Unusually Well-rendered for the Type

TIF, You're a genius !!! Thanks again for your amazing computer wizardry .

 

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Very nice

 

@arizonarobin said "So show your coins that had a detail or style that really caught your attention!"

I normally do not key in on style or a pristine coin. I like to collect historically, so sometimes I cannot capture high quality.

However, I have been fortunate to land several beauties. Here are a couple purdies:


RR 234-231 BCE AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm Apollo-Horse prancing Crawford 26-1 Sear 28



Carthage Zeugitana 310-270 BCE EL Dekadrachm-Stater 18.5mm 7.27g Tanit Horse 3 pellets in ex MAA 12 SNG COP 136




Carthage - Zeugitana AR Shekel-Didrachm 360-264 BCE Tanit Horse r head l palm SNG COP 141

 

@TIF Ha! This is great - I always love your coin animations. Poor babies!

Great coins, it is really interesting to see what other collectors find special - that might be missed by someone who doesn't specialize in the type.

 

@arizonarobin , those OP babies are special, and thank you for showing them to us. On this one the infants are not remarkable, but Fausta's hairstyle is.


Fausta, d. 326.
19-20 mm. 3.38 grams.
FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG
SPES REIPVBLICAE
SMTSB
RIC VII Thessalonica 161, struck "326".

 

The hair style is very nice for Fausta, as is the portrait, necklace etc. Overall a very nice coin.!
I have two Thessalonica for the A officina- neither has such a nice portrait. (one actually looks like Helena and I wonder if they did not use her portrait for it)

 

These Messin deniers almost never have such a full portrait.



The detail on the soldier and lion on this 1589 Dutch half thaler are almost unheard of.

 

I have a few that I feel are show-show-worthy

My favorite portrait of all time, Caracalla with his patented snarl

Just look at that scrunched up nose!

Quintillus


Trebonianus Gallus


Marcus Aurelius, the best portrait I could get without going into the several hundreds of dollars

Added bonus: This is an extremely rare variant of the reverse type with TRP XXXI and IMP VIIII - the engraver took a worn IMP VIII and added an extra I over the top of Jupiter's scepter!

A similarly nice Trajan / Arabia Acquired


This one, no biggie


Not often you see a Marcian with even a discernible portrait

 

What we don't have in this thread, so far, is the noses. In a frontal portrait, that's what goes off first. And a portrait with a worn nose is really sad. One wants a great Hellenic portrait in silver or gold - with a pointed nose!
Well, I don't have one. Only this - not bad, I think.



Kidarite AR drachm, about 400. Unknown king. Obv. Frontal bust with a leafy crown, topped with a poppy head leaning on a crescent moon. Hairballs at the sides of the head. Broad ribbons standing on the king’s shoulders. No text. Rev. Fire altar with one assistant, left. To the right a large vase or bowl filled with branches. Under it, the word: ‘pylwc’ (according to Pfisterer) or ‘Jadana’ (according to Vondrovec). 29.5 mm, 4.00 gr. Göbl Hunnen 15 (= Vondrovec 15 A). Pfisterer 15. Vondrovec I p. 32.

 

Hey I have one of those too!

 

I prefer the kinder, gentler Caracalla.

 

Did you buy that one, it looks tooled.

 

Tooled?


Nah! Kidara's having a ಠ_ಠ moment after reading about flat earthers on the internet.

(Jokes aside, that was indeed tooled, and came in a CNG lot. No clue what joker decided that was a good idea, and the lot description vaguely stated "features engraved" so I was really hoping for some Bactrian graffiti. This coin was conveniently turned over in the auction photo. Thankfully, I somehow still got $20 for it on ebay, so not a total wash.)

 

Hahaha that coin is worth $20 as a joke lol

 

My first choice might be considered rather unusual - since AES GRAVE is rarely considered "beautiful" , but there was just something about the way the horse was rendered that won me over. The others are for the softness of an inocent boy emperor, the clear hadrness of a cruel soldier emperor, and my brand new acquisition not even yet received - a new sestertius of M. Aurelius whose portratit together with a soft , golden patina seemed to speak to me.
I chose this Caligula because it seems to give him "a kinder, gentler" look.
And of course there is the Octavius den. just because my name is Octavius.

 

Great coins, great works of classical art, all six of them!

 

Some more non-classical... it's easy to forget that there were plenty of skilled celatores outside of Greece and Rome!

Parthian, Mithradates II
Chose this one over a brighter/flashier one because of the nice portrait and more importantly, fully literate Greek legend - Parthians used Greek like the Vatican uses Latin, and only the elite could use it fluently. Not to mention, look at the little ducky on the end of his torc!


Easily my favorite two Sassanian coins, and IMO the prettiest coins of the third century

Ardashir I


Shapur I - This one picked as the best of 5 from a (very expensive) job lot from Leu - The Celator knew enough about art to place the attendants' forward foot lower, giving the illusion of three dimensions! The artistry slipped rapidly after his death.


This rather uncommonly good Yazdegerd III, normally cartoonish but here showing a recognizable and realistic portrait of the young king who was being backed into a corner by the Muslims


From the Silk Road

Soghd, AR obol of Hircod / Hyrcodes, early type in Greek style


Some later types of uncommonly good artistry for the post-Classical world

Nezak Huns "Napki Malka" (7th-8th centuries?) Typical hot mess reverse but IMO the finest portrait style used by the huns


Chach, local AE of an unknown ruler, c. 7th century and showing an unusually good 3/4 facing portrait, plus another one behind... highly unusual and nobody understands what it means!

Turco-Hepthalites, Vajara Vasudeva (680-720), imitating Ardashir III

Khwarezm, dirhem of Sawashfan, c. 750's

 

Great thread. I’m late to the party but here are a few of mine that I think show superior die artistry than is typical for the type.

 

Wow @Curtisimo - they are wonderful.. who would not love all three? But I am such a fan of that Julian II portrait...wow! THAT is a work of art!

Love to see you posting here! Hope things are well.

 

Sometimes even the lowly collector gets a winner .. and I think this is one..(although I am in no way comparing it to the wonderful coins posted previously on this thread)

This humble LRB of Constans is one that I think is well above average. I just purchased this so we have the seller's picture.. it was $20 - so really happy to grab it (although I know it's not everyone's cup of tea).

Both Obverse and Reverse have some excellent detail.
The portrait is quite pleasing (while the face is a bit bland .. but certainly very clean) however the pearl-diadem and hair are excellently done.

The reverse is what made me bid. The standard being held by Constans has wonderfully detailed scroll work that I have not seen before. Perhaps that is a Chi-Rho at the top? - but I will figure that out when it arrives (not concerned either way).
What REALLY got me was the rowing Victory. We all know that Victory/Nike motif evolved into 'angels" as Christianity took hold.. but this one looks particularly menacing... perhaps it's the angle of the wings and/or the stern look... I would not mess with it! One look at that Victory and I knew I was going to bid.. the boat is quite nice as well.

Also - although less interesting to most - is the circular item behind Constans' legs. In the other versions of this coin it is a slightly different shape and looks like part of Constans' cloak. Here it looks almost like shield. Although I still think it's probably part of the cloak it is still another fairly unique feature (in my limited experience).
So quite a nice little coin for the price and I think well above what you see normally for these LRBs.

..and hey... that ear!




Ae-18mm of Constans, 348-350 AD., Siscia mint.
Obv. cuir. bust with perl-diadem right
Rev. emperor with Victory in ship left, holding labarum