So, I've lamented previously about my "one that got away", an As with a youthful bust of Marcus Aurelius as Caesar with anepigraphic reverse showing a rather introspective Minerva--imagery I've found very (appropriately) stoic and elegantly beautiful with its simplicity. I've been on the lookout for a similar coin (ideally in a larger denomination, but beggars can't be chosers), and I figured I'd be needing to relegate myself to an issue with reverse legend, a more common issue, and one at a much steeper price point. So I was biding my time and simply keeping an eye out in hopes the perfect coin would find me. About a month ago, I was the last minute underbidder on one with reverse legend. So I had gotten my hopes up, only to be disappointed. Then last week, an anepigraphic reverse type sestertius (RIC 1245) appeared from a well-known seller on the 'Bay, and I put in my snipe bid... And it stuck! Here's the seller's photos... As you can see, it had some green "crud" on the reverse, so I dabbed a bit of Verdicare on it to help dissolve it and with a little easy manual agitation, it disappeared. Then after a quick water-soap-toothbrush action (as I do with the majority of my newly delivered friends), it cleaned up pretty well. At first I tried shooting it under my basement lights (it was nighttime) and it was a bit too contrast-y, but initially workable. Then yesterday it was just the right amount of sun and clouds so reshot it in those conditions. It turned out much better. I love how it has a slight concavity to the reverse, and feels great in the hand. I'm very happy and now feel a lot more "complete" having this type back in my collection. Have you found a replacement for a coin you let go of and miss? Or do you have another coin that is relevant to the convo? If so, please share it!
Very nice. You've done a good job cleaning it up too. As the current custodian of your lost coin, I hadn't realised that it was a regret that you had passed it on. If I had known I would have called your attention to it when it was being offered again.
I got mine a couple years ago from Wizard Coin Supply, and I guess I was lucky that they had it in stock at the time. It is the product of @BadThad and I belive he has a personal reserve that he'd had been willing to provide to CT members ... Worth a PM.
Well, since I've sold my collections two separate times before, an awful lot of coin types have been sold that I would like to have back or duplicate. Here is one I recently obtained that I am proud to own. The first coin pictured was my first coin of the type, long gone to, I hope a respectful collector. Tiberius (Augustus) Coin: Brass Dupondius TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST IMP VIII - Laureate head left. MODERATIONI SC - Facing bust of Moderation on shield. Mint: Rome (16-22AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 13.86g / 28mm / 360 References: RIC 39 Acquisition/Sale: Tom Cederland Mail 2001 Notes: Feb 9, 12 - A Very scarce dupondius of Tiberius. ex-Gary R. Wilson Collection. Tiberius (Augustus) Coin: Brass Dupondius TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST IMP VIII - Laureate head left. MODERATIONI - Small bare bust (Tiberius?) facing within circle of petals; all within foliate and pelleted outer circle; S C across field. Exergue: Mint: Rome (16-22 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 11.28g / 28mm / 12h Rarity: Rare References: RIC I 39 Sutherland, Two, 1 (pl. XII, dies A1/P1) BMCRE 90 Cohen 6 Acquisition/Sale: saruman.com eBay $0.00 02/20 Notes: Feb 16, 20 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection
Nice looking coin, Justin. I really like the anepigraphic reverse. This is along the same lines, but not as attractive, a Marcus Aurelius as Caesar As with Minerva seated, resting her hand on her head in a rather introspective way. This seems odd to me, but that's what OCRE tells me is going on (if I'm attributing it correctly): Marcus Aurelius Æ As (155-156 A.D.) Rome Mint AVRELIVS CAES [ANTON AVG PII F], bare head right / TR POT X [COS I]I S C in exergue, Minerva seated right, resting right hand on head and holding spear. RIC 1331. (10.04 grams / 24 mm)
My "one that got away" story may not count because it uses a different meaning of "getting away" but here it is. My "one" was an as of Julia Domna with the Hilaritas reverse and a decent example of the later period portrait while Septimius was still alive. I bought the coin from Bill Porter (a long time friend) in 1992 and was reclining in an old chair given to us by my mother when she was downsizing prior to a move. I dropped the coin and it fell to my side and into the bowls of the recliner. I got up expecting to find it in the seat area. No. I stuck my hand down as far as it would go into the recliner mechanism. No luck. I turned the chair over and beat on it trying to knock the coin loose. No good, either. I could not destroy my mother's chair. After a great deal of consternation I gave up and resigned myself to having been stupid enough to lose a coin while sitting with my feet up. This coin got away. About a year later, I was at a show and found another coin of the type so I bought it to replace the one eaten by the chair. It was not quite as nice but it had the great advantage of being in hand rather than in the chair. About five years passed and we were getting new carpet so I had to move the furniture out of the room. Did I mention the chair was heavy? It was too large to fit easily down a narrow stairs between living and family rooms so I had to twist it around and shove past a banister. I heard a clunk and there on the stairs was the errant as no worse for its less than ideal storage. I still can not figure out how I was unable to find it when it was lost but it just decided to come out when the chair was held at a certain angle. That meant I had two rather similar coins. I was not of a practice of selling coins from my collection but when John Anthony started selling on Coin Talk, I consigned the spare to his sale. One of you owns it now. I no longer look at coins in recliners - that is a lie - I TRY to be careful when being stupid enough to look at coins while reclining. The prodigal as returned and all is right with the world. Well, maybe not all but the "one that got away" came home again.
That's a wonderful story, Doug! I appreciate you candor and keep trying to be careful. Both your coins are better than mine...
Nice replacement, and great job with the Verdicare treatment! My story isn't about one I sold, but goes to the question of what to do when a coin you really wanted to win gets away from you. A stater of Gortyna depicting Europa seated in a tree has always been one of my dream coin types, and one particular example that came up for sale in 2015 simply floored me. It was one of the most alluring coins I had ever seen, and I wanted to win it... badly. When I ended up the underbidder, I was pretty crushed, and lamented privately and publicly here on CT that it would probably be the one auction loss that would always haunt me. For the next four years, I looked for a suitable 'replacement', but even examples in better condition didn't have quite the same style or appeal to me. I began to suspect that I might actually end up never owning the type because I wouldn't be able to bring myself to a bid on one that wasn't that exact example. Sometimes, it really is the case that all ancient coins being unique, there's just no replacing the one that got away. Fast forward to January this year, my jaw literally dropped when looking through a CNG auction, I spotted MY coin up for sale again! I spent two weeks dreaming about the possibility of winning it and agonizing over how much I ought to bid - my coin budget wasn't at its healthiest, and even at my previous failed bid, it would have been almost twice as much as I had ever paid for a coin. Finally, I went with a bid one increment higher than my 2015 bid, and told myself that if it was meant to be, I'd win it, and if I didn't, then at least I could tell myself I tried harder this time around. Come auction day, I did win it, at exactly my maximum bid. The coin arrived sometime in February. It was worth the wait. CRETE, Gortyna AR Stater. 11.68g, 27mm x 24.5mm. BMC Crete pg. 38, 9, pl. IX. 8 (same rev die); SNG Cop 442; Svoronos 59. O: Europa, wearing chiton with short sleeves and peplos over lower limbs, seated right in platanus tree; right hand on tree, heading resting pensively on left arm which is bent and supported by her knee. R: Bull standing right, head reverted, right hind leg lifted. Ex Matthew Curtis Collection; ex Classical Numismatic Group 100 (7 October 2015), lot 1398
Wow, is THAT a cool coin. I enjoy animals on coins, and that Bull is great. The obverse is WAY cool! Nice capture!
@Justin Lee , nice write-up, and am glad you got the coin! I really do not have any that "got away". I usually am not a person that has regrets on things. I either get the coin or I do not. When I make decisions, they are made, and I really do not look back. Just how I do things. Perhaps, it helps my personal sanity.
