Post your favorite COIN book and related coin!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Theodosius, Jul 23, 2016.

  1. Theodosius

    Theodosius Fine Style Seeker

    Several books I discovered early on my coin journey inspired my interest in particular areas of researching, appreciating and collecting. This book by Charles Seltman really got me interested in artistic Greek coins. This book is still available for reasonable prices.

    20160723_121721.jpg

    Most of the coins it features are rare and expensive, so when I came across one of the most unusual coins in it I could not resist getting it. I believe these tetradrachms are known only from one hoard of 42 pieces found in 1964. Silvia Hurter published this article on them in 1966, available here:

    http://www.e-periodica.ch/digbib/view?pid=snr-003:1966:45#33

    The hoard was found near the ocean and most are fairly corroded. This makes this coin very difficult to photograph in a way that conveys how it appears in reality. Let me say it looks way more awesome sitting in your hand than it does in these photos. It has a very classical Greek feeling to it in person. Here is my best attempt:
    Klazomanai Tet 1a.jpg
    Ionia, Klazomenai, c. 386-301 BC, AR Tetradrachm, 14.86 gm
    Obv: Laureate head of Apollo facing slightly left
    Rev: Swan standing left, preening its wings
    Hurter 17, V5/R10 (this coin)
    Very Rare, Fine Style
    Ex. David Herman Collection, CNG Sale 73, September 13, 2006, lot 321
    Ex Kunker Sale 94, September 27, 2004
    Vourla (Urla) Hoard of 1964 (IGCH 1210)

    Here are the pages of the book that inspired me, with the coin in place.
    Klazomanai Tet 1 book obv.JPG

    Klazomanai Tet 1 book rev.JPG

    Some in hand photos.

    20160723_122150.jpg

    20160723_122202.jpg

    okay, enough geeking out over this coin, tell us about your COIN book experiences!

    John
     

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  3. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

  4. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Very nice (and rare) coin and wonderful tie-in to the book. Very cool!
     
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  5. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Alright, I'm game. I really enjoy this book by Jasper Burns, Great Women of Imperial Rome: Mothers and Wives of the Caesars. Each of the chapters in the book was originally published as a series of biographical and numismatic articles in The Celator about 15 years ago. These articles only fueled my interest in collecting coins of the empresses.

    Burns Cover.jpg

    And here is a related coin, Agrippina I. AE Sestertius. 27.92 gm, 34.8 mm. 7h. Rome mint. Struck under Claudius, 42-54 AD. Draped bust right.
    Obverse: AGRIPPINA M F GERMANICI CAESARIS, bare-headed and draped bust right.
    Reverse: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P around large SC.
    RIC I 102 (Claudius); BMCRE 219 (Claudius); Cohen 3.
    Agrippina Sr Sestertius 2.jpg

    The book and the coin:

    Burns Book 1.jpg

    The book is illustrated with copious numismatic examples:

    Burns Book 2.jpg
     
  6. Nicholas Molinari

    Nicholas Molinari Well-Known Member

    Nicola Ignarra's De Palaestra Neapolitana, 1770 (I can't read it, but it means "On the Wrestling School in Naples"). He was first to advocate the man-faced bull was always Acheloios. Here's the plates from my copy (cropped):

    image.jpeg

    And here is my favorite coin today and most days, a bronze tetras of the Sileraians, mid 4th century, featuring Acheloios Silaros Himera as a man-faced bull:

    image.jpeg
     
  7. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I suppose you could make a case that Seltman chose his cover art from the dekadrachm but I prefer to think he was honoring my Akragas bronze.
    g00520bb0486.jpg
     
  8. Aidan_()

    Aidan_() Numismatic Contributor

    My coin tastes are a tad expensive... :D
     
  9. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio Supporter

    I will post a book that covers cast bronze from Italy that I bought this year. I have wanted Le Monete Del Italia Antica by G Garrucci for several years. A couple of pre-money bronze items are shown with illustrations in the book.
    DSCN0171.JPG
    The Aes Rude on the right has a +. The one on the left has a + and a C. I did not do a good job of showing the crescent in this pic.
    DSCN0172.JPG
    Turns out this page also has a rammo secco bar also.
     
  10. panzerman

    panzerman Well-Known Member

    Mine are...
    Numismatic Art of Persia, "The Sunrise Collection" Part One 650BC-650AD

    Related coin...
    AV Daric 14mm./8.35g. circa 480-55BC
    Archaemenid Persian Empire
    Darius I Ws5E8qaSxnR23CJgKb9W7YSjR4rD6q.jpg 1881860l.jpg
     
  11. Alegandron

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

    @panzerman , that Daric must have a great feel to it at 8g. Nice coin. Well done.
     
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  12. Theodosius

    Theodosius Fine Style Seeker

    A great selection of books and coins so far!

    This is such a cool community. ..
     
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  13. panzerman

    panzerman Well-Known Member

    Thanks! I had to cut quite a few lawns to get that one!
     
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  14. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    One favorite, hmm? The book I use most often is Keith Emmett's Alexandrian Coins (2001). He's working on another book which will catalog Alexandrian varieties from Elagabalus through Domitius Domitianus. A few of my coins will be in that book :).

    A tetradrachm of Lucius Verus with Serapis Pantheos reverse, posing with the reverse of an Antoninus Pius/Serapis Pantheos drachm from Emmett's page about the many depictions of Serapis:
    SerapisPantheosEmmettPageWithCoin.jpg

    Group shot of some favorite books:

    NumisBooks.jpg

    Seltman, Charles Theodore. Masterpieces of Greek Coinage. Essay and Commentary. Oxford: Bruno Cassirer, 1949

    Kraay, Colin M., and Max Hirmer. Greek Coins. New York: H.N. Abrams, 1966

    Head, Barclay V. Historia Numorum: A Manual of Greek Numismatics, New and Enlarged Edition. Chicago: Argonaut, Inc., Publishers; 1967

    Emmett, Keith Alexandrian Coins. Wisconsin: Clio's Cabinet, 2001.

    Sayles, Wayne G. Ancient Coin Collecting, 2nd Edition. Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 2003

    Sayles, Wayne G. Ancient Coin Collecting II: Numismatic Art of the Greek World, 2nd Edition. Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 2007

    Sayles, Wayne G. Ancient Coin Collecting IV: Roman Provincial Coins. Wisconsin: Krause Publications, 1998

    I thought I'd love owning some SNG volumes. Because I have a special interest in ancient Egyptian coins, I bought SNG Copenhagen volume 8. It was expensive, is very large and difficult to store, and I don't use it often. It is strictly a cataloging tool, with no interesting history or amusing anecdotes.
     
  15. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    I could respond to @TIF with the same book (i.e. Emmet's Alexandrian coins), being the proud owner of the octodrachm illustrated in his book

    P1180016-Emmet-DD.JPG

    [​IMG]

    Q
     
  16. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    I will be forever envious of this! :)
     
  17. icerain

    icerain Mastir spellyr

    Some really good coin literature here. So far I only have one book on ancients, something I need to fix. All my other books are on modern coins.
     
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  18. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    I have a digital copy of that book. One of the first books I got when I got into ancients and focused on the ladies.

    Still like the roman ladies of course.
     
  19. Theodosius

    Theodosius Fine Style Seeker

    I just ordered a copy of the Roman Ladies book. I always enjoyed collecting their coins.
     
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  20. stevex6

    stevex6 Random Mayhem

    Man, ya gotta love the ladies, eh?
     
  21. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    [​IMG]
    https://www.amazon.com/Numismatics-Ancient-Science-Elvira-Clain-Stefanelli/dp/B0014XR9QA

    I have no 'favorite' book but prefer the one that is holding my interest at any given moment. This one is currently $5. I've recommended the waste of more money than this here before and this book on several occasions. It is a thin paperback on the subject of collecting coins before the time such a hobby was open to common folks like us. I explains why collections like the French National and others started by royalty have things you don't. There are several illustrations from art including coins of which the man holding a Nero sestertius made the cover. I only have one Nero sestertius and it is not much in comparison not to mention right facing. Instead, you get a dupondius. Warning: Half of the few pages in the book are devoted to a bibliography on the subject but most of the books listed there are not to be found in your local bookstore.
    re1090b01615oldlg.jpg

    If a Renaissance painter were to show up at my door to paint my portrait holding a coin, I would have trouble selecting just one.
     
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