What is your most valuable coin?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Pavlos, Jul 15, 2018.

  1. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Again, these are valuable to me Historically. This is the OTHER major World Empire that vied with Republican Rome to completely dominate the Mediterranean. These 3 Punic Wars spanned almost 120 years until Carthage was rendered extinct 146 BCE. It is amazing how a major Human political entity was obliterated that not many people know who they really were due to Rome wiping out much of their history, records, and legacy. This is a result of fear and hatred of each other.

    However, the huge rivalry early in Rome's History tempered their metal to go on to become the preeminent World Empire of the Ancient World. Had CARTHAGE won, we may have had a MUCH different History today.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Carthage

    CARTHAGE - Apex of their World Power:

    upload_2018-7-15_15-7-16.png
    Carthage Zeugitana 310-270 BCE EL Dekadrachm-Stater 18.5mm 7.27g Tanit Horse 3 pellets in ex MAA 12 SNG COP 136

    upload_2018-7-15_15-7-58.png
    Carthage - Zeugitana AV 1/10th Stater-Shekel 350-320 BCE 0.94g 7.5mm Palm- Horse Head SNG COP 132

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


    CARTHAGE - Three Punic Wars:

    upload_2018-7-15_14-58-49.png
    Carthage Zeugitania First Punic War 264-241 BCE Double Shekel 26 mm 13.9 g Wreathed Tanit Horse stndng r star above SNG Cop 185 Rare


    upload_2018-7-15_15-5-33.png
    Bruttium - Carthage occupation 2nd Punic War AR Half-Shekel 216-211 Tanit Horse SOLAR-O HN Italy 2016 SNG Cop 361-3


    upload_2018-7-15_15-4-3.png
    Carthage Third Punic War Serrate Double Shekel 149-146 BCE 12.8g 26mm Wreathed Tanit-Horse pellet raised leg SNG COP 404
    No Carthage coins were minted after this series...
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
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  3. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I would not participate in a thread like this had you not inserted the line above. Many coin collectors value coins only for their resale value but some of us have no interest in selling so all of our coins have the same profit potential --- zero. Rarity is not a really good measure either since there are thousands of coins known from one specimen. You will be told correctly that demand is more important when it comes to coin prices and we see evidence of this every time there is a sale of a popular coin known to exist in large quantities (Athenian owl tetradrachms, Tribute Pennies, Shekels of Tyre or even coins of 'rare' emperors demanded by the hoards of collectors interested in only one coin per ruler).

    My contributions to this thread are coins that 'float my boat' but mean nothing to most people. They include oddballs and errors and things that I simply can not explain why but they are coins that mean more to me than the cash they cost and the cash any of you would pay. If for some strange reason you wanted to duplicate these, you would be looking for quite a while.

    My chief oddball (most valuable in a strange sense) is the Byzantine Anonymous A3 follis overstruck on an as of Gordian III that was a bit under 800 years old at the time. I have no idea how this came to be and whether there were a bagful made that day or just this one. Many Byzantines were overstruck on older coins and the weight of the Gordian as was just right for making an A3. I could write a dozen fictional scenarios about how the coin came to be and none might be as strange as the truth we will never know. I am aware of a few people who say they would like to have this one. One will someday.
    rz0505fd3399.jpg

    In all honesty I get tired of hearing about acquisitions of certain Roman emperors or usurpers who did next to nothing to be more than a footnote in history books but are required to fill out a 'one per' set. My next coin is valuable to me as the higher grade of my two coins of Pescennius Niger who contested for the empire with my favorite emperor Septimius Severus. He was not a usurper any more than Septimius was. Both volunteered to save Rome in the time of trouble following the death of Pertinax in 193. Septimius won and his coins are common. There are many too many types of Pescennius denarii for them to be as rare as they are. One theory is that they were declared illegal to own and melted by people afraid to be caught with them. We don't know. Common types like this seem to be known from a dozen or so specimens while many are known from only one. I have seen more than one example of this one in better condition than mine. How many exist? I had to have this one because Septimius also used (stole?) the reverse VICTOR IVST AVG - Victory to the Just Emperor. I do not know why so few people seem to want a Pescennius Niger. I have shown mine on CT several times but who has shown theirs in reply? Of the coins shown here, this one is easily upgradeable assuming you have the cash.
    rd0055bb3155.jpg

    My other Pescennius Niger is a dog condition wise but the only one I have seen with the reverse misspelling EVINTVS in BONI EVENTVS. No one collects Pescennius by type (there are so many rare ones you will never get them all) so its market value is set by its horrid condition. There are worse coins with better spelling.
    rd0050bb1458.jpg

    As a collector of ancient errors, I always value coins that combine errors. Of these, my favorite is this AE2 of Magnentius which is a double strike where the first strike was a brockage. That resulted in a coin with one obverse impression and three reverse impressions of which one was incuse. Usually the mint made no effort to correct errors but on this particular day this particular striking team did something that makes me smile. Value? Not a lot in cash since there is no demand but it means a lot to me. Rare? Very.

    rx7115bb1097.jpg

    As a group, among my favorite coins are the Southern Italy/Magna Gracia coins struck with reverses that were incuse versions of the obverse. The idea was credited to the Pythagoreans who lived in that area at the time if not the Pythagoras himself. These are not errors! They were made that way intentionally. Various cities used various types. Mine is a bull stater from Sybaris. I had a slightly better one but sold it keeping this one which has strong evidence of double striking which I find interesting. It's value to me exceeded the normal one that was prettier without those extra lines.
    g10086fd3393b.jpg

    My guess is somewhere over a million different ancient coin varieties exist. I am not counting errors and minor die variations. Who has a better guess? I also believe that a similar number of types once existed but have been lost to time. These coins were made by the millions over a period of a thousand years and many civilizations. That required a lot of coins. Dies were cut individually so it was just as easy to change something as to make each one the same. Louis Eliasberg is said to have formed a complete set of US coins up to his day. A complete set of ancients is not a concept we can grasp.
     
  4. BenSi

    BenSi Well-Known Member

    My rarest and perhaps most valuable. Alexius I AE Tetarteron – Doc 41

    This coin was once a numismatist legend.

    Michael Hendy wrote “Coinage and Money in the Byzantine Empire “ in 1969, in it he lists a coin no examples were known, however he included it because of a listing in a catalog from Sabatier published in 1863. Some considered the coin to be mythical until one example came to light in the collection of the Archeological Museum of Istanbul. It was then also included in the Dumbarton Oakes catalog IV from 1999. I acquired mine 15+ years ago. It was the coin that kept me going to complete the collection of the denomination.

    ALEXIUS I AE Tetarteron S- Unlisted DOC 41

    OBV Monogram of Alexius.

    REV Bust of Emperor wearing stemma divitision and jeweled loros of traditional type holds in r. hand jeweled scepter and in l. gl. cr.


    Size 16/18mm

    Weight 2.3gm

    This is believed to be a Thessalonica minted coin, it contains no silver. This example has now been published in BULLETIN du cercle d'etudeas Numismatiques VOL 52 Jan 2015 by Cedric Wolkow, three examples are shown. This one appears to be in the best condition.

    DOC lists the other example in AMOI as the only example Weight 3.74gm and size at 17mm. a4.jpg
    This is a new photo, I am trying a new background color, the color of the Emperor,Purple.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
  5. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Wow! That's quite a coup!
     
    BenSi likes this.
  6. Topcat7

    Topcat7 Still Learning

    The "most valuable" coin that I own is this 'Tiberius' coin. It is the first coin I bought.
    I purchased it to support some of my exhibits in my 'mini museum', but from this coin I caught the 'bug' and here we are, many thousands of dollars (and over a thousand coins) later, hence the 'valuable' quality of this coin.

    Magical Snap - 2015.03.20 18.42 - 011.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2018
  7. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    Well said :D
     
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  8. TypeCoin971793

    TypeCoin971793 Just a random guy on the internet

    This is my most expensive coin. It is my favorite due to its history. It is a gold inlaid knife cast by Wang Mang to confiscate the wealth and power from the nobility, meaning it was owned by one of the most powerful individuals in China between 7-9 AD. They are extremely rare, especially ones that are unquestionably genuine like this one. The three in the British Museum all give me doubts as to their authenticity.

    0D4201E2-165D-4997-AC57-2571AF3D704F.jpeg

    This coin is my most valuable one, even though it cost les than half of the above specimen. This is a 4-Character Qi Knife. It is far rarer than the above coin and is in remarkable condition. The last auction record I could find for this type was in 2011.

    This coin is fun because it was >this< close to getting confiscated by French airport security. Talk about a :nailbiting::nailbiting::nailbiting: moment!

    1C474055-3B68-45C5-B7AB-FA607202CAF5.jpeg
     
  9. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    Hmm... that's tough. How about a top ten favorites list?

    In no particular order...

    pT1GI9xlQWqbuseYr82L_Thessaly-Pseudo-Rhodian-drachm-091100-coin-800x500-v3.jpg 0T01yDRSyWtbCrPiZ8dK_GB-Gilt-halfpenny-1806-082000-coin-800x500.png cYVYPBtQjqB2a2030HPV_04.jpg N4MrZFrZSua3wJa6OCPq_Taras-Calabria-drachm-050653-coin.jpg bSUoO1jyRl6Bp197QB6U_16-Liberia-cent-1847-047600-coin.jpg iA397cEVS4yXVP5Gdryk_Spain-half-escudo.png f8KA9UDhSKaNPuFH0nqq_Teutonic%20Order-quarter-thaler-1615-026800-coin.jpg kvktJlQ3QbGmqQtWLaHE_Zurich-HalfThaler-1739-049500-coin.jpg XK8cB2rmTu2FAibex8wQ_Persian_gold.jpg ZXhCgJmYQ9i6OL0S8YpK_14-GB-shilling-ND1820s-off-center-045000-coin.jpg
     
  10. lordmarcovan

    lordmarcovan Eclectic & Eccentric Moderator

    My two most monetarily valuable happen to be on that list above.

    But this one I recently sold was my most monetarily valuable by a factor of more than 2x.

    It would have made that top ten favorites list, maybe, but not my top five.

    The money from its sale went to a good cause.

    OQuXILt4QXOJ05jSBxa9_USA-5-1842D-230000-coin-800x500.jpg
     
  11. norenxaq

    norenxaq Active Member

    if carthage had won the punic wars there is no maybe that history would be different
     
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  12. Parthicus

    Parthicus Well-Known Member

    How about this example of an early post-reform Umayyad AE fall, overstruck on a late Roman Bronze? On the obverse, you can see part of the Latin inscription on the rim at about 2-3 o'clock. That's a roughly 350-year gap between the coin first being struck, and then reused as raw material by a different civilization. Umayyad fals Tabariya.jpg
     
  13. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    IMG_2118 (1).JPG
    Otho Billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria . YEAR 1
    C. 69 AD
    13.44g
    25mm
    obv. Otho laureate head right, LA before / rev. bust of Alexandria right in elephant skin headdress. RPC 5358. Dattari 324
    Grey tone with good metal and detail. SCARCE
    Ex John Casey Collection
     
  14. benhur767

    benhur767 Sapere aude

    I have several rare coins. Some are expensive, some not. All are valuable. Here's an example of a very rare coin that nobody seems to want except me. I paid less than $200 for it. Maybe too much for such a worn example. But you will be hard pressed to find one outside of the British Museum, and even their examples are rough. It has great historical value as a record of Julia Domna's presence in the military camps amongst the soldiers, and was probably struck during the Severan invasion of Britain (her hairstyle had already become helmet-like near the end of Severus's reign):
    dom_121_h_mk_2018_0621_01 (1).jpg
    Julia Domna. Æ dupondius or aes, Rome, c. 208 CE; 26.5mm, 11.22g, 12h. BMCRE 789, RIC S881, C 121. Obv: IVLIA – AVGVSTA; draped bust r. Rx: MATE–R CAS–TRORVM | S C; Julia, diademed and veiled, standing l. sacrificing out of patera held over altar and holding caduceus; in front, three standards.

    _______________________________________

    Here's another very rare coin of Domna, for which I paid considerably more, even with its somewhat battered condition:

    dom_mk_2013_0413_01.jpg

    Julia Domna. AR denarius, Rome, 211–7 CE, 3.30g. BMCRE C33a (p. 435), Hill 1291 (R4), RIC —, RSC 251a (C.L. Clay and Vienna). Obv: IVLIA PIA – FELIX AVG; draped bust right. Rx: VOTA PVBLICA; Pietas (Julia?) standing l., dropping incense on lighted altar and holding open box. Very rare; this type apparently unknown to P.V. Hill in 1964 (none in twenty-six studied hoards, including Reka Devnia), although an example was purchased by the British Museum in 1973; another from the G.R. Arnold Collection sold in the Glendining sale, 21 November 1984, lot 113 (a pair of denarii), pl. V (this type illustrated); hammer price for the lot £120.

    _______________________________________

    Yet another very rare coin of Domna, for which I paid around the same as first coin above, this despite some damage and overcleaning. But the scratch across the deity on the reverse looks like a deliberate defacement, which intrigues me:
    dom_mk_2016_1128_02.jpg
    Julia Domna. AR denarius, Emesa, ca. 200 CE; 2.97g, 17.5mm, 7hr. BMCRE p. 102 †, Hill —, RIC S616a (R2), RSC 13a Obv: IVLIA DO–MNA AVG; draped bust r. Rx: CERER F–RVG •; Ceres standing l., holding two corn-ears and lighted torch. Very rare; RIC S616a cites “Mouchmov, Réka Devnia, p. 106” referring to no. 15, “Cerer. frug. Var. 2,” of which there were three examples. However, Mouchmov describes no. 15 Var. 2 as corresponding to Cohen 13, which is the same type as this coin, and for which there are none in Reka Devnia. Rev. softly struck, with rim dent and scratches on rev (Ceres seems to have been deliberately defaced).

    References:
    • Murphy, Barry P. The Barry P. Murphy Collection of Severan Denarii (n.d.), SEV-461 (obverse die link).
    • Trustees of the British Museum, “1979,0614.33,” Collection online (London, n.d.), (die duplicate).
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2018
  15. Deacon Ray

    Deacon Ray Artist & Historian Supporter

    Those are beautiful Carthaginian coins! The horses are perfect on all of them. I've seen many of these with the horse missing half of his head or his snout. Please forgive the expression—they're coffee table book quality :bookworm:
     
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  16. Andrew McCabe

    Andrew McCabe Well-Known Member

    My Crawford 56/1 [sic] dupondius [sic].

    [​IMG]

    Ex 1923 hoard, Platt Hall, Hersh and RBW collections.
     
  17. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Personally, the most valuable ancient coin I have would be the first one I ever purchased.

    V772.JPG
    Vespasian
    AR Denarius, 3.40g
    Rome Mint, 75 AD
    RIC 772 (C3). BMC 161. RSC 366.
    Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
    Rev: PON MAX TR P COS VI; Pax, bare to the waist, seated l., holding branch extended in r. hand, l. hand on lap

    Acquired from Henri Delger of Old Roman Coins in March 2003. It is perhaps the most eagerly awaited item I have ever received in the mail! A common, unassuming coin that literally changed my life.

    Some of you may even recognise Henri's distinctive photography.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2018
  18. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    I enjoy understating the obvious. Follows my philosopy to under-promise and over-deliver.

    upload_2018-7-16_7-39-12.png
    PERSIA Achaemenid
    Daris I-Xerxes II 485-420 BCE
    AV Daric 14mm 8.3g
    LydoMilesian Sardes king wearing kidaris kandys quiver spear bow
    Incuse
    Carr Type IIIb Group A-B pl XIII 27
     
  19. red_spork

    red_spork Triumvir monetalis

    My most valuable coin is my Cr. 106/1 staff victoriatus, probably the finest example known of an extremely rare type and from(in my opinion) the best most well engraved obverse die for the type. I paid relatively little for it and then paid almost as much to have it professionally cleaned by a friend of mine whose full time job is cleaning such coins. Before and after pics and the full story and info can be found in my original post about this coin. This picture is a newer one than the one in that thread and shows about a year of toning
    Cr106.1-1YrToning-1200px.JPG
    Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(3.07g, 18mm, 4h). Anonymous("Staff and club" series). 209-208 B.C., Etrurian mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath; Staff between. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 106/1; Sydenham 209; RSC 24n.


    The most I've paid for a coin is this denarius of the Liberator Cassius(of the award winning duo Brutus and Cassius) with Lentulus Spinther as legate. I didn't really expect to win it but I got completely stomped on all my other targets in CNG e-408 so I threw my entire budget at it and it thankfully came in just below my maximum bid and at a nice discount from what it sold for in NAC 78.
    Cr500.5.jpg
    The Liberators, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Imperator with Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, Legate, AR denarius(19mm, 3.71 g, 6h). Struck late 43-early 42 B.C., military mint with Cassius and Brutus, possibly Smyrna. Head of Libertas right, wearing veil and diadem; before, LEIBERTAS upwards; behind, C•CASSI•IMP updwards. Border of dots / Jug and lituus; below, LENTVLVS SPINT in two lines. Border of dots. Crawford 500/5; Sear HCRI 223.

    Ex @Andrew McCabe Collection, CNG e-Auction 408, October 25 2017, lot 440, ex JD Collection, Numismatica Ars Classica 78 part II, May 27 2014, lot 1892, ex Jacques Schulman 265, September 28 1976, lot 454, ex Monnaies et Médailles Basel Auctiones 3, December 4 1973, lot 328
     
  20. arashpour

    arashpour Well-Known Member

    I have few coins I categorize them as my bests but the most I paid for (and I should admit I overpaid but the coin has nice pedigree and beautiful tone which is very rare for golds) is this umayyad gold dinar:

    ex CNG auction 410 lot 454

    ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. temp. 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan or al-Walid I ibn 'Abd al-Malik. AH 65-96 / AD 685-715. AV Dinar (20mm, 4.26 g, 5h). Unnamed (Dimashq [Damascus]) mint. Dated AH 86 (AD 705/6). AGC I 43; Album 125 or 127; ICV 164. VF, toned, light roughness and deposits.

    4100454.jpg
     
  21. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    To complement my Etruria "founders" and Carthage "foes" of Rome foci, I also love the first Silver coins of Rome series:

    RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm 310-300 BCE 20mm 7.28g Mars-Horse Romano FIRST.JPG
    RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm 310-300 BCE 20mm 7.28g Mars-Horse Romano FIRST Silver coin of Rome

    RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm 275-270 BCE ROMANO Apollo-Galloping Horse Sear23.jpg
    RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm 275-270 BCE ROMANO Apollo-Galloping Horse Sear23

    RR Anon 265-242 BCE AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm Roma-Victory Crawford 22-1 Sear 25.JPG
    RR Anon 265-242 BCE AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm Roma-Victory Crawford 22-1 Sear 25

    upload_2018-7-16_17-32-23.png
    RR Anon Ca 240 BCE AR Heavy Quinarius Drachm 16mm 3.0g Rome Helmet Hd Mars r - Horse’s hd sickle Cr 25-2 Syd 25 RSC 34a Rare

    upload_2018-7-16_17-31-1.png
    RR Anon 234-231 BCE AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm Apollo-Horse prancing Obv-Rev Crawford 26-1 Sear 28

    RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius Quadrigatus Janus 225-215 BCE 21mm 6.7g Cr 28-3 Sear 31.jpg
    RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius Quadrigatus Janus 225-215 BCE 21mm 6.7g Cr 28-3 Sear 31

    upload_2018-7-16_17-33-3.png
    RR Anon AR Heavy Quinarius Drachm Half Quadrigatus 225-212 BCE 3.1g 18mm Janus Jupiter in Quadriga L Victory ROMA Cr 28-4 S 35 SCARCE

    upload_2018-7-16_17-33-39.png
    RR Anon AR Heavy Quinarius Quadrigatus Drachm 216-214 BCE Janus ROMA Jupiter Victory Quadriga LEFT Cr 29-4 Sear 35 Scarce

    @Andrew McCabe , I would love your comments on Kenneth Harl "Coinage in the Roman Economy" calling what everyone HAD called Roman Didrachm and Drachm as what their true denominations were as "Heavy" Denarius and "Heavy" Quinarius... his explanation made a lot of sense to me...
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2018
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