A new year is upon us and all my current targets are in sales ending in 2019 so it's time once again to reflect on the past year and set some goals for the next year. My coin collection grew somewhat slower this year as it took a backseat to many other life events that were going on. My wife and I bought our first house near the end of July and then, with mortgage approval out of the way, I started the process of finding a new job which just recently ended as I accepted an offer and started at the new place earlier this month. With all that out of the way and my free time steadily increasing I am very optimistic about 2019, but more about that later. While I purchased fewer coins and spent less per coin on average in 2018 than 2016 or 2017, several other things happened that made 2018 one of if not the best year so far for me since I began collecting ancients. I was able to add several important volumes to my library such as Rutter's "Historia Numorum Italy", Sear's "The History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators" and Sydenham's "The Coinage of the Roman Republic". I was also able to attend NYINC and finally meet many of the collectors I'd corresponded with online for years and a paper I co-authored with Richard Schaefer was published in the first volume of KOINON. For these reasons I felt that 2018 was absolutely a success. Many will recognize the coins I selected below as I've shared them all before and, in at least one case, the coin was a popular piece in its former owner's collection and had been shared here several times before I owned it. While I have my own ranking for these coins I'd be very interested to hear which ones are other members' favorites and what you think of my picks. #1: CA triens overstruck on Oiniadai, ex @stevex6 Collection My favorite coin of 2018 is the clear winner in my mind. While I am very happy with everything else I purchased this year, really nothing else comes close and it's up there in the top 2 or 3 coins in my entire collection. It's not the highest grade example of the type, nor is it an extremely rare type but for me it's the absolute best and most eye appealing example of a Cr. 100/3 "CA" triens overstruck on Oiniadai. You can read a bit more about the historical significance of this coin here. This was my favorite coin from the @stevex6 collection, one that I originally planned to bid on in the original auction where Steve won it(though I ran out of money way before it came up) and one that I was always jealous of when he posted it. When his collection went up for sale I knew I wanted it and while it took me a little while to get the funds together I'm still extremely happy to have become the next caretaker for this coin. Roman Republic Æ Triens(20mm, 5.88g, 12h), anonymous("CA" series), 209-195 B.C., Canusium(?) mint. Helmeted head of Minerva right; above, •••• / Prow right; above, ROMA; below, ••••; to right, CA. Crawford 100/3; Sydenham 309c Overstruck on Oiniadai, Akarnania Zeus/Acheloüs, cf. BCD Akarnania 345-348 for undertype. For CA triens overstruck on Oiniadai cf. Hersh NC 1953, 14 and cf. Crawford Table XVIII, 91 Ex Stevex6 Collection via coin.ages, eBay, January 27 2018, ex RBW Collection, CNG e-auction 364, December 2 2015, lot 90, ex Stacks Coin Galleries, August 20 1986, lot 117, ex Frederick S. Knobloch Collection, Stacks May 4 1978, lot 90 #2 A fantastic M·IVNI denarius This coin is absolutely breathtaking and a real beauty in-hand. Excellent style, minimal wear, relatively good dies and strike and beautiful old collection toning. This coin was a big gamble: a relatively unknown eBay seller with the usual "selling off an old estate collection" story and pictures that left a lot to be desired. Thankfully, a fellow collector whom I work very closely with had gambled on one of this seller's earlier offerings and it worked out very well, he even got to know the seller and confirmed that these coins really were from an old family collection formed in 1930s and 1940s and so I decided to take a little gamble on this one and I could not be more pleased and I had a really hard time transferring this one from my desk tray to the bank vault when the time to stash it away finally came. Roman Republic AR Denarius(4.04g, 18mm). M·IVNI(Marcus Junius Silanus?) series, 145 B.C., Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, ass's head; before, X. Border of dots / Dioscuri galloping right; below, M·IVNI; in exergue, ROMA. Crawford 220/1 Privately purchased via eBay, March 2018, from the Stevens collection, acquired circa 1940s. #3 McCabe group J1 Anonymous quadrans One of the areas I particularly focus on in my collection are the fully anonymous coins of the Roman Republic, both in silver and bronze and I am always happy when I can add scarcer examples to my collection. This quadrans is from group J1 described in Andrew McCabe's arrangement of struck bronzes. This anonymous group was not identified by Crawford and is closely linked by style to the signed issues of circa 206-195 B.C.. While some denominations are relatively common the quadrans is quite rare and I was very happy to add an example to my collection. Roman Republic Æ Quadrans(24mm, 9.72 g, 9h), anonymous, circa 206-195 B.C.. Rome mint. Head of Hercules right; to left, ••• / Prow right; above, ROMA; below, •••. McCabe Group J1; cf. Crawford 112-124 for signed issues in similar style Privately purchased from London Ancient Coins via Vcoins, 9/4/2018. Image copyright London Ancient Coins. #4 A different spearhead quinarius For a specialist collector, sometimes the coins you look out most for are the ones you don't know about. What do I mean by that? Well, take this coin for example, I was very confused when I first saw it. It's a quinarius with a spearhead symbol, Crawford 83/3 right? Well, not so fast. I'd seen a few spearhead quinarii before and they all looked like this. This thing is completely different in style both obverse and reverse and I'd never seen anything like it before I saw it in a Pegasi Spartan sale. How strange. The first few specialist collectors I asked about it had no idea either so I knew then that I had to have it and thankfully was able to win it without much competition. After several conversations with a handful of other collectors I finally learned that there are actually three known Spearhead quinarii with this being one of the rarest ones with something like 8 known examples, including mine. Unfortunately the type is far too rare for me to have much certainty as to mint location but I suspect it belongs with one of the spearhead bronze series from Apulia. At any rate, I'm happy it found a place in my collection. Roman Republic AR quinarius(1.62g, 15mm, 5h). Anonymous(Spearhead series), after 212 BC, Apulian(?) mint. Helmeted head of Roma right, V behind / The Dioscuri riding right; below, ROMA and Spearhead. Cf. Crawford 83/3 Ex Pegasi Spartan sale S77, 1/16/2018, lot 185, ex Naville Numismatics 1, ex Naville Numismatics Auction 1, 6/15/2013, lot 62, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Auction R, 5/16/2007, lot 1263 #5 A club victoriatus, without the club This final coin was another eBay win. This victoriatus is closest in style to the Club series but is conspicuously missing the club symbol. This is one of the rarest types of anonymous victoriati and I'm very happy to have even a very worn and somewhat overcleaned example. I had hoped when I found it on eBay that it would go unnoticed but in the end several people including a few of my friends ended up bidding on it and I had to pay about twice what I expected for it, but the sting of overpaying quickly subsided and I'm still extremely excited about having found this coin. Every year one of my goals is to add at least one new type of fully-anonymous victoriatus to my collection and this coin allowed me to fulfill that this year. It's getting harder and harder now that I've knocked out most of the common varieties but here's to hoping I can add yet another variety in 2019. Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(2.33g, 18mm, 12h). Anonymous(style of "Club" series). ca. 208 B.C. Southeast Italian mint(perhaps Brundisium?). Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 89/1b Ex Collectiblewatches, eBay, 9/17/2018 Those are my favorite five for 2018! I hope you enjoyed them. I'll end this post by sharing my 2019 goals: Buy Good VF or better for common types where possible Add at least one more victoriatus rarity, symboled or uninscribed Buy at least 2 attractive fully-anonymous bronzes Add at least 5 relevant auction catalogues to my library Finish reading History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators (Stretch goal) Buy at least one coin that I don't know exists today(December 30, 2018) These goals will require me to really pay attention in 2019 especially if I am going to check all six off the list but I'm optimistic. What are your collecting goals for 2019?
#2 is a favorite and on my list to aquire just not nar the top. And your #6 (stretch) which isn't a stretch for me, everytime I browse I see atleast something I've not seen before.
For me the reason it's a stretch goal is that at least in my area of collecting I've spent a lot of time trying to learn what's out there. Reading the reference books, reading the papers published since then, reading the major auction catalogs, looking at other collectors' galleries, etc. A few times per year someone will point out some new variety or something but rarely am I the one to find it and buy it. I'm hoping I can pay a bit more attention and have more luck with this in 2019.
I love that ex stevex6 Thomas the Tank Engine overstrike and can't imagine it having gone to a better home. What I know about your area of specialization barely scratches the surface, but I can certainly appreciate what a special coin that one is, especially given the historical context. I really like that beautiful M·IVNI as well. Calling it "fantastic" is no exaggeration!
That overstruck is really very interesting and peculiar! I really liked! Congrats, and happy 2019, @red_spork
I admired that #1 ever since Steve bought it. You did, too. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/an...that-a-killer-overstrike.271414/#post-2285976 I underestimated its appeal and thought he had paid too much so I was waiting for his price to drop to what I considered appropriate. I waited too long. Several other coins in his collection struck me the same way but many of his friends here on Coin Talk stepped in and bought most of his best items. I suspect many of them are in our favorites lists. I trust it will remain a highlight of your collection for many years.
Steve did have several excellent coins and I waited too long on some of them myself. I also felt like I overpaid on this one and that Steve probably did too but I couldn't help but feel like I was going to seriously regret it if I missed this coin. In the end I think I like it more than any other coin that I spent a similar or higher amount on so in that respect I feel like I got a great deal.
A fab five if I ever saw one. I think you are doing well to pick up some good RR books. I am partial to your top two. I am glad @stevex6's over strike made it to you! I have a few over strikes that his postings inspired me to buy like this RR sextans over a Man Headed Bull bronze. I like the details on your M.IVNI denarius. I have one in pretty good condition also. When I bought this coin I normally picked VF coins like the XVI, L.IVLI. The dealer had one in VF and mine shown below. I am glad I paid a bit extra for a higher grade.
I understand why you are so pleased with your #1, great score ! It's a "winna, winna, chicken dinna !!" Q
@red_spork, Your goals for 2019 are admirable and I hope you achieve them. I like all five of your favorites and #2, the M-IVNI is remarkable. You will never get tired of it and will never lose money on that kind of quality. #4 is my favorite. The upright spearhead symbol coins are all at least scarce, but I have never seen an example with this unique style, great find! These normally are seen with a broad head of Roma, but yours has a the tall narrow head. The Griffon tufts on the back of the helmet, The necklace, and the hair below the helmet are not like the prototypical examples at all. Here is my example of traditional RRC 83/3 style: Your coin also has a very respectable provenance. I don't have NAC R, but I'm curious if the description in that sale noted the unusual style.
Surprisingly none of the earlier auction records listed the unusual style of this coin. I know Roberto Russo was a very astute student of these coins so I was very surprised by that but at the same time this is such a scrappy little quinarius that it likely didn't get much attention. Actually, a mutual contact of ours who is very knowledgeable on Second Punic War-era denarii and quinarii had some very interesting information for me when I mentioned this coin to him and even a photo of a die match in a Sicilian hoard. He was the one who helped me finally find some information about it after several other collectors told me they'd never seen anything like it. Also, that's a wonderful example of the "normal" style 83/3. Yours is very attractive. I've been outbid on the type twice over the years but have yet to capture one for my own collection. One of these days...
Congratulations on a great year @red_spork . I was going to post a top list, but 3 coins arrived today unexpectedly Gotta rethink my list!
