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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 2581151, member: 56859&quot;]Great topic!&nbsp; There are many reasons people collect ancient coins and why they acquire a specific coin:&nbsp; rarity, historical value, style, condition, etc.&nbsp; Of those factors, I&#039;m more often drawn to coins of unusually good style.&nbsp; It&#039;s nice when all four of those factors are present, of course <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.&nbsp; That doesn&#039;t happen very often, at least not within my budget.</p><p><br /></p><p>Tetradrachms of Roman Egypt are not the first thing that comes to mind when discussing fine style but here are a some I feel are exceptions:</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2Fae43f8_ff6055d603b844998942ed2bc3a1859e.jpg%2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_1000%2Ch_513%2Cal_c%2Cq_90%2Fae43f8_ff6055d603b844998942ed2bc3a1859e.jpg&amp;hash=3deb440c9b7f8de2ea5d9e497cf7febe" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>EGYPT, Alexandria. Claudius II Gothicus</b></p><p>year 1, CE 268</p><p>tetradrachm</p><p>Obv: AVTKKΛAΔIOCCEB; laureate draped bust right</p><p>Rev: eagle standing right, head left, wreath in beak; L- A in right field</p><p>Ref: Emmett 3878(1), R1</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2Fae43f8_511712208cf2410296452349553cc95f%7Emv2.jpg%2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_1000%2Ch_625%2Cal_c%2Cq_90%2Fae43f8_511712208cf2410296452349553cc95f%7Emv2.jpg&amp;hash=7ae1c08a8331d07d09405a998af71f8e" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>EGYPT, Alexandria. Diocletian</b></p><p>year 11, CE 294/5</p><p>tetradrachm, 19 mm, 7.6 gm</p><p>Obv: ΔIOKΛHTIANOCCEB; laureate head right</p><p>Rev: Draped bust of Selene right, crescent before; L IA behind</p><p>Ref: Emmett 4080.11, R5</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2Fae43f8_e743d9d8f61f48489e954c0aafef75fe.jpg%2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_1000%2Ch_625%2Cal_c%2Cq_90%2Fae43f8_e743d9d8f61f48489e954c0aafef75fe.jpg&amp;hash=f65ec5893e2ea2fec9238bf6b55b1131" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>EGYPT, Alexandria. Severus Alexander</b></p><p>year 12, CE 232/3</p><p>tetradrachm, 23 mm, 13.87 gm</p><p>Obv: AKAIMAAVPCEVAΛEΞANΔPOCEV; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right</p><p>Rev: Alexandria standing facing, head left, holding vexillum and grain ears; palm frond to left, L IB (date) to right</p><p>Ref: Emmett 3088.12 (R4); Köln 2474 var. (obv. legend); Dattari (Savio) 4264; K&amp;G 62.172 var. (same)</p><p><br /></p><p>The obverse of the next coin isn&#039;t anything special but I think the rendering of Tyche is remarkable.</p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2Fae43f8_6d59d7ab8c544e2f974aeba958e2516b.jpg%2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_850%2Ch_428%2Cal_c%2Cq_90%2Fae43f8_6d59d7ab8c544e2f974aeba958e2516b.jpg&amp;hash=80e2d8c45a58f4af6b4e2d06865278a8" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>EGYPT, Alexandria. Claudius II Gothicus</b></p><p>year 3, CE 269/70</p><p>tetradrachm, 20 mm, 10.2 gm</p><p>Obv: AVTKKΛAVΔIOCCEB (In theory: what I can read on this coin doesn&#039;t quite match what the legend is supposed to be. Probably just engraver error or die deterioration); laureate head right</p><p>Rev: Tyche standing left with rudder and cornucopia; L Γ in left field</p><p>Ref: Emmett 3896.3, R4</p><p><br /></p><p>...</p><p><br /></p><p>Tetradrachms of Alexander III were struck in incredible numbers.&nbsp; Styles range considerably.&nbsp; Here&#039;s one of fine style.</p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/atgtet-cc-jpg.511820/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b><a href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!kings-of-macedon-alexander-iii/c1a0j" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.tifcollection.com/#!kings-of-macedon-alexander-iii/c1a0j" rel="nofollow">KINGS OF MACEDON, Alexander III</a></b></p><p>AR tetradrachm, 17.14 gm</p><p>late lifetime issue, struck in Aradus c. 324/3 BCE</p><p>Obv: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin headdress.</p><p>Rev: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ; Zeus seated left, holding eagle and scepter; I in left field; AP monogram below throne</p><p>Ref: Price 3325</p><p><i><i>ex Colosseo Collection (images by Colosseo Collection)</i></i></p><p><br /></p><p>This tetras, while not exactly common and despite the surface deposits, has good style.&nbsp; I&#039;m charmed by it every time I see it <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cointalk.com%2Fproxy.php%3Fimage%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fstatic.wixstatic.com%252Fmedia%252Fae43f8_b951978245b64425a71013018a99516d.jpg%252Fv1%252Ffill%252Fw_850%252Ch_436%252Cal_c%252Cq_90%252Fae43f8_b951978245b64425a71013018a99516d.jpg%26hash%3Db9f62059115bb22f55327542b4b324b3&amp;hash=eb89347ad6258907edcaa9fec7a47ee8" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>Sicily, Syracuse. Dionysios I</b></p><p>390 BCE</p><p>Æ tetras, 14 mm, 1.8 gm</p><p>Obv: head of nymph facing slightly left, wearing necklace</p><p>Rev: octopus</p><p>Ref: CNS 29; SNG ANS 385[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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