The remains of an Ancient Coin collection

The time has come to dispose of most of my coin collection. Not all of it, for I intend to keep back a few coins that I have a special fondness for so that I may continue to pursue this hobby (in a more relaxed and limited way) that has provided me so much pleasure and enjoyment for most of my lifetime. I have planned this for some time and here on the cusp of my eighty ninth birthday the task is well on the way to completion. Paradoxically, I have recently purchased a few coins - but only to fill in spots in my retained collection. I have disassembled my Britannic Tetrarchic collection and my London Mint reduced folles collection almost entirely along with most of my British Usurper coin collection plus a number of my Julio-Claudian coins. All of the foregoing I am in the process of selling on consignment or via commercial Auctions.

I decided to keep a collection of twenty of my very favorite Roman Imperial coins - an Abafil tray (or rather a plastic flip page) full - mainly because I simply couldn’t bear to let them go. So far I have only eighteen selected in accordance with my long-time criteria:
1. Significant historical association
2. Well centered strike
3. Clear and complete inscriptions (as much as possible)
4. High quality inscriptional lettering
5. Britannia connection

Following is this “Favorite Roman coin Collection” in two separate posts for general information.

 

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First part of my favorite Roman coin collection:

***** Julius Caesar - Pater Familias of the Julian clan

Lifetime Portrait coin - March 44 BC



Denarius, Crawford, Roman Republican Coins (RRC), No. 480/8 (March 44 BC - Alfoldi)

Coin obverse depiction: Julius Caesar laureate bust facing right
Inscription clockwise from right: CAESAR DICT PERPETVO (Dictator in Perpetuity)
Coin reverse depiction: Venus Victrix standing, facing left, holding statuette of victory on palm of right hand and supporting vertical scepter with left hand
Inscription vertical to right: L BVCA (L. Aemilius Buca, Moneyer)

Weight: 3.5g

Provenance: Ex Chris Martin

***** Caius (Caligula) Sestertius

Featuring the dedication of the Temple of Divus Augustus.


RIC Vol. I, CAIUS (CALIGULA), SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 51, 40-41AD, (35mm, 26.2gm)
Obverse depiction: Personification of Pietas, seated left
Inscription: C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG PM TRP IIII PP In exergue: PIETAS
Reverse depiction: Caligula standing left holding patera over altar - attendants (victimarius) on either side holding bull for sacrifice - hexastyle temple of Divus Augustus festooned
with garlands in background.
Horizontal Inscription: {small lettering} DIVO AVG and below: S C (left and right)

Photo credit: Praefectus Coins

***** Claudius Sestertii

OB CIVES SERVATOS Types - one with heavy dark green patina


RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 112, 50-54AD, (36mm, 28.2gm)
Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
Reverse depiction: Civic Oak Wreath
Inscription in four lines:
EX SC
P P
OB CIVES
SERVATOS
(within wreath)

Photo credit: Praefectus Coins


RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 112, 50-54AD, (35.7mm, 27.9gm)
Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
Reverse depiction: Civic Oak Wreath
Inscription in four lines:
EX SC
P P
OB CIVES
SERVATOS
(within wreath)

***** Claudius Sestertii

SPES REVERSES - first one with yellow bronze patina - the second a TITUS Restitution issue.


RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 99
41-50 AD, (36mm, 25.3gm)
Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP
Reverse depiction: Personification of Spes
holding flower in right hand and raising skirt with left hand
Inscription: SPES AVGVSTA - S C (exergue)


RIC Vol. II, TITUS, SESTERTIUS - CLAUDIUS RESTITUTION ISSUE, Rome, No. 234
80-81 AD, (34.5mm, 24.3gm)
Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
Reverse depiction: Personification of Spes
holding flower in right hand and raising skirt with left hand
Inscription: IMP T VESP AVG REST - S C (left and right)

Photo credit: Praefectus Coins

***** Claudius As

Fine style with LIBERTAS reverse


RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, AS, Rome, No. 113, 41-45AD, (29mm, 11.2gm)
Obverse: Claudius, bare headed, facing left, undraped bust
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
Reverse: Personification of Liberty standing right holding pileus (freedman’s cap) in right hand
Inscription: LIBERTAS AVGVSTA - S C (left and right)

 

Second part of my Favorite Roman coin collection

***** Septimius Severus and his sons Caracalla & Geta denarii

Campaigning in northern Britain and Proclaiming Victory over Britannia


RIC Vol. IV, SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, Denarius, No. 335
Obverse: Septimius Severus,, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: Victory (Britannia?) seated left writing on shield
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT


RIC Vol. IV, CARACALLA, Denarius, No. 231a
Obverse: Caracalla, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: winged Victory advancing right holding trophy
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT


RIC Vol. IV, GETA, Denarius, No. 91
Obverse: Geta, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: P SEPT GETA PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: Victory standing left holding wreath and palm branch
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT

***** Coinage of the Britannic usurper Augusti - Carausius & Allectus

The coins depicted in this section were minted in Britain at either the London (Londinium) or the "C" (Colchester/Camulodunum/Clausentum) mints which had been established by Carausius

RIC V (2), Carausius, Antoninianus, No. 355:


IMP C CARAVSIVS P AVG .............................................. PAX - A - VGGG | S .....P |
C in reverse exergue

Coin reverse legend ends in AVGGG - an attempt by Carausius to indicate that he, Diocletian and Maximian Heculius were a fraternity of co-equal Roman Emperors - not accepted by them.
Draped, radiate, bust
"C" Mint.
3.8 gm.

RIC V (2), Carausius, Antoninianus, No. 475:


IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG ......................................... PA - X - AVG | S .....P

Draped, radiate, bust
London Mint.
3.9 gm.

Allectus, the chief minister of Carausius, assassinated him (or orchestrated his assassination) in AD 293. He continued operation of the London and "C" mints and coins were issued in his name and bearing his portrait. In addition to the silver washed copper Antoninianus of Carausius, Allectus issued a copper coin of reduced size bearing the letter Q in the exergue, which has been interpreted to mean Quinarius (half antoninianus) denominaion
London Mint

RIC V (2), Allectus, Antoninianus, No. 33:


IMP C ALLECTVS P F AVG ............................. PA - X - AVG ..... S (Pax standing left) A
M L in reverse exergue.

Cuirassed, radiate, bust
London mint
5.1 gm.

RIC V (2), Allectus, Quinarius, No. 55:


IMP C ALLECTVS P F AVG ............................. VIRTVS AVG ..... (Galley)
Q L in reverse exergue

Allectus "Q" coin issue - The reverse depicts a Roman galley - symbolic of the dominant sea power emphasized by the Usurper Augusti
Cuirassed, radiate, bust
London Mint.
2.8 gm.

***** Constantius (Chlorus) and his son Constantine - exploits in Britain

Invasion of Britain and restoration to the Empire by Constantius and campaigning against the warlike tribes of the north with his son Constantine

RIC Volume VI, Lugdunum, No. 17a, Constantius, Caesar of the West


FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C .............................. GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Invasion coinage produced at an unknown mint in Gaul
Earliest obverse legend
Fully silvered.
10.1 gm.

RIC Volume VI, Londinium, No.1a, Diocletian, Augustus of the East
CT (Cloke & Toone), No. 1.01.001, c. AD 296, Rarity: R


IMP C DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG .................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI
LON in reverse exergue

Initial coinage produced at Constantius' London mint
As depicted in RIC Volume VI, Plate 1.
Subsequent coinage after this series (RIC VI, Londinium, Nos. 1-5) was unmarked (i.e. no LON mint mark) until the issue of reduced size/weight folles after the death of Constantius
9.8 gm.

RIC VI, Londinium, No. 47, Constantius, Augustus of the West
CT (Cloke & Toone), No. 4.02.003, 1 May 305 - 26 July 306, Rarity: S


IMP CONSTANTIVS PIVS FEL AVG ....................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI

Elevated to Augustus after Abdication of Diocletian and Maximian Herculius
Earliest obverse legend style
Laureate, cuirassed, bust
Died at Eboracum (York) in Britain during a campaign against the warlike tribes of the North in 306
9.9 gm

 

I can see why these are your favorites, they're beautiful coins and certainly tick all your boxes!

 

Shame you're parting with your collection, but the ones you are keeping are nice indeed.

 

Thank you Justin.

 

I know, Mat, it’s hard - harder than I anticipated. I have four children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren and none are the slightest bit interested in Ancient Roman coins (well some of the ggkids are a little young yet). I have tried (and abandoned) several different approaches in doing this with some excellent suggestions and much welcomed help from fellow collectors (Gavin Richardson in particular).

 

A wonderful collection James. It is not easy when some around us just do not get it. That is okay as I am sure your coins have provided you with years of fascination and joy. That Caligula is just a great coin but my personal favourite is the JC denarius.

 

Alternatively, the collection shows much nicer at:

http://jp29.org/000favoriteromans.htm

 

Wonderful keepsakes. I know this must be difficult but I think you should be very proud of the way you have cared for and helped preserve these pieces of history over the decades.

 

I love my coin collection but am not particularly sentimental about the bulk of it, and can easily myself doing something similar in the future. Keeping just twenty would be a tall order, though... I might try two hundred.

I have to say, I think the coins you've decided to keep could without much trouble form the core of a prize collection anyone would be proud of. My personal favorites are the Caligula sestertius and the Claudius Restitution. I hope the rest of your collection will go on to find good homes.

 

Thank you @Orfew.

 

Thank you @Clavdivs - yes they really are keepsakes - nice terminology that.

 

I agree with Z but I know I am too sentimental about my coins to do twenty or even two hundred right now. I would feel good if I could get down to two thousand. The problem could be enduring the hurt feelings when selling things for $1 now that I paid $5 for decades ago. To avoid this, I have given away a few coins in that category on the theory that zero from someone who might benefit or even appreciate the coins would be better than a dollar from some entrepreneur intending to slab them in no name plastic and hawk them for $29.95 to the unknowing. A dealer friend of mine at a Baltimore show had a plate with a couple hundred late Roman coins at $2 'you pick' mostly for the walk up kid traffic. Some guy walked up and bought the whole plate without even trying to negotiate a lower price. He admitted the coins were for mass market slabbing (not NGC grading but the 'other' kind).

The decision to dispose of the collection before we pass on will save the kids who don't care the hassle but will make us have to face the reality of the fact we had too many coins that no one wanted. I'm not sure I am ready for that quite yet but might be closer with each passing birthday. If I had any sense, I would stop buying more but I doubt that will happen anytime soon. Good homes are hard to find. I'd prefer my coins were sold for less to some kid interested in ancient times than for more to someone laundering his ill gotten cash. When we sell, we have little control. I really do hope the rest of your collection will go to good homes.

 

Good observations, @zumbly - I have a particular fondness for early Empire Sestertii - their large planchette allows for elaborate and detailed depictions .......... and, full elegant inscriptional lettering.

 

As usual you get to the crux of the matter @dougsmit - I have experienced that hurt - frequently. I intend to gift a few coins because of the reasons you state.

Amen to all of that.

 

Sorry to hear you're parting with some of your collection but I understand your rationale. I wonder if the ANA or some other organization has any function where low-value coins can be sent and it will distribute them to budding numismatists for free? Perhaps it would be worth contacting them, even if it's a long shot.

 

I admire you @jamesicus : I have a similar idea for the future (I have some time, hopefully, being only 58 yo) but really wondering if I would be able to narrow down to 20 coins. Maybe 20 RR, and 20 roman empire, and 20 Dombes principality (or rather 40), and 20 french royal, and 20 british would be doable....I don't know

Nice selection of keepers indeed

Cheers
Q

 

This would be a great service but I don't see it happening. There are too many professional sellers who stand to lose money that would not allow an organization to give away similar merchandise for free. This is a bit like asking a grocery store to give away food that is good for you to people who might spend their money there anyway. We can get donations of things about to rot and left over prepared meals from fancy restaurants to feed people in shelters who would never be patrons of theirs. For that we are thankful.

 

http://www.ancientcoinsforeducation.org