Share your rarest coin

I like the history of Majorian! Would love to have one of those. Nice.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I have no idea if this is my rarest, but I like using it as an example of how commonplace the unloved Roman provincial rarity can be.

The seller I got this from probably found it in an uncleaned lot or junk bin himself, didn't know what to make of it, and passed it on to me as a freebie when I bought a bunch of $2 coins from him.

I managed to attribute it through a single hit on RPC Online (citing only one example). I've never seen another one around and doubt I will any time soon - the site of ancient Augusta in Cilicia (near Adana in Turkey) was discovered only in 1955, but that same year submerged underwater when the Seyhan Dam was completed.



COMMODUS
AE19
4.77g, 19.3mm
CILICIA, Augusta, 183/184 AD
RPC Online 6170 (temp, Marcus Aurelius) = Karbach, Augusta p.54, 81 (same obv die)
O: Laureate head of Commodus right, AV KOMODO [...].
R: AVGOVSTN(sic) ETOY EPD, horse standing right, head turned left; tree to left.

 

Just got home from work...

I think i already posted most of my rarest stuff. I still have this one...

Merowinger Dynasty AV Triens circa 640AD Climone (Clermont) Mint master
Vinovaldus 1.29g. 16mm UNIQUE

UNIQUE...
Florenz AV Florin
Visgothic AV Tremissis (Marcianus) unpublished
Merowinger AV Triens (posted here)

2 KNOWN

Constantius I Chlorus AV Aureus Ticinum Mint
Eastern Chaluykas AV Pagoda
Western Roman Empire AV Solidus Constans Siscia Mint

3 KNOWN
Ionia Phokia EL Hekte (Zeus Head) Roma Auction should be on way via mail

 

i had to look up the "merowinger dynasty" ...had no idea who those cats were. my first guess was pretty close.

most of my rare coins were bargain bin snags that turned out to be rare, most of them are pretty ugly as well....



Tetrarchy of Chalkis, Coele Syria, Lysanias, 40 - 36 B.C.
O; female bust, R: double cornucopia, flanked by ligatures, 22 x 24 mm, 5.4 g

this coin of elagabalus isn't bad looking, and as far as i know is the only example of the type.

 

It is the German name for Merovingian I believe, the first dynasty of what would become France.

 

Mine are probably no where as rare as some of those on this thread, but they are scarce coins.

My favourite scarce coins.

Caligula and Agrippina AR Denarius, aF, toned, bumps and marks, 2.680g, 17.8mm, 180o, Lugdunum (Lyon, France) mint, end of 37 - early 38 A.D.;

Obv: C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT (counterclockwise), laureate head of Gaius right;

Rev: AGRIPPINA MAT C CAES AVG GERM (counterclockwise), draped bust of Agrippina Senior (his mother), her hair in a queue behind, one curly lock falls loose on the side of her neck,

RIC I 14 (R)(Rome), RSC II 2; BMCRE I 15 (Rome), BnF II 24, Hunter I 7 (Rome), SRCV I 1825



Claudius AR Denarius. 41-54 AD. Rome mint (18 mm 3.62 gr). Struck 46-47 AD.

Obv: TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P VI IMP XI, laureate head right

Rev: CONSTANTIAE AVGVSTI, Constantia seated left of curule chair, hand raised to face. RIC 32 (R2), RSC 8 BMC 31. Ex: AU Capital Management LLC



Otho AR Denarius. Rome Mint. 3.08 g

Obv: IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, bewigged head right

Rev: SECVRITAS P R, Securitas standing left, holding wreath & scepter.

RIC I, 8 (R2), RSC 17.

 

Every so often this question comes up and send me researching. This time I happened upon a listing for a second specimen of a coin I previously fantasized might be unique so now I'm downgraded to one of two leaving me with one fewer coin that may be unique. Part of me wants to buy it (but not destroy it so mine will be alone again) but the seller knows what it is (bummer!).

The rarest coin is one that does not exist. There are coins that were known to exist before WWII but have not been seen since. I'm sure many coins were destroyed in the bombings and stolen (anyone seen the movie Monument Men?). How many were the last of their kind? When I first started, someone told me that the only aureus of Pescennius Niger was one that was destroyed but recently years have seen some come to light. The rarest coin, then, is the one discovered tomorrow that does not exist (above ground) today.

 

Mine would be on the Chinese side... On David Hartill's rarity scale from 1 - 15 they are both "1" (the lower the scale the rarer)

Taiping Rebellion. Qing Dynasty Rebel. A pseudo Christian cult.

Qing Dynasty. Xian Feng Zhong Bao. Fujian Mint. Value 100 cash. Pattern variant with the estimated weight of 5 tael estimate stamped on four areas in reverse.

 

Vespasian As you dont see them much with palm, more with a staff in his hand

 

Because of the way I collect I have many, many only known examples of certain coins but in general these are things that only a handful of people in the world would care about. I won't bore people by rolling some of then out again.

Martin

 

Some more rarities.....
#1/2 Constantius I Chlorus AV Aureus Ticinum Mint (R5)
#3 Florenz AV Florin (Unique)
#4/5 Translyvania AV Dukat 1646 A-I Weissenberg Mint Prinz Georg Rakoa

 

Those are certainly rare, but also show the artistic prowess of the ancient mint masters. Thanks for posting those beauties!

 

Nice Canada banknotes! I also collect Canada/US obsolete notes. The 1935 $25 note is really nice!

 

Nice Pistole (love that name) I also really like AV French Feudal coins! I am after AV Ecu d'or Francois I Bretagne (Duke on horse)

 

About Pescennius Niger aurei/ according to Calico there are 15 different obv./rev. types known/ most are R5. But your right, there could be a "hoard" of them waiting to be found.

 

There really isn't a good way to judge the absolute rarity of Ancient Chinese, so I have to go with relative availibility.

Ancient Chinese Qi Boshan Knife
I have only seen one of these come up for sale since I started collecting Ancient Chinese, and this was that coin. Not the variety I wanted for my collection, but it'll have to do for the time being.

 

As far as I know this is a unique coin from Elis minted during the time of Septimius Severus.



Achaea. Elis, Elis. Septimius Severus AE18.
Peloponnesos.
Obv. - ΛCEPCEBHP.. Septimius Severus laureate, head rt.
Rev. - HΛEIWΝ Zeus standing rt. holding eagle in left hand and throwing lightning bolt with rt.

 

=> yah, sadly I don't have an example of the 1935 $25 note, but I do have this sweet 1935 $20 example which shows a young Princess Elizabeth (yup, Queen Elizabeth's portraits have been on Canadian cash for "81" fricken years!! => man, that's gotta be a record, eh?)

 

Rated R4, this bronze coin of Constantine II was struck in Nicomedia. RIC VII- 35.

 

That's a very attractive coin, 7C!