TIF's 2014 Year in Review

I mean really awesome, Gil. Most of her coins make mine look like crap, and I've been collecting for longer than many on here have been alive (except Doug).

 

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I love a lot of your coins (your Agathokles Tet, your Phoenician Dishekel and your sweet Nero), but I have a real soft-spot for that Septimius Severus Circus Maximum denarius (man, it has a whole lotta animals goin' on!!)



=> once again, you had a fantastic year (that'll do flyin' pig, that'll do)

 

I love seeing your coins in a composite like that, TIF. I have to say that it really isn't like going to a museum, though. Seeing coins in a museum is always a disappointment to me - peering through glass cases at only one side of the coin in dim lighting, or if they are mounted upright, the backside is against a wall! This is much better than a museum.

 

Oh that 15 Shekel would definitely be in my top tier but it was purchased in 2013

 

I have some stellar coins and I have some dogs. I love some of the dogs as much as (well, almost as much as) the beauties.

 

Thanks, Steve-O! You definitely make this a fun place to hang out

As for the Circus Maximus... yeah... 23 animals on the reverse, pretty incredible!

 

Very nice pieces TIF! Such a profession you have.

 

I know I have seen other references to the ship type as Circus Maximus but I can't say I am of the belief it is correct. RIC describes the scene animal by animal. The idea of it showing the Circus Maximus seems to have come up since RIC was written. The way I read the note in Sear Millennium Edition (and the way I see the coin) it is a combination of animal events and races plus the ship but not intended all to be a photographic record of one scene. The races and Circus Maximus are at the top but the ship with animals is at the bottom (and probably happened at the Colosseum according to Sear). The main reason I do not want to call this type 'Circus' is that Caracalla later issued a definite Circus Maximus type showing the building which I believe should have rights to that name.
http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=566623
There remains the question as to whether the ship is the collapsible one filled with animals or one used in a mock naval battle in a flooded arena. It makes no difference as far as the coin is concerned since it is certainly among the best type for the emperor. My interest in Septimius is earlier and more Eastern (or both) so I have not studied much on the later Roman period. There are several Rome mint 'special' types way over my price bracket. This is a great coin.

 

Now that I have a grip, these are all wonderful coins and you have already built a unique, historical and superb collection of interesting and rare coins.

excerpt from...
Apocrypha, Testament of Soloman c.300 AD

1.
And I commanded another demon to come before me.
2.
And there came before my face thirty-six spirits, their heads shapeless like dogs, but in themselves they were human in form; with faces of asses, faces of oxen, and faces of birds.
3.
And I Solomon, on hearing and seeing them, wondered, and I asked them and said: "Who are you?"
4.
But they, of one accord with one voice, said: "We are the thirty-six elements, the world-rulers of this darkness.
5.
But, O King Solomon, thou wilt not wrong us nor imprison us, nor lay command on us;
6.
but since the Lord God has given thee authority over every spirit, in the air, and on the earth, and under the earth, therefore do we also present ourselves before thee like the other spirits, from ram and bull, from both twin and crab, lion and virgin, scales and scorpion, archer, goat-horned, water-pourer, and fish.
7.
Then I Solomon invoked the name of the Lord Sabaoth, and questioned each in turn as to what was its character.

 

@dougsmit, thanks for that information. I will read more about the controversy.

@Ancientnoob, I'm not sure what to make of that

 

Sorry TIF but that 23 animals reverse reminds me of a (really) silly joke about Noah's ark (after all it's Xmas...)

"
- One day God calls down to Noah and says "Noah, I want you to make me a new Ark".
- Noah replies, "No probs God, anything you want after all you're the boss".
- But God interrupts, "Ah but there's a catch this time Noah, I want not just a couple of decks, ..... I want 20 decks one on top of the other".
- "20 DECKS!", screams Noah, "Well, OK Big Man, whatever you say, should I fill it up with all the animals just like last time?"
- "Yep, that's right, well ..... sort of right.......this time I want you to fill it up with fish" God answers.
- "Fish?" Queries Noah.
- "Yep, fish ... well, to make it more specific Noah, I want Carp, wall to wall, floor to ceiling - Carp!"
- Noah looks to the skies, "OK God, let me get this right, you want a New Ark?"
- "Check".
- "With 20 decks, one on top of the other?".
- "Check".
- "And you want it full of Carp?".
- "Check"
- "But why?" asks the perplexed Noah, who was slowly but surely getting to the end of his tether.
- "Well...." says God, "I just thought it would be fun to have a Multi-Storey Carp Ark"


I'm sooo sorry !
Q

 

I will remember this joke and torture my children with it.

 

http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Apocrypha-Books/

An interesting read, I've know of Macabees for several years but had not heard of the others.

 

Man TIF you stepped it up this year. I always look forward to your posts and bad influence in convincing me that I need more coins every time I see a new one of yours.

I could comment on what I like about each coin individually but then we would be here all day.

I can't wait to see what you come up with in 2015!