. But this coin is what I wanted all since my old aunt (who lived in Slough, England) gave me the Seaby book of British coins – fifty years ago. It’s one of the books that influenced me most. And I wanted an early Celtic coin, a sceatta and a coin that most neared the year 1000. I have some early British Celtic coins now and a few sceattas – but this is the newest of this stellar area: Old Britain. England. Anglo-Saxon kings. Aethelred II (978-1016, also Aethelred the Unready), AR penny. London mint, moneyer Godwine. Struck ca. 997-1003. Obv. King’s draped bust to the left, pellet in neck. EÐELRED REX ANGL. Rev. Voided long cross, with pellet at center and triple-crescent ends. GOD PI(NE) MΩΘ L VND. 20 mm, 1.64 gr. "SCBI 7 (Copenhagen), 853 (same dies); North 774; SCBC 1151. From the Allan Williams Collection. Ex Ahlström 50 (19 November 1994), lot 15" says CNG.
Congratulations on such a fine, and varied list! I really like your no.'s 7, and 6. Due to all the top10 lists and the greek coins shown in these lists, i feel more and more tempted to look into greek coinage more and stray away from roman imperatorial and imperial... Oh, the temptation!
Your #1 deserves its place by a mile. Other than that I voted #4 (one doesn't see a Theodosius II AE2 every day) and #5 (cool portrait of Varhran) Q
