I really enjoyed the coins that were shown in our last price bracket. Thank you to everyone who has been contributing! Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to what we'll be seeing with this next one... The call is now for the coins in your collection that cost you about $300 (anything between $250 - $350 will do). If a coin is an older purchase (ie., not bought in the past few years), please let us know roughly when bought it. If the coin was part of a bulk or large lot purchase, it would be helpful to mention that too. $300 can buy some really nice coins... or, it can buy coins like mine . Some of my favorites in this price bracket are not pretty coins, but they're of high interest to me, and I tend to be picky about what I buy at this price. Case in point, this worn, off-center, banker's mark-marred Republican denarius. It's not going to be for everyone, but it's a scarce issue that I had been looking out for. I consider myself lucky to have scored it for $300. ROMAN REPUBLIC Q. Crepereius M. f. Rocus Rare. AR Denarius. 3.69g, 18mm. Rome mint, 72 BC. Crawford 399/1b. O: Bust of Amphitrite or Venus right, seen from behind, control marks to left and right. R: Neptune in biga of sea-horses, brandishing trident, control mark above, Q. CREPER. M. F. ROCVS in two lines below. Ex Andrew McCabe Collection Another worn silver for $300 was this Segesta didrachm. They're not rare, but relatively scarce compared to issues of other Sicilian cities. The type was always on my want list, but not so high on it that I was prepared to pay some multiples of what this one cost for an example in better grade. It's a pleasing coin and the main device of the Segestan hound is bold despite the wear, so on the whole, I consider it a decent box-checker. SICILY, Segesta AR Didrachm. 8.16g, 21.9mm. SICILY, Segesta, circa 440/35-420/16 BC. Hurter, Didrachmenprägung 129 (V39/R73); HGC 2, 1135. O: Hound standing left. R: Head of Segesta right, within linear circle. This next one is a box-checker too - a coin showing the Three Graces, scored for $280 shipped at a CNG auction. It has some provenance attached and is a plate coin for a reference work (Hristova & Jekov's The local coinage of the Roman empire - Moesia Inferior, I - III A.D, MARCIANOPOLIS), but mainly, I really REALLY loved how it looked, and I was over the moon when I didn't get Clio'ed at the auction. Sure, there'd have been plenty of other coins with the Three Graces on them, but the best box-checker is the one that will never have you wondering if there's going to be another coin that will better check the box for you. This one's a keeper! COMMODUS AE25. 7.69g, 25mm, MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. H&J 6.10.26.4 (this coin illustrated); RPC IV online 4319; AMNG I 540; Varbanov 702 corr. (direction of heads). O: ΑΥ ΚΑΙ Λ ΑΥΡΗ ΚΟΜΟΔΟС, Bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛƐΙΤΩΝ, the Three Graces standing facing, heads left, right, and right, respectively: the left holds oinochoe over dolphin, the center drapes arms over others, and the right holds wreath over oinochoe. Ex Dr. George Spradling Collection; Ex Alexandre de Barros Collection (CNG E143, 12 July 2006, lot 115); ex CNG 47 (16 Sep 1998) lot 833.
Augustus Although Augustus was the second Caesar covered by Suetonius, he really was the first ruler of the new Roman empire. Originally known by the name Octavian, he became Augustus as the new ruler of the empire. The coin below is special to me for two reasons. First, I love the anepigraphic (no legend) obverse. I feel this gives an elegant look to the portrait and make the portrait the focus of the coin. Many emperors were very particular as to how their images appeared on their coins and Augustus was no exception. It is difficult to tell when a coin of Augustus was issued by the portrait alone because his portraits did not age very much from his beginnings as emperor until his death. Another reason I like this coin is the reverse. It depicts a Capricorn with globe and rudder. These devices appear on other coins of Augustus, and other emperors used them as well. Augustus would be associated with the image of the Capricorn for much of his rule. Although this is not a perfect coin because of its imperfect flan shape, the combination of a great portrait and the Capricorn meant I had to have it. Augustus (27 BC-AD 14), Denarius, Uncertain Spanish mint (Colonia Patricia?), 17-16 BC, (19 mm 3.73 g). Obv: Bare head right Rev: Augustus, Capricorn right, holding globe attached to rudder between front hooves; cornucopia above its back. RIC I 126; RSC 21 SRCV (2000) 1592. Purchased October 28, 2016 from vcoins store London Coin Galleries Ltd. Paid 325.00 USD Tiberius Tiberius was the third of "The Twelve Caesars" as described in the Lives of the Caesars by Suetonius. He is well known as the emperor who would groom the next emperor, Gaius (more commonly known as Caligula).The denarii of Tiberius are sometimes referred to as boring by some collectors. One reason is that there were only a few types of denarii issued. By far the most common is the one that many refer to as "The Tribute Penny" of the bible.It must be said however that there are minor variations in the design of the reverse on the Tribute Penny and there are collectors who try to get as many variations as possible. The denarius below is much less common. The reverse is very similar to a reverse on a coin of Augustus. This coin features Augustus on the obverse and Tiberius on the reverse in a quadriga. These denarii of Tiberius do appear from time to time, but when they do there is quite a bit of competition for them as they represent an alternative denarius to the Tribute Penny. Tiberius, 14-37 Denarius Lugdunum circa 15-16, AR (18.55 mm., 3.85 g). Obv: TI CAESAR DIVI - AVG F AVGVSTVS Laureate head r. Rev: TR POT XVII IMP VII Tiberius holding branch and eagle-tipped scepter in triumphal quadriga r. RIC 4. C 48. SRCV I (2000) 1762 Ex: Naville Numismatics Auction #25 Lot #407 September 25, 2016 Paid 353.00 Nero I knew when I started building my 12 Caesars collection that I would eventually want a pre-reform denarius of Nero. The problem is that these are quite scarce in any condition. Also, there is much competition for them the they do appear for sale. Denarii like this one were minted before Nero decided to debase the silver coinage. Pre-reform denarii like this one are at near 100% fineness. This dropped considerably after the debasement. The earlier denarii are also heavier than the post reform coinage.One reason Nero debased the coins was to make up for a shortfall in available cash because of the massive spending he committed to building projects. This is not a perfect coin, but I like several things about it. First, I like the younger more slender portrait. Contrast this with the "Fat tyrant" portrait of the other Nero denarius I have posted before. I also like that the legends are intact. True, they are worn, but they are still readable. Nero. A.D. 61. AR denarius (18.40 mm, 3.37 g, 7 h). Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Obv: NERO CAESAR AVG IMP, bare head right Rev: PONTIF MAX TR P VIII COS IIII P P, EX S C across field, Roma standing right, holding and inscribing shield supported on knee, foot on helmet; dagger and bow at feet to right. RIC 34 (R3); RSC 231. aVF, toned. Rare. From the D. Thomas Collection; Ex Hohn Leipziger Munzhandlung. Auction 85 June 2-4 2016 Lot 1832 Ex: Agora Auctons sale 68 Lot 195 August 15 2017. Paid 271.05 USD
~$268(£180+19% buyers fee) via Roma XIII, lot 544. This is a rare stylistic variety of an otherwise common Second Punic War quinarius issue. Roman Republic AR quinarius(2.16g, 16mm, 9h). Anonymous(H series), ca. 212-196 B.C. Apulian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right, V behind / ROMA, the Dioscuri riding right, each holds a spear; H below. Crawford 85/1a; Sydenham 174; RSC 33b; Russo RBW 348/NAC 61 lot 356(these dies) ~$274 via Agora 51, 3/8/16, lot 145. If not for the flat striking this could well have been a $1000 coin IMHO, but because of the flat striking I was able to pick up this very attractive example at a price I could afford. I was especially impressed by how well executed and well preserved the murex-shell of the reverse was on this coin as most examples are either not from fresh dies or have just enough wear to remove the fine details. Roman Republic AR Denarius(18.8 mm, 3.99 g, 12 h), Furius Purpurio, moneyer, circa 169-158 B.C. Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, X. Border of dots / Luna in biga right, holding reins of nearer horse in left hand and reins of further horse and goad in right hand; above, murex-shell; below, PVR; in linear frame, ROMA. Line border. Crawford 187/1; Sydenham 424; BMCRR Italy 420; Babelon Furia 13. Ex RBW Collection, ex Crédit Suisse 5, 4/18/86, lot 246 $265 via Vcoins dealer Germania Inferior Numismatics, December 2015. I was a big fan of how well struck this coin was and in particular how well the reverse was executed. The fact that it's on a nice big flan helps a lot as well. Roman Republic AR Denarius(3.68g, 21mm). Mn. Fonteius C.f., moneyer. 85 BC. Rome mint. Laureate head of Vejovis(or Apollo) right; below, thunderbolt; behind (MN) FO(NT)EI C F downwards; before, monogram(ROMA?) upwards. Border of dots. / Cupid on goat right; above, pilei; in exergue, thyrsus; around, laurel-wreath. Border of dots. Crawford 353/1a. BMCRR Rome 2476. Sydenham 724. RSC Fonteia 9
I agree, and think that in any case you bought that for an excellent price when you take that piffling bit of flatness in context of the overall quality of the coin. Just in case anyone was wondering about it, here's the $1000 version for comparison: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2397134
Weighing in at $275 from a show in 2017 is an as showing Janus with thr right face resembling Pompey the Great. The coin was issued by Sextus Pompey but I have not seen a suggestion of who was intended to be shown on that left face. I am not a student of things Republican but bought this mostly for the portrait on the right. I don't collect Republican because they cost too much. I'm not sure why I bought this one. I don't collect Flavians either and the ones that appeal to me cost too much. This Vespasian was $350 which seems high considering the cracks but I am fond of Eastern mint coins and reverses I consider special. I really liked the style of the PACI ORB TERR AVG reverse.
This one was 299 in the recent Numismatik Naumin auction. I wanted a better Julius Caesar coin than my elephant denarius and I can't really afford a portrait coin so this one fits the bill for now. Just too bad about the scratches on the reverse but I'm happy with it. This one is a type I wanted for a long time and I finally picked one up from Ken for 280.
I have four. All are around $275-$325. When I carry a coin, I carry the salty dog. I think you can figure out which one that is. I'm just posting photos. Details are in the gallery
ATTICA, AEGINA AR Stater OBVERSE: Sea-turtle (T-backed); head in profile REVERSE: Large square incuse with skew pattern Struck at Aegina, 480-457BC 11.96g, 20mm SNG Cop 507 Cost: $303
Unsurprisingly, at this price level, all the posts are wonderful examples of terrific coins!! Naturally, I try to be a bit harder to please when I chase coins at -/+ $300.00. Geta, 209 - c. 26 December 211 A.D., Augusta Traiana, Thrace Bronze assarion, Schönert-Geiss Augusta Traiana 501 (V145/R422), Varbanov II 1276 (R3), Moushmov 3087, SNG Cop -, BMC Thrace -, Nice EF, attractive portrait and reverse style, nice green patina, centered on a tight flan, some light scratches and marks, Augusta Traiana (Stara Zagora, Bulgaria) mint, weight 3.247g, maximum diameter 18.1mm, die axis 180o, 209 - c. 26 Dec 211 A.D.; obverse AV K Π CE-ΠTI ΓETAC, laureate, draped, and cuirassedbust right, from behind; reverse AVΓOVCTH TPAIANH, Thanatos standing right with legs crossed, left hand to face, right resting on inverted torch; scarce------$289.00 Lesbos, Mytilene. Ca. 412-378 B.C. EL hekte (11.0 mm, 2.48 g, 2 h). Laureate head of Apollo right / Female head right within linear incuse square. Bodenstedt 70; SNG von Aulock -; BMC 103. VF. $300.00 AEMILIAN, 253 AD. AR Antoninianus (3.28 gm). Radiate draped bust / Apollo standing holding branch and lyre. RIC.1. RSC.2. Toned VF. Rare $245.00
NERO AR Drachm OBVERSE: NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERM, laureate head of Nero right. REVERSE: DIVOS CLAVD AVGVST GERMANIC PATER AVG, Claudius' laureate head right Struck at Caesarea, Cappodocia, 63/4AD 3.6g, 17mm RIC 621, RSC 3, RPC 3648 Cost: $315
Vespasian, 69 – 79 AD Æ Sestertius, Rome Mint, 33mm, 20.00 grams Obverse: IMP CAES VESPAS AVG P M TR P P P COS III, Laureate head of Vespasian right. Reverse: S C, Mars advancing right holding spear and trophy. References: RIC247 Cost: $320 Provenance: CNG 382, September 2016, Lot 374 Ex Dr. Lawrence D. Sporty Collection Hadrian, 117 – 138 AD Æ As, Rome Mint for circulation in Syria, 24mm, 8.31 grams Obverse: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Hadrian right. Reverse: COS III S C, Lyre. References: RIC684 // McAlee 546 Cost: $280 Provenance: CNG 238, August 2010, Lot 259
This level has several great pieces. I picked up this quadrans and an as in the same auction. Roman Republican. Libral standard. Janus/Prow right series. Quadrans, 225-217 B.C. Obv.: Head of Hercules left. Behind, three pellets. Rev.: Prow right. Below, three pellets. Cr. 35/4. AE. g. 66.30 mm. 41.00 Good VF/VF+.
My rarest coin (I posted this before but here are some new pictures): CORNELIA SALONINA AVG - Diademed and draped bust of Salonina right, her hair in ridges and looped in plait on neck and up back of head PVDICITIA SC - Pudicitia standing left, drawing out her veil with right hand and holding transverse scepter in left Sestertius, Rome 262 11,64 gr / 27,98 mm Göbl 490y - the second known specimen and the final Sestertius type struck for Salonina (the obverse die was also used for unique silver and bronze medallions)
My best eBay purchase: M OPEL ANTONINVS DIADVMENIANVS CAES - Bare headed, draped and cuirassed bust of Diadumenianus right SPES PVBLICA S C - Spes advancing left, holding flower in extended right hand and raising drapery of her dress Sestertius, Rome 218 23,46 gr / 32,23 mm RIC 219, BMCRE 155, Sear 7454 (his rarest Sestertius)
My most expensive non-bronze: IMP AEMILIANVS PIVS FEL AVG - Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Aemilianus right with his right shoulder advanced PACI AVG - Pax standing facing, head left, legs crossed, holing olive-tranche and transverse scepter and resting on column Antoninianus, Rome August - October 253 RIC 8, RSC 26, Hunter 13, Sear 9838
I consider myself very fortunate to have found this coin in this range. I've seen some that are not as nicely centered for much more.
250-350 Range: Soon to be broken out of its plastic wrapper! MARC ANTONY & OCTAVIAN. AR Quinarius (1.58 gms), Military Mint Traveling with Octavian in Gaul, ca. 39 B.C. Cr-529/4b; S-1575; Syd-1195. Veiled and diademed head of Concordia facing right; Reverse: clasped hands holding caduceus. Attractive with dark tone. NGC Ch VF, Strike: 3/5 Surface: 2/5. GALBA AR Quinarius ; Lugdunum mint Ox: SER GALBA IMP CAESAR AVG P M TR, laureate head right Rx VICTORIAE GALBAE AVG, Victory on globe standing left A scarce denomination from a very scarce Emperor. 15mm, 1.5g. RI Caracalla 198-217 AR Quinarius CE 213 1.3g 13.6mm Laureate - Victory Wreath Palm RIC IV 101 RSC 450 RARE Roman Republic Anonymous. Circa 235 BC. Æ Double Litra (19.5mm, 6.54 g, 8h). Rome mint. Head of Hercules right; club below / Pegasus right; club above, ROMA below. Crawford 27/3; HN Italy 316. VF, rough, brown surfaces.From the RJM Collection. Paulina (wife of Maximinus I). Died before A.D. 235. AE sestertius (30.77 mm, 19.66 g, 11 h). 2nd emission of Maximinus I, A.D. 236. DIVA PAVLINA, veiled and draped bust right / CONSECRATIO / S - C, Paulina, raising hand and holding scepter, reclining left on peacock flying upward to right. RIC IV 3; Banti 1. aVF/F, obverse flan defect or damage. Very Rare. Kostantiniye, (Istambul) Ottoman Empire Suleyman I (The Magnificent) (r. AD 1520- 1566) AV Sultani 20 mm x 3.36 grams Dated ( AH 926 or AD 1520) Obverse: Sultan Süleyman Shah bin Sultan Selim Shah, Azze nasruhu, dhuribe fi qustantiniyah , seneh (926)-(Sultan Süleyman Shah son of Sultan Selim Shah, May his Victory be Glorious struck in Constantinople Year (AH 926) ) Reverse:Reverse : Dharibun-Nadri sahibbul izzi vennasri filberri velbahr-(Striker of the Glittering, Master of Might Victory and of Land and the Sea.) Ref: Album -1317 SASANIAN KINGS. Shapur I. AD. 240-272. Æ Tetradrachm (10.78 gm; 27 mm). Mint I (“Ctesiphon”), phase 1a, ca. AD 240-244. Bust of Shapur I right, wearing diadem and mural crown with korymbos / Fire altar, flanked by two attendants wearing diadems (type 2) and mural crowns. SNS type IIa1/1a, style Abi, pl. 20, 5-A8; Göbl type II/1; Paruck 95; Saeedi -; Sunrise 731(this coin). Choice VF. From The Sunrise Collection. Rome Silbersud-Antoninianus 285 AD Catalog: RIC 343 Material: bronze Weight: 3.40 g Diameter: 23.00 mm Silvered-Antoninian of Magna Urbia, coined 285 AD in Rome. Obv: Drap. Bust on crescent n. Right, wears Diadem MAGNIA VRBICAE AVG Rev: Venus on the left, holding apple and scepter, at the foot of a shield VENVS GENETRIX Preservation: excellent RIC 343, C.17 rare! Fine portrait!
Just a couple for me - I had been looking for a coin of this type after visiting Somerset the previous year: Celtic Britannia The Durotriges (58 B.C.-43 A.D.) Cranborne Chase Type AR Stater, 19mm x 5.95 grams Obv.: Wreath, cloak and crescents Rev.: Disjointed horse left, rectangular head, body of crescents, four vertical legs, three roughly horizontal lines for tail, pellet below, twelve pellets above Ref.: SCBC 366, SGCV 172 Ex. Estate of an English Numismatists This one just came in to this bracket. I not only wanted, but needed an example of this coin to use in my class: Kingdom of Macedon Alexander III (the Great), r. 336-323 B.C. (c. 325-315 B.C.) Pella Mint, AR Tetradrachm, 27.72mm x 17.2 grams Obv.: Head of Herakles right, wearing lion skin Rev.: ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΥ, Zeus Aëtophoros enthroned left, holding eagle and sceptre, ΣΙ in left field Ref.: SGCV 6718 var. Ex. red_spork Surprisingly, this is the only medieval coin I have in this bracket. The flan is terribly ugly, but it is hard to find coins of King Stephen with such a sharp portrait England Stephen, r. 1135-1154 (c. 1136-45) London Mint, AR Watford Type Penny, 19.17mm x 1.1 grams Obv.: S[TIEFNE RE]X. Bust right, crowned and diademed, holding sceptre in right hand Rev.: ADEL[ARD : ON : LVN]. Cross moline with fleur in each angle Ref. North 873, SCBC 1278, CC99 ST1D-005, De Wit 3189