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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2892445, member: 19463&quot;]I do not usually upgrade coins for reason of condition.&nbsp; I do sometimes buy duplicates when the new one adds something the previous one lacked but usually there is something about the old coin that made me want it in the first place that results in my keeping both.&nbsp; Today the USPS delivered a dilemma of this ilk from last week&#039;s CNG auction.&nbsp; The coin below (also ex CNG but before they put things online) has been a favorite of mine for years.&nbsp; I have posted it on Coin Talk several times and even been proud of the fact that it is better than many of it&#039;s type.&nbsp; Why was I even tempted to buy another?</p><p>[ATTACH=full]695514[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>The type was a special issue by two Curile Aediles in 58BC with each man designing one side.&nbsp; What made the type special to me was the obverse side of M. Aemilius Scaurus, a Roman I have always considered to be very interesting.&nbsp; </p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aemilius_Scaurus_(praetor_56_BC)" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aemilius_Scaurus_(praetor_56_BC)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Aemilius_Scaurus_(praetor_56_BC)</a></p><p>Details are not fully identical in all sources but one extensive write up can be found in Michael Harlan&#039;s book <b>Roman Republican Moneyers and their Coins 63BCE-49BCE</b> chapter 10.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>The coin shows the submission of Nabatean king Aretas (named at the bottom of the obverse) who surrendered to (actually bought off) Scaurus making this the first Roman coin honoring an accomplishment(?) of the issuer himself rather one of his deceased ancestors.&nbsp; The hubris shown by doing this must have set Republican tongues wagging.&nbsp; This was a decade before Caesar was killed for offending turbo-Republicans (Brutus et. al.).&nbsp; Those interested can read the story in the Wikipedia link above but a highlight is his trial on charges for inappropriate activities for which he was acquitted with the aid of his lawyer, Cicero.&nbsp; The man was a protege of both Pompey and Sulla and mentioned (not in a favorable way?) in the Dead Sea Scrolls (according to Wiki - I failed to find it in photos online).&nbsp;&nbsp; Those who worship the Roman Republic as an example of how governments should work may want to find a hero other than Scaurus (but it is a cute coin).&nbsp; It has a second side but Hypsaeus was less splashy.&nbsp; If this coin were a vinyl record, Hypsaeus would be the B side.</p><p><br /></p><p>Few coins of this type are even close to being full legend.&nbsp; Mine (above) shows a good part of the name Aretas but has lost the REX that preceded it.&nbsp; When I saw the coin below in the last CNG Electronic sale, I bid fully expecting someone else to want the additional legends and outbid me.&nbsp; They did not so here it is.&nbsp; I guess the lack of toning, lesser camel face and whatever other shortcomings they saw sent the smart money elsewhere.&nbsp; That&#039;s OK, little coin, I&#039;ll keep you until time brings you a tan as good as my older coin (or die trying).&nbsp; The dilemma is: do I need both of you?</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><b>408, Lot: 428</b></b></p><p><b>M. Aemilius Scaurus and Pub. Plautius Hypsaeus. </b>58 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.99 g, 4h). Rome mint. Nabatean king Aretas kneeling to right, holding reins and olive branch before camel standing right / Jupiter driving quadriga left, holding reins and hurling thunderbolt; scorpion below horses. Crawford 422/1b; Sydenham 913; Aemilia 8; Type as RBW 1519. Good VF, lightly toned. Well centered for issue.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>From the Andrew McCabe Collection, purchased from Den of Antiquity, 2014.</i></p><p>[ATTACH=full]695565[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>This would be a good place to show your examples of this coin and each is invited to add a comment on another highlight of Scaurus&#039; life (or Hypsaeus&#039; if you prefer).[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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