SA's favourites 2017: top 15 overall, 4 never posted

Sorry this was so long in coming; the flu, a severe sprain, and work have wrought havoc on my coining time! As I mentioned before, I went a wee bit overboard with my coin purchases last year . My rationalization is that I was making up for many years without CoinTalk... which is also my excuse for posting many 2017 favourites, including budget coins, medieval, and IHBCT. I threatened to post favourite portraits too, but given my tardiness I'll skip that and go right for the jugular.

My collecting targets are determined by a mixture of historical importance, aesthetics, and numismatic importance, but their position in my list is by pure gut feel: that mysterious feature we could call "coinjoyment". Thanks to all of you, my coinjoyment this year multiplied manyfold!

What does the word "coinjoyment" mean to you? Post the first coin that comes to mind!

15) Follis of Constantius I as Caesar, Alexandria, issued 295-6 under Domitius Domitianus. RIC 21a.

This coin could have appeared on either my budget list or my IHBCT list. @Victor_Clark was the one who drew my attention to these rare early folles from Alexandria, characterized by the eagle at Genius's feet... and issued by Domitius Domitianus, the usurper in Alexandria. RIC marks all 5 (DD plus the 4 tetrarchs) as "common", but this is not supported by their rarity in the trade. I haven't seen a better one of Constantius, and I love it for its condition, centring, attractive silvering, and style (see the beard curls?). It's also ex Dattari. As long as I have this coin (i.e. forever), I won't be too sad if I never land a DD!

14) Kublai Khan (Emperor Shi Zu), 1260-94. H19.15, 3 cash, issued 1285-94. Je Üen Tung Baw (in Mongolian), = Zhi Yuan tong bao. 31.5mm, 8.01g.

Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis and conqueror of China, is an historical figure of mythical proportions, and I feel lucky to have this coin. Except for one issue of Wu Zong (Khaishan, 1308-11), Yuan dynasty (i.e. Mongol) coinage is quite rare, in part because they favoured the use of paper money (which eventually led to economic ruin). This is a particularly nice example, so you might be surprised it's only #14 on my list. The reason is that it just possibly shouldn't be on the list at all... what if it isn't genuine? Always a concern for Chinese coins, even when the patina is perfect in hand (which it is).

The expert opinion I have consulted so far leans toward it being OK... @Ancientnoob (my source for the coin) thinks it's OK, it passed David Hartill's inspection of an image, and one other expert I consulted thinks it's OK too. The one concern is the bottom character, which is not normal for the issue. Then again, it isn't too far off the plate in Hartill, and engraving errors are to be expected for a script that Kublai commissioned, and which would have been strange to the mint workers. (Another possibility is that it is a contemporary counterfeit.) I plan to send it to Joe Lang at Stephen Album Coins for his opinion next. Will I ever be 100% certain of the coin? I hope so! In the meantime it gets a rank of 14.

13) Sihtric III Olafsson (Silkbeard), Viking King of Dublin (995-1036). AR penny, phase II, Dublin mint (moneyer: Ndremin). SIHTRC REX D? / NDREMIN MO DYF.

Viking coinage is rare and popular, and I'm lucky the edge damage must have turned off the other bidders(?) because I got this for a song. I love the toning, portrait, and clear legends on this coin, but mostly I love it for its history. It was issued during a tumultuous period when various Norse and Irish clans were competing for control of the island. Sihtric (or Sigtrygg) was actually of dual descent, and he fought with both Irish and Norse allies, depending on the situation. He was connected at various times with the founder of the O'Brian dynasty Brian Boru (his father in law), the Ui Neill clan, and king Cnut of England, among others, and he features in both Norse saga and Irish story. He may also be descended from Ivar the Boneless (cf. Bernard Cornwell's The Last Kingdom) and Ragnar Lothbrok (the hero of the History Channel's Vikings... a good Canadian production.) In short, an awesome historical figure!

Both of the previous coins would have been near the top of my Medieval list, if they hadn't made the top 15.

12) I don't pay that much attention to modern coins, but I kept seeing humongous thalers of Leopold I, the Hogmouth and they were calling to me. I finally gave in:

At nearly 30g and a whopping 47mm, maybe you can forgive me for posting this here? Besides the heft, I love the amazing detail on this coin. Plus as the Holy Roman Emperor who drove the Ottomans out of Hungary and enemy of Louis XIV of France, Leopold I is no slouch as an historical figure, either. 'Nuff said. (Oh, except what about that "hogmouth" thing? This appears to be a term primarily used by numismatists, and elsewhere it's not much remarked upon. He did seem to have a particularly exaggerated form of the "Habsburg mouth", though... which is more obvious on the side-view coins than on his painted portraits.)

11) OK, back to the board's wheelhouse: Julius Caesar denarius, issued 49-48 BCE:

In 2016, my biggest purchase was a JC portrait denarius, issued just before his death. I really wanted one of these iconic coins, from 5 years earlier when he crossed the Rubicon, initiating the civil war with Pompey and his enemies in the senate. I chased quite a few only to come up empty handed (I really didn't want to pay top dollar, far from it). Then this beauty came along, with good detail, the best style of elephant, and a clear name, at a winning bid of 220 euros. The pitting is shallow and much less prominent in hand, hardly visible in fact, and I suspect the coin can be improved by lightening the toning in the tiny pits, if I'm brave enough to try. In the meantime, I'm extremely happy to finally have one of these!

10) OK, now for a coin I haven't posted here before: Lesbos, Mytilene EL Hekte. Circa 454-427 BCE. Diademed head of youthful river-god(?) right, small horn over forehead / Bearded head of old river-god (or Dionysus?) to right in archaic style, within a linear square border.

This coin is a tiny charmer: only 10.5mm (but a hefty 2.55g). I love the contrasting classical vs. archaic styles, both very artistic. I think it was @Ken Dorney who advised us to get our hektes before they're gone, and I took his advice. This particular type seems to be rather scarce, plus I didn't have anything else from Lesbos. As far as historical interest goes, the end of the period to which this coin is dated falls at the time of Mytilene's failed rebellion against Athens. Thucydides reports a dramatic debate in the Athenian assembly in which the Mytileneans were first sentenced to death (adult males) and slavery (the rest), the reversal of that decision after a second debate, and the second ship barely arriving in time to announce the reprieve. It is one of the most famous incidents from the Pelopponesian war.

9) This next coin would have been tops on my medieval list: Merovingian denier of St. Denis/Catullacum, issued c. 700-725. EBCEGISIRO / CATVL LVMI

I'm fascinated by the coinage of early post-Roman states, and I like this particular coin for a number of reasons. First, its place of issue just outside Paris (now inside, of course) is the town of Catullacum, site of the Basilica of St. Denis, the burial place of the Frankish kings. This coin was issued at the time of Pepin II (d. 714) and his son, Charles Martel. By 730, Charles Martel had concluded the Frankish civil wars, and in 735 he would win the famous battle of Poitiers against the Arabs. Pope Etienne II would later anoint Pepin III ("the short") and his two sons, Carloman and Charles (Charlemagne) at St. Denis.

The "portrait" is of particularly nice style for Merovingian coinage, and was inexpertly copied for later types produced further north. (I have found a die match for my coin in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France.) This is a very rare type, but that's not unusual for Merovingian coins. Philip Grierson (Medieval European Coinage vol. 1, pp. 105-6) argues cogently that this denomination was called a "denarius", and valued at 12 to the "solidus." I could go on and on about this coin, and maybe I will in a future post... but I'm sure you're thinking it's past time for #8 already! OK.

8) Punic Iberia, 1/4 shekel, Carthago Nova, 237-209 BCE:

This very rare coin was issued under Hannibal in Spain, just before he fatefully crossed the Alps into Italy to wreak havoc in the 2nd Punic War. It's also speculated that the portrait is of Hannibal himself, or at least has Barcid characteristics even if it actually depicts Melqart. How cool is that!!

7) Here's another one I've never posted here, a tetartemorion (5mm, 0.21g) of Magnesia ad Maeandrum, issued under Themistokles in 465-459 BCE:

This is another extremely rare coin of an important historical personage, and it's actually in amazingly good condition, especially the monogram on the reverse. My budget list featured an obol of Themistokles that I got for a steal; this one was a good deal, but way more expensive than my other one. I must say that I almost feel guilty for having 2 coins of Themistokles. (Almost, but not quite!)

Anyone interested in Greek history will know the story of how Themistokles tricked the Greeks into a forced cooperation, and at the same time tricked the Persians into taking on the Greek fleet in a narrow strait near Salamis. This do-or-die ploy ultimately ensured a Greek victory. The Persian king obviously didn't resent it too much, since he gave Themistokles a job as a governor in Asia minor after the big Θ got ostracized from Athens for being arrogant. But this just scratches the surface of Themistokles' historical importance in the 5th century BCE... what an incredible guy!

6) And yet another coin I have never posted here, purchased mainly for aesthetic reasons, a Rhodian didrachm, issued c. 250 BCE:


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And check out the relief on this sucker:

As a major naval power in the 3rd century BC, a historical collector needs something from Rhodes in that period. I’ve wanted a classic Rhodian didrachm for a long time, but the really nice ones get insanely pricey, considering how common they are. I knew I wanted a nice style Helios (tough) with irises & pupils (tougher)… the blank-eyed stare on most of these just looks kinda freaky and unappealing to me. Unfortunately, all the examples I thought were nice ended up going for astronomical prices… until this one. It fit the bill, and I didn’t get totally outclassed in a bidding war. Maybe partly because it’s o/c, but also I think it slipped under the radar a bit. Phew!

5) Denarius of Plautius Plancus, issued 47 BCE:

If I thought superior examples of the Rhodian didrachm got pricey, that’s nothing compared to this type, which depicts Medusa and (allegedly) a famous Greek painting of Aurora owned by the moneyer. As there seem to be no perfect examples of this type in existence, every owner of one has to make compromises, even with an infinite budget. On my budget, well… major compromises are inevitable. That said, I’m extremely happy with this coin. A spectacular scary Medusa, a beautiful Aurora IMO (surely more important than beautiful horses?!?), no apparent die rust (seems to be a common problem with these), and I can live with the o/c. (I’ve noticed that I seem to be less bothered by o/c than others on this board. Amiright?)

4) And now we get a grotty little lrb?!? Crispus AE3, Trier, RIC 372. Issued 322-23.

While I’m not religious myself, I’m fascinated with the influence of religion on politics, and in particular with Constantine and his family’s shift of the state religion to Christianity, surely one of the most momentous events in world history. This coin is an important piece of evidence for that shift. The key detail here is the chi-rho on Crispus’s shield. This coin was minted only ten years after the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, in which Constantine directed his soldiers to paint a symbol on their shields. (Or at least that’s the story he later wanted to circulate.) It’s disputed what the symbol actually was, but this coin is an important piece of evidence that it was indeed a chi-rho. Not only that, the earliest written evidence for the symbol comes from Lactantius… who was tutor to Crispus in Trier! Prior to that, Constantine had encouraged the Christian community there, and it was the site of one of the early churches Constantine built. I don't know if Crispus had a hand in the production of this coin, but I’m not surprised that one of the earliest instances of the chi-rho on a coin came from the Trier mint, and on a Crispus coin. I should add: it seems there are only five or six of these in existence. Thanks so much to @Valentinian who located one for me!! (He has a truly spectacular example, which you can see here.)

3) To refresh your eyes after that ugly piece of history, here is my coin from @Curtisimo’s “guess the owner” contest. Tetradrachm, Rhodes mint, struck c. 201-190 BCE, in the name and types of Alexander III. 32mm, 16.77g.

My description from the contest: “You know that coin with an absurdly low estimate whose real life price you can't possibly afford, but you're forced, absolutely FORCED, to put in an insultingly cheap bid because otherwise it simply won't let go of your throat? This coin's death grip on me came from its sheer size and artistry. In addition, I found that it was nothing like Price 2512 (as listed by the seller), but was instead a dead ringer for 2513 and 2514: 4-figure stunners signed ΔΑΝ by the Rhodian engraver Danaos(?) just behind the ear. (I have since discovered it is an obverse die match for the Ashmolean's 2513, which shares with the British Museum's example an unclear "N".) I laughed in the live auction as my final increment got blown away... except WAIT, it didn't get blown away...what, nobody else is bidding?!... only a few seconds left!.. OMG it's mine?!? ” I’ll just add a bit of historical context: this was minted just when Rhodes appealed to Rome for help against Philip V of Macedon (201 BC), sparking the Second Macedonian War which ended in 196 BCE with Rome’s triumph and Rhodes’ independence reconfirmed. (Well, as long as they didn’t tick off their benefactors, now the undisputed superpower of the Mediterranean.)

2) Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-222 BC), AE octobol, 93.27g, 46mm.

Absolutely huge, absolutely beautiful, and ex Dattari. What’s not to like? This one would have headed my IHBCT list. In the years BCT (before Coin Talk), I shamefully neglected Egyptian coins, both Ptolemaic and Roman. When @TIF and @dougsmit posted their Ptolemaic monsters, my eyes popped and my checklist grew yet again. I was amazed to land this coin about a month later, and it was great to share it with my new coin buddies.

1) Hmmm… I think I will take a leaf out of @Sallent’s book and save my #1 for later. Watch this space…

EDIT: #1 has now been revealed in this thread, here is a direct link:
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/sa...all-4-never-posted.309286/page-3#post-2968488

 

Awesome coins

 

Aaaaaaaaaand another list... whew your making me tired!

Loving that great big fat juicy octobol. Eagle!!!

 

Beat us both with that fat bird. Excellent!

 

Indeed! That is the most awesome largest Ptolemy I know of and I'm not happy that I didn't see it at auction . Oh well, at least it went to family.

Your ATG Rhodes tet is gorgeous. The Plancus has better metal than most. It's a tough coin if condition is your thing.

I love the way you've framed the sides. It looks like Helios moved to the corner and is sticking his head out the window. Fabulous!

There's something wonderful about each coin in your list and reading the post provided much coinjoyment

 

An absolutely awesome set of coins.

 

A great list of beautiful and interesting coins. I admit that my favourite is the Silkbeard.

 

Nicely done @Severus Alexander! When I saw that your Danaos die matched tetradrachm only came in at #3 I was like "whaaa"

Then I saw that sweet Ptolemy octobol. Holy cow that is a Titan of a coin! I also like your medusa denarius. Love the write ups too!

I'm bummed that we won't get to see your favorite portraits now (dang works). You should at least post the ones we haven't seen to thier own threads! Looking forward to #1...

 

Fantastic set of coins, I really love both of your Rhodes silver and that BIG bird is just something that leaves you in awe, congrats on a great year.

 

Thanks, everyone!! I knew the hockey puck would get lots of love, but nice to see Silkbeard get some too, @Orfew. My #1 may be a disappointment to some, but it's a grail coin for me and pretty much all lrb collectors. (Hint, hint... any guesses?)

Thanks, that means a lot, coming from you! It would be nice to think it's best-of-type, but I'd say this one has me beat. (Except for provenance, I suppose.) I wouldn't be surprised to see the best-of-type show up in your collection sometime.

I think the portraits have all appeared before, at least briefly. VERY briefly for these four, so I'll pop 'em in here. (I know you've seen the Leo, but maybe not the other three?)

 

So coins of Kubilai Khan under the Yuan dynasty exist? I had been sort of ambiguous on the issue given that some online sites referenced them and some didn’t.

 

Oh yes, they definitely exist! Here's a passel of 'em:
https://www.zeno.ru/showgallery.php?cat=601

 

Another great list! I love the grotty little Crispus and that awesome jealousy-inducing Ptolemy oktobol. Oh, and since the collective wisdom of the board is that the AtG tet is mine, I’ll be PM-ing you my address .

 

Fantastic Tet.

 

and of course Caracalla!

 

Oh, ok. Thank you!

 

I'm sure we can arrange a trade! I'll take your abduction of Persephone, your Tarkumuwa stater, your First Meris tet, your Domna and kids denarius, your ex Stevex6 Caracalla ant., and your Tarentum nomos with prow. Deal?

 

You got some mind blowing coins, Severus Alexander! Proves hard work = beautifull coins Well done, love the diversity reflected in your new aquisitions.
Hope you are feeling better.

 

An outstanding year with outstanding specimens. Love that Alexander tet!