Today's mail brought my winnings from the recent Frank Robinson sale. A couple of them are in the running for places in my year end top ten favorites so I'm holding them a couple weeks to be sure nothing else bumps them. These three are what I would consider better than the average coins I bought this year but not spectacular. First is an example of a coin that is better for being defective. The reverse of this AR tetradrachm of the Parthian king Phraates IV is somewhat off center on the reverse losing all of the top line of legend as well as the far left line. That is OK since we know what they said. This offset means that we have a much better than average amount of the very bottom line which is the date of the coin, May 24 BC (Seleucid era 288). The year is clipped just a bit on the far left but is certainly eta pi sigma (from the choices available with this reverse). Right of that is a clear rendition of the entire word DAICIOY (=May). Many dies of this month abbreviated the month DAI or similar but this one has it all so I wanted the coin. Those not impressed by the date may like the nice portrait of the king complete with royal wart on his forehead. The reverse shows Athena presenting the seated king with a wreath. This was the largest coin I got in the sale at 14.65g. Second is the smallest coin I got today. At 7mm and 0.33g this 5th century AR hemiobol of Lamponeia shows a facing bull head. I bought it because it was an animal Steve might like and a tiny coin I did not have. Third is another coin my being influenced by Steve made me buy. He has this city as part of his quest for the set. This is only my third city that issued the type but it is by far my best example yet. This Amastris, Paphlagonia, AE21 has a decent strike of the Gorgonin obverse and a Nike reverse which is centered well enough that the head is on flan (not to be assumed with these). I have spent enough this year so I hope my ten favorites are safe but we have a couple shopping weeks before the end of 2016. Time will tell.
Nice pick ups! Is this the same Frank Robinson that goes by FSR Coins? If so, I was thinking about sending for a lot of Tin Pitus from him for something different to play with.
Same one. He sells everything world and ancient. I believe he sells a copy of his book on the tin coins along with the coins themselves.
Nice haul, especially the Parthian. I always try to get tetradrachms with a clear month (for those issues that include the month), they can be very hard to find. But, we all need to stop praising Frank on this board- soon everyone will be bidding on his auctions and I won't win anything anymore!
Wow, Mentor => those are three terrific winners!! (I love all of 'em!!) It is difficult for me to pick a favourite, because they're all so sweet! (man, I love the wee bull incuse coin ... and you know I'm a huge fan of the Aegis coins ... but that Parthian baby might actually be my favourite?!) => again, congrats on three cool new additions (total keepers, my coin-friend)
It's nice to see a Parthian with something other than stick-and-dot letters and seated archer on the reverse.
Parthian, like Roman, covers several centuries and styles. The tetradrachms were a different mint than the drachms. We hear of people who only collect 1st century Romans but rarely someone who only collects pre-stick/dot Parthians.
