The coin that started it all for me: Hadrian Sestertius

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Julius Germanicus, Mar 1, 2017.

  1. Julius Germanicus

    Julius Germanicus Well-Known Member

    18 months ago (thinking back, it seems like eons now) by pure coincidence I walked by the window of a coin store in the pedestrian zone of Leipzig where I visited some friends. Then I looked up and saw that that this was one of the companies who auctioned coins on Sixbid, a site that I had been browsing for years to assemble virtual imperial portrait galleries on my desktop (I had been collecting roman biographies for a decade by then).

    I managed to convince my girlfriend to "just take one short look inside". What did I know! Trays filled with shiny Denarii, mighty Sestertii and unheard-of Provincials were unveiled in front of my eyes and for the first time in my life I held an Aureus in my hand. But it was not the golden Domitian that impressed me most, but this Hadrian that stood out from all the dozends of other bronzes by it´s shiny brassy color, smooth surfaces, and nice round shape.

    Common sense took over and I left the store after ten minutes sadly realizing that I had enough costly hobbies that triggered my collector´s gene that and buying just one piece would be like opening Pandora´s box.

    But two blocks away I turned back, promising myself that I would restrict myself to one coin per month, for no more than 100 Euros each.
    ... sigh...

    P1080300.jpg

    HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS / INDVLGENTIA AVG COS III P P S C
    Sestertius, Rome 130
    22,65 gr / 32 mm
    RIC 708, BMCRE 1418, C 851, Sear 3604

    P1080301.jpg
     
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  3. Eduard

    Eduard Supporter**

    That 'first coin' will always have a special meaning, and that is a nice one:).
     
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  4. Theodosius

    Theodosius Fine Style Seeker

    A good first choice!

    John
     
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  5. Mikey Zee

    Mikey Zee Delenda Est Carthago

    That's a very cool first puchase!!!

    It's difficult for me to recall my first since I started out with uncleaned lots and then a mini-focus of collecting Imperial portraits (which persists today). But ALL of us can relate to the 'addictive' aspects of this hobby and the difficulty of sticking to our collecting budget/strategy LOL
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2017
  6. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    I've posted my first ancient recently in the Faustina the elder thread, so I won't post it again (unless someone really wants me to). I have rarer coins, higher grade coins, and more expensive coins, but my first ancient coin will not be on the market again until I'm off the market, permanently. ;)

    BTW, I love the portrait on your sestersius.
     
  7. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    My first and second coins which I still own

    Marcus Antonius
    Marcus Antonius  1.jpg

    Augustus
    Augustus 8.jpg
     
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  8. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    This is the first ancient coin I ever held in my hands. It was love at first sight. I knew I could not leave the coin shop without it.

    100+ ancient coins later, I still love this one. It's one of 5 coins I honestly would never sell under any circumstances. It just has that much sentimental value.

    Alexander III Tetradrachm.jpg
     
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  9. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    My first ancient means so much to me, I chose it as my avatar! I bought it decades ago when I was in theology school.

    Tiberius Denarius.jpg
     
  10. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Very nice, my first coin is this Septimius Severus.

    I honestly wouldn't trade it for a portrait Caesar.

    I rarely have much emotional attachment to things, this coin does.

    [​IMG]
    Septimius Severus (193 - 211 A.D)
    AR Denarius
    O: SEVERVS AVG PART MAX, Laureate head right.
    R:RESTITVTOR VRBIS (Restoration of the City), Severus in military attire, spear in left, sacrificing over a tripod altar with right.
    Rome mint, 201 A.D.
    3.3g
    18mm
    RIC 167a, RSC 599, BMCRE 202
     
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  11. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    Its quite a nice one to start with.
     
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  12. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    My first ancient, from a local coin shop, March 1987. Nothing spectacular, but I still love it. Color is more of a pewter gray than the photos show.

    Sept. Severus - Mars Pater rev A-Z Mar 1987(1).JPG

    Sept. Severus - Mars Pater rev A-Z Mar 1987(3).JPG

    Septimius Severus Denarius
    (194-195 A.D.)

    L SEPT SEV PERT AVG
    IMP IIII, laureate head right
    / MARS PATER, Mars
    walking right, holding spear,
    trophy over left shoulder.
    RIC 46, RSC 311, BMC 84
     
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  13. gregarious

    gregarious E Pluribus Unum

    i'm impressed with the coin that got you all into collecting! my 1st ancient i'm not sure about, but here's the one that got me started. not an ancient and prolly not a coin, but it is the one and only 1st. i'd mentioned it in another post and after Sallent and me talked about them, i found mine and took pics of it. really not impressive itself, but w/o it, there would be no Gregarious coins:) blue pruta  my 1st bought collectors coin 005.JPG blue pruta  my 1st bought collectors coin 006.JPG
     
  14. Collect89

    Collect89 Coin Collector

    Great story & thank you for sharing it. (I knew that you were going to turn around & go back to the store:)).

    Leipzig is a great place to visit & it is just dripping with history! (Things were really hopping in Leipzig just before the wall came down). Also, it is not far to Berlin & all the museums there.

    Here is a coin of Hadrian:
    Roman Elephant Quad Collage.jpg
    ROMAN EGYPT
    ALEXANDRIA
    Hadrian
    AE Drachm
    117-138 A.D.


    27.00 grams, 34 mm.
    Obv: Laur. Dr. Cuirassed bust right
    AYT.KAI (Hadrian).APIC.CEB
    Rev: Hadrian in quadriga of elephants
    right. LENΔE.KATOV
    Grade: Fine light chocolate brown color
    Other: Sear 1175 (pg 151) B.M.C.G.860
    Milne 1216var., Koln 967var.
    Rare 15 leg variety much like the USA
    3-legged buffalo nickel?
    On the obverse legend:
    AYT= AVTOKPATOP = Emperor
    KAI= KAICAP = Caesar
    APIC.CEB = Optimus Augustus
    Ex John Jencek of San Mateo Calif.,
    From Eye Appealing Coins 11/2013.
     
  15. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    These were my first Ancients...and still love'em!!!
    Thank you: 4 below...

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    17.2g
    22.6mm X 6.5mm thick

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    17.2g (sorry for the split pics)
    22.0mm X 6.5mm thick

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    17.3g
    22.9mm X 6.8mm thick

    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    17.4g
    20.4mm X 7.5mm thick

    #5... And an Alexander III Drachm...
    Makedon Alexander III 336-323 BC AR Drachm 3 Suse Obv-Rev.jpg
    Makedon Alexander III 336-323 BC AR Drachm 3 Suse
     
    Last edited: Mar 1, 2017
  16. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    cool story and great first coin. hell, it would be good if it was your 500th coin! :joyful:

    here's my first, an ebay purchase before I knew it was an LRB, or who Aracadius was...

    [​IMG]
     
  17. Parthicus

    Parthicus Well-Known Member

    Here's my first ancient coin, a fallen horseman of Constantius II:
    First ancient.jpg
     
  18. icerain

    icerain Mastir spellyr

    Cool story, first coins are always the ones you remember the most. I still have my first coin but I won't post it. Its really low grade and not easily identifiable. Looking back its probably not a coin I would be buying today, but I wanted something small to start off my addiction.
     
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  19. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    Indulgentia - very suitable! (In its modern sense.)

    I love to hear first coin stories. Here's mine, which I would also never part with. I found it as a young teen, in an antique dealer in the UK, unidentified. Realizing it must be Roman, I couldn't believe how old it was. I debated between it and a greek bronze (no recollection of what that was), but figured this one would be easier to identify. It cost me 5 GBP. (It's actually quite scarce.)

    Severus Alexander, AE as, issued 231-2, Providentia standing facing, holding anchor and corn ears, modius at feet.
    Screen Shot 2017-03-01 at 3.42.03 PM.png
     
  20. Curtisimo

    Curtisimo the Great(ish)

    I've posted these before so I apologize if you've seen them but I just can't seem to help myself so here goes...

    The first coin in my collection (a gift from my grandad)
    IMG_3873.JPG
    My first ancient
    IMG_3915.JPG
    My first Sestertius (Also a Hadrian)
    IMG_4001.JPG
     
  21. Curtisimo

    Curtisimo the Great(ish)

    Ah come on post it! That way I won't feel bad for posting mine again ;)
     
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