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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Roman Collector, post: 2869615, member: 75937&quot;]I had a similar experience to [USER=74968]@Orfew[/USER] but with a Faustina Junior denarius. I have 73 coins of Faustina Junior and I have more than a passing familiarity of the market for her coins. I also collect Venus reverse types. This one had been on my radar for some years. </p><p><br /></p><p>When I saw this come up at auction earlier this year, I knew it might possibly be the only opportunity I would ever have in my lifetime to obtain this denarius. I put in a maximum bid high enough that only Clio would have paid more. I wanted to win it, competition be damned.</p><p><br /></p><p>What&#039;s so special about it? </p><p><br /></p><p>Well, the coin is listed in RIC only as an aureus, RIC 732, not a denarius. It is given an R2 rating by Temeryazev &amp; Makarenko. It not listed by Sear or Cohen. It wasn&#039;t until 1982 that the British Museum finally obtained a copy for their collection. The coin is described in Staal&#039;s <i>The Three Graces and Their Numismatic Mythology</i>, p. 142 and pictured on p. 169. Staal notes examples from &quot;Bank. H Aufhauser 18, #420 ... (Oct 1989)&quot; and &quot;Coin Galleries #2447 (Dec 2001).&quot; Frank Robinson notes one sold at &quot;CNG eAuction 1/2010, the only sale record I found.&quot; </p><p><br /></p><p>Well, I looked at the coin in the CNG archives and it graded fine at best and had a plugged hole and a crack. CNG described it as &quot;extremely rare.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>I think mine is very attractive. It has lovely toning, too!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]685458[/ATTACH]</p><p>Faustina Jr, Augusta AD 161-175 </p><p>Roman AR Denarius, 3.18 g, 18.2 mm, 6 h</p><p>Rome, under Marcus Aurelius, AD 161-175 </p><p>Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right </p><p>Rev: VENVS FELIX, Venus seated left, holding small statuary group of the three graces and scepter</p><p>Refs: RIC 732 aureus var.; BMC 170; Temeryazev &amp; Makarenko 240; Staal p. 142, p. 169.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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