Top Twelve Favorites - One photo

I have just read the entire thread this morning (don't know how I missed it over the weekend) and am thoroughly exhausted by the delights of seeing so many wonderful "Favorite Twelves" (yes, even the "lesser" sets are great fun to see because of, e.g., range, color, persistence in set completion, etc.).

This reminds me (in virtual form) of the great fun I used to have going to the San Francisco Ancient Numismatic Society (SFANS) in the 1980s and 1990s (before I moved to the east coast for grad school and a career change), and seeing the trays full of wonders assembled by astute, sensitive, and well-off collectors (the great RBW was one of its members; I remember the day he brought in his first of two Sextus Pompey aurei and talked about his wife's reaction to the purchase price).

When I started in the club in the mid 1980s, there were some very OLD collectors who had been collecting in the 1910s who would show off lovely Syracusan decadrachms they'd bought back then for the princely sum of $12 or something like that. We younger collectors would groan (inwardly). And, the room was FULL of cigar smoke... Those were the days!

Anyway, thanks to all of you for bringing something of that back into my life in this group. It makes me feel a little less isolated here in South Central Kentucky to have visual/textual access to others interested in ancient numismatics. Cheers!

 

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PS When we lived in the same town, AncientNut and I would carpool together to the SFANS, which was also a big part of the fun. Ben Lee Damsky, whose collection is now in the ANS and Yale collections, was president of the club for a couple of years, and he personally funded the travel and accomodations for guest speakers like Bill Metcalf (ANS), Andrew Burnett (British Museum), and Michel Amandry (Bibliotheque Nationale). Other interesting members of the group included Hank Lindgren (many of you may know him from his catalogues or his coin business, which closed up when he passed away); dealers who showed up on a regular basis included Frank Kovacs. I never realized back then what an unusual privilege it was to have access to that club, those folks; but I do now....

 

Sounds like you had a great numismatic foundation. The only people I know even remotely interested in my Ancient coin collection are the members of these forums. It was lonely until I discovered these on-line resources.

 

@Bing LOL! I would say that the members of these forums are MORE than remotely interested in your ancient coin collection! But, yes, it's a life saver (hobby saver?) to have a virtual coin club!

 

I would groan at the $2-5000 price you guys had to pay back in 1985 for one. It's hard to touch one for under 20K, these days. Ergo, I won't be touching one. ha.

 

WOW! fantastic showing of coins! i dont have many to choose from, so was kinda easy to pick 12....

 

Nice set ken. I'm partial to the Republican issue, but your Philip is quite nice as well.

 

Ken: I love the Probus Soli Invicto.

That is such a cool design.

You are off to a very good start.

John

 

My 2nd Twelve. No order. Historical loves. Low significance to numismatic value.

 

Love the Brutus.

 

Thank you. I had always sided with the Brutii and not the Caesar gang. And the history Brutus as Moneyer in 54 BCE was trying to portray with Ahala (master of the Horse) and Brutus the Consul was a major statement about preserving the Republic. Really cool portent of what was to come...

 

I am in it for the Buddha 5 shana, and the Roman didrachm/ horsehead. I would like them more if they where mine.

 

I think you are not supposed to COVET when you are Buddhist...

The Buddha 5-Shana always reminded me of a Roman Scutum with a large Boss

 

Ditto

 

The problem with ancients is, while they are interesting, they are not really collections, just accumulations.

 

The problem with ancients is, while they are interesting, they are not really collections, just accumulations.

 

The problem with moderns, while they are NOT very interesting, they are not really collections, just accumulations.

 

Love the Brutus too, but the top right triens and the bottom right didrachm have my preference

Nice set Aleg !

Q

 

Wow amazing collections guys!!!

I don't own any ancient coins; mostly I just collect circulated US coins that I've found. But I can appreciate the beauties you all have gathered. Love it!

 

MASSIVE ditto to that!