Share your rarest coin

There are many cities so rare that we will never see an example. If you collect long enough you have probably found a few that are unique or close to it. I would love to see your rarest coins. Here is a coin I sold but was probably the rarest coin I have owned.
ETRURIA, Central Italy Uncertain City AE26, 300-250BC.ETRURIA, Central Italy Uncertain City AE26, 300-250BC. Male figure with Scepter (or lance) and Patera n. l. standing. Dog Rt. Holding a Aryballos in the muzzle hanging on cords for R. 10.17 G. SNG Cop. 44. P. Visonà, Due monete etrusche inedite e rare into collezioni italiane, SNR 79 (2000), 30, fig. 5. Very rare. Dark Green patina.

The Etruscan civilization was responsible for much of the Greek culture imported into early Republican Rome, including the twelve Olympian gods, the growing of olives and grapes, the Latin alphabet (adapted from the Greek alphabet), and architecture like the arch, sewerage and drainage systems

 

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I have several rare emperors and kings but as far as cities all I have are the usual stuff. I mostly collect Roman and early medieval.

 

Scratch that, I have Rome and Ravenna mint Byzantines, and those are considered scarce and rare, if those count.

 

It does not have to be a city, just your rarest.

 

I bought this from HJB last May. Shiny bright, but pretty good detail on the obverse. The reverse is messy, but this was the best of the lot. I also have an Antigonos Gonatas from the same hoard.


SELEUKID KINGS of SYRIA. Antiochos Hierax. Circa 242-227 BC. AR Tetradrachm (30mm, 16.42 g, 11h). Alexandreia Troas mint, workshop A(?). Series Ii, group A. SC-876 var (control mark on outer left) (same obverse die) Obv. Head of Antiochos I, rejuvenated and idealized, right, with hair in bangs over forehead and wearing a winged diadem / Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ on r. AN-TIOXOY on l. , partially nude with slight drapery on thigh Apollo Delphios seated left on omphalos, testing arrow in his right hand, and resting left hand on grounded bow set; Control marks: M in outer left field. Horse grazing right and monogram in exergue. Bright surfaces, Rare gVF
Harlan J Berk May 13, 2015 from a yet to be published hoard ranging from lifetime issues of Alexander to Antiochos III, 192 BC


KINGS of MACEDON. Antigonos II Gonatas. 277/6-239 BC. AR Tetradrachm (30mm, XX g, 5h). Amphipolis mint. Struck after 270 BC. Head of Pan wearing goat horns and goat skin in center of Macedonian shield, lagobolon over shoulder; shield decorated with seven eight-pointed stars within double crescents / Athena Alkidemos left, brandishing thunderbolt and holding shield decorated with aegis; crested Athenian helmet left, monogram right gVF

I should add that Phil Davis indulged me and allowed me to sort through hundreds of coins before deciding on these two. It was a pure delight.

 

This is my rarest coin Augustus dupondius temple

 

I don't know the answer to this question but I think this might be my rarest - I've been told there are only three other examples of the type:


Constantine I, AD 306-337
AE, follis, 3.02g, 19mm; 6h; Siscia, AD 319
Obv.: IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG; laureate, helmeted, and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: VICT LAETAE PRINC PERP; two victories standing, facing one another, together holding shield inscribed VOT/PR on altar with S
In. Exe.: dot ЄSIS dot

Now I've got some pretty rare Air Force trade tokens...but those aren't ancient!

 

I don't know which of my coins is the most rare. Several appear to be truly rare but hard data to support the claim is of course spotty. I haven't gone out of my way to document rarity in my database but sometimes I make notes. I probably have a dozen, maybe two dozen, coins which might qualify as rare.

Here are a few which, at least by virtue of finding no or few others, are probably truly rare. I have not bothered to check for minor varieties within otherwise rather abundant Imperials.

One of the many fun things about collecting ancient coins: we can all afford rare coins without having to resort to a USB microscope to look for VAM variety or infinitesimally doubled dies .


IONIA, Klazomenai
4th century BC
AE10.7, 1.53 gm.
Obv: head of Athena right
Rev: ram lying left, winged boar above, Φ in left field; ANOK (ANOY?) below
Ref: Not in literature consulted, including Imhoof-Blumer, F., Kleinasiatische Münzen
I've seen a few of this general type but not with the winged boar above the ram. I've searched online archives and various public domain reference books.


ZEUGITANA, Carthage
early 2nd century BCE
AE 15-shekel, 45 mm, 95 gm
Obv: wreathed head of Tanit left
Rev: horse standing right, left foreleg up; solar disk with uraei above
Ref: Alexandropoulos J (2000) Les monnaies de l'Afrique Antique, 103; Müller L (1861) Numismatique de L'Ancienne Afrique, 131; Luynes 3782; Jenkins GK and Lewis RB (1963) Carthaginian Gold and Electrum Coins, Royal Numismatic Society, London, pl. 28 12
There are two versions of this 15-shekel coin. Both types qualify as at least scarce by almost any standard, but the "horse standing right, foreleg raised" is apparently very rare. Magnagraecia.nl reports four specimens. If any of you see one of these online, please let me know so I can add it to my records.


IONIA, Klazomenai
499-494 BCE
AR diobol, 9mm, 1.2 g
Obv: forepart of winged boar left
Rev: incuse square
Ref: Cf. BMC 9-10 (drachm); cf. Traité I 488 (drachm). VF, toned, porous. Very rare with boar left, apparently unpublished as a diobol
Perhaps a bit close to modern collector mentality, but this one qualifies as rare because the winged boar is facing left. Right-facing Klazomenai diobols are plentiful but I've not seen another left-facer.


EGYPT, Alexandria. Marcus Aurelius as Caesar
AE obol, 20.5 mm, 6.0 gm. Alexandria.
Year 15 (CE 151/2)
Obv: MAVPHΛICKAICAP; bust right, bare head
Rev: Sphinx crouched right; LIE (date) above in left field
Ref: Emmett 1919.15, R5; Dattari 3221

I have many Roman Egyptian coins which are rated "R5" by Emmett ("found only in one or two of the major published Alexandrian collections") but some of them are not that hard to find on the market. Conversely, some of the coins with lower Emmett rarity numbers are extremely hard to find in the market.

Emmett is about to publish a new catalog of Alexandrian varieties from Elagabalus onwards. I'm almost sad to see this happen. One of the nicest things about collecting Alexandrian coins has been not having to worry about assigning importance to minor variations à la RIC. I won't bore you with a parade of all of my "book rare" Alexandrians but you can see most of my Roman Egypt coins here (I have many more not yet loaded to the website).

I don't have many Roman Imperials but a few are supposedly rare. Of those, this Postumus may be my rarest, and it came from a large group lot:


Postumus
CE 260-269
antoninianus, 20 x 22 mm, 3.0 gm
struck CE 263 in Cologne
Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev: PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left, leaning on a column, holding a scepter in her right hand and a cornucopiae in her left; at her feet to left, globe
Ref: RIC VII 81, Cologne; AGK (corr.) 70. Cunetio -. Elmer 334. Gilljam -

I don't buy a coin just because it is said to be "rare", although that certainly is a bonus if it truly is rare . Also, buying an ancient coin primarily for its rarity may lead to disappointment when a hoard is found. I wonder how many hearts will be broken once the just-discovered Seville hoard is catalogued?

Instead of longing for coins because of their rarity, often I wish a given coin weren't so rare-- that way I might have a shot at acquiring it. An Eid Mar denarius comes to mind. Even if tens of thousands of them existed, I'd still love to own such a pointed reminder (pun intended ) of an important historical event. "Winged Dolphin Man" is another. Oh how I want one!! Please, Santa, Please! There are a few other very rare coins on my wish list but I don't want to reveal what they are in case I am ever in the position to bid on one .

 

Same here. And, in fact, I have no idea if I own a rare coin or not. Don't get me wrong. I would like to know, but the fact that any coin I have might be rare is secondary as to why I collect (perhaps tertiary).

 

I don't rank my coins by 'Rarity', so I do not know which of my coins is the 'most' rare , but I do know that this Licinius I is 'very' rare.

Licinius I, AE follis, Antioch, AD 314-315.
18.5 mm., 4.2 g.
IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS PF AVG, laureate head right.
IOVI CONSER-VATORI AVGG, Naked Jupiter standing left, chlamys
across left shoulder, holding Victory on globe and sceptre, eagle with wreath in left field, officina letter Gamma in right field.
Mintmark ANT.

RIC VII Antioch 12
Rated R5.

 

Don't know where my photos have gone
Augustus
Bronze 19mm 4.3g
Phrygia, Dionysopolis B
are head of Emperor right
Dionysos standing left, holding grapes and thyrsos
12 BC - 14 AD
Von Aulock, Phrygiens II, 92-6; RPC I 3122
Very rare, 5 other examples known

 

I have several that are considered 'scarce' or 'highly scarce' but probably only rare in the higher grades, let alone the almost perfect grades...but this recent purchase is 'rare' as a 'museum quality' type and something else in a 'budget' grade.

The first sold for over $260,000 and mine a 'tad' less LOL. Actually a fraction of that and even less than estimate.

Caligula, Ae Sestertius, Rome Mint 39/40 AD; 34 mm, 25.83 grams
Pietas obverse with Caligula over altar reverse.

 

There are supposed to be only 3 known of this particular variant from Elis:



I have no idea how to verify this claim. I picked it because I wanted the Hera type not because of rarity.
John

 

This is one mine.






IVLIA DOMNA AVG, Draped bust right; FORTVN REDVC, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia
Unlisted Syrian mint.

 

Oooh, that is my favorite type of Caligula bronze! Nice catch

 

With Jupiter on obverse and Victory on reverse, this anonymous coin was struck during the reign of Emp. Maximinus II. The mint is likely to be Antioch,but it's very unusual to encounter such a coin during the Constantine era. I'm not sure if it's officially listed either.

 

Appart from minor varieties out of abundant types I have a few coins from the Dombes principality which might be considered as rare (at least to date, should a bunch of them come to surface). The most noticeable is a gold pistole (double ecu) which is quite frequent for 1578 (frequent for Dombes means 30ish known examples), really rare for 1575 and 1582 with one or two known examples of each. The 1579 example I show is the first known of its type and mintage


LOUIS II DE MONTPENSIER (1560-1582)
Pistole, or - 1579 (inédite) - Atelier de Trévoux
+ LVDO . P . DOMBARVM . D . MONTISP Ecu de Bourbon couronné
+ DNS . ADIVTOR . ET . REDEM . MEVS . 1579 Croix feuillue
6.54 gr - 25-26 mm
Ref : Date inédite : Divo Dombes -, PA -, Mantellier -, Boudeau -, Sirand -

Q

 

I have only seen one of these: Gallienus of Perge, Pamphylia. AD 253-268,
a Provincial coin with Elpis on the reverse. CNG archives shows none, ACsearch shows this one. Wildwinds does have one of this type. It might not be rare, technically, but I don't run into a lot of them.

 

My rarest coin isn't even in my specialty area, but it's a keeper. A hybrid of Domitian and reverse of Domitia. I think 2-3 are known to be extant. Somebody, somehow, picked up this picture and posted in on Wikipedia for Domitian's entry, which is pretty cool. Wasn't me.

 

When you collect ancients for a while one is bound to get hold of either unique or very rare items. I've always liked the following. The best explanation I have heard so far (by Doug on another group) is that the obverse die was begun just prior to the weight and diameter change for the series, then was continued on normally, creating the two borders.

Constantinopolis Commemmorative, struck circa 336 - 337 AD
Æ18, Heraclea Mint, 1.7 grams
Obverse: CONSTANTINOPOLI, Helmeted bust of Constantinopolis left, spear over shoulder, within double reeded border.
Reverse: GLORIA EXERCITVS, Two soldiers standing either side of a single standard with Christogram, both hold spears. SMHA in exergue.

Reference:
similar to RIC157