This year has been a very productive (and costly) year with over 500 additions, especially through lot purchases. I doubt I will keep them all, but it still gives me joy in analyzing and documenting them. Spent a good chunk of time with various types of trachea from the Latin Empires and the breakaway kingdoms of Thessalonica and Nicaea. Its still a long process that will continue into the following year as time permits, but here are 10 of my favorites for the year, in no particular order. It was a tough decision as there are so many favorites this year, including coins that ended up being $2: 1. Sarabhapuriyas of Maha Kosala: Prasannamitra (ca. 525-550 CE) Ꜹ 12 Rattis (ATEC 5207; ACR 904; Friedberg 120) Obv: Garuda standing facing with wings outstretched, flanked by discus and sankh shell; crescent and pellet flanking head; in lower region, Brahmi legend: śri prasannamitra, kalasa below Rev: Incuse image of obverse design Dim: 18mm, 1.32 g, 12h 2. Ilkhanid: Abu Sa'id (1316-1335) Ꜹ Dinar, AH720, Shiraz Mint (Album 2198, Type C; Diler 494; ICV 2128) Obv: Within a lobated square, ﺿﺮﺏ ﻓﻰ ﺍﻳﺎﻡ ﺩﻭﻟﺔ ﺍﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺍﻻﻋﻈﻢ ﺍﺑﻮﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺧﻠﺪﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻣﻠﻜﻪ (struck in the days of the reign of the Greatest Sultan Abu Sa'id Bahadur Khan, may Allah perpetuate his kingdom); in eight segments around, mint and date Rev: In a miḥrāb-like niche formed by the Kufic inscriptions, ﻓﺴﻴﻜﻔﻴﻜﻬﻢ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻭﻫﻮﺍﻟﺴﻤﻴﻊ ﺍﻟﻤﻠﻴﻢ (and Allah will be sufficient to protect you against them, and He is the Hearer, the Knower); inside the niche, ﻻ ﺍﻟﻪ ﺍﻻ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ (There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the apostle of Allah); below, the Rāshidūn, ﺍﺑﻮ ﺑﻜﺮ ﻋﻤﺮ ﻋﺜﻤﺎﻥ ﻋﻠﻰ (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali) Dim: 8.10g, 6h 3. Ilkhanid: Abu Sa'id (1316-1335) Ꜹ Dinar, AH722, Wasit Mint (Album 2202, Type D; Diler 502; ICV 2133) Obv: Arabic legend within pentafoil - ﺿﺮﺏ ﻓﻰ ﺍﻳﺎﻡ ﺩﻭﻟﺔ ﺍﻟﺴﻠﻄﺎﻥ ﺍﻻﻋﻈﻢ ﺍﺑﻮﺳﻌﻴﺪ ﺑﻬﺎﺩﺭﺧﺎﻥ ﺧﻠﺪﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻣﻠﻜﻪ (Struck in the days of prosperity of the Supreme Sultan Abu Sa‘id Bahadur Khan, may God perpetuate his sovereignty); date within arms of pentafoil - ﺳﻨﺔ ﺍﺛﻨﺘﻴﻦ ﻭﻋﺸﺮﻳﻦ ﻭﺳﺒﻌﻤﺎﺋﺔ (year twenty two and seven hundred) Rev: Arabic legend in multiple lines - ﻻ ﺍﻟﻪ ﺍﻻ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻣﺤﻤﺪ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ (There is no God but Allah, Muhammad is the apostle of Allah); ﺿﺮﺏ واسط above and below ﻣﺤﻤﺪ (Struck at Wasit above and below Muhammad); names of the four “Rightly Guided” Caliphs at 12:00 ﺍﺑﻮﺑﻜﺮ (Abu bakr), at 3:00 ﻋﻤﺮ (Umar), at 6:00 ﻋﺜﻤﺎﻥ (Uthman), at 9:00 ﻋﻠﻰ (Ali) 4. Seljuqs of Rum: The Three Brothers (1249-1259) Ꜹ Dinar, Konya, AH648 (Album A1227) 5. Byzantine Empire: Heraclius with Heraclius Constantine (610-641 CE) AV Solidus, Carthage, IY 6 (Sear 867; DOC 208; MIB 84a) Obv: D N ЄRACLIO ЄT ЄRA CONST P P S; To left, bust of Heraclius with short beard; to right, smaller bust of Heraclius Constantine, beardless; each wears cuirass, paludamentum, and crown with cross; Between heads, cross Rev: VICTOR-IA AVCC S; Cross potent on base and two steps; in exergue, CONOB 6. Seleukid Empire: Seleukos I Nikator (312 -281 BCE) AR Tetradrachm, Babylon II (Price 3349; SC C94.7d; HGC 9, 10g) Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin Rev: AΛEΞANΔPOY to right, BAΣIΛEΩΣ in exergue; Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, holding eagle and scepter; anchor and monogram to left; Π below throne Dim: 28mm, 17.19 g, 8h From the Collection of José Miguel Márquez del Prado 7. Arabia Felix, Lihyan: Anonymous (ca. 2nd-1st century BCE) Æ Tetradrachm (BMC Arabia pl. LV 2-9; Huth 40) Obv: Devolved head ot Athena to right Rev: AΘE Owl standing right, head facing; to left, olive sprig Dim: 23 mm, 12.83 g, 9 h 8. Macedonian Kingdom: Philip III Arrhidaios (323-317 BCE) AR Hemidrachm, Marathus (Price P166) Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin Rev: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ; Zeus Aëtophoros seated left, left leg drawn back, feet on stool, eagle in right hand, scepter in left; NKA monogram in left field, APK monogram under strut Dim: 14mm, 1.89 gm, 1h 9. Kingdom of Thessalonica: John Comnenus-Ducas (1237-1242) BI Small Module Trachy, Thessalonica (CLBC 14.29.3; Penchev p. 52, No. 224; CNG Lot 1521/2001) Obv: Θ ΔΙ or similar; Full-length figure of St. Demetrius, beardless and nimbate, wearing chiton, body armor with pteryges, and saigon; in right hand holding sword, resting over shoulder, and in left, shield, resting on ground Rev: IШ ΔЄ or similar; Full-length figure of emperor wearing stemma, divitision, orarion, and cloak; in right hand hold labarum on long shaft, and in left, anexikakia 10. Byzantine Empire: Michael III "the Drunkard" (842-867) Æ Follis, Constantinople (Sear 1693; DOC 8) Obv: +miҺAЄL IMPЄRAT'; Crowned facing bust of Michael, holding patriarchal cross on globus and akakia Rev: +ЬASIL-IЧS REX ✳; Crowned facing bust of Basil, holding patriarchal cross on globus and akakia Dim: 25mm, 6.06g
Nice coins, many of which I know nothing about. However, they are pretty little bobbles for sure. I like the Arabia Felix, Lihyan the most.
Wow, that is a big year! The Babylon Seleukid tet is gorgeous! It, the Prasannamitra 12 rattis, and the Lihyan tetradrachm are my favorites.
Awesome collection of 2018 acquisitions, @Quant.Geek ! I like the Michael III “the Drunkard” denomination the best. Not because I used to share some of his bad habits but for the bold graphics.
Those are some great coins! As a collector of Seleukos I Nikator that Babylon II tet is my personal favorite.
What a wonderful array of coins! Most fall outside my collecting area, but that Seleukos AtG tet is a truly wonderful example of the type. Congrats!
A glorious year, I've not bought 500 ancient in my entire life Nice to see something very different from what we're used to Q
I find each and every one of these coins absolutely arresting, with one notable exception: the Marathos hemidrachm. This is no doubt only because I don't understand why it's special... can you help me out on this one? So jealous of that Michael III follis! I've been trying to land one of those for years but always come up short!
A great year indeed, if I had to choose 1 from the list it would be #7. The devolved head of Athena is nicely complimented by the owls backward legs, interesting coin.
