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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;zumbly, post: 2185354, member: 57495&quot;]This list comprises my favorite 10 coins out of 150 or so purchased in the first half of 2015.&nbsp; It was a fun list to put together and is dedicated to my wife, who allows me my little indulgences.&nbsp; Here&#039;s to hoping she&#039;ll continue to do so for the next half of the year!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>10. IONIA, Ephesos</b> - AR Drachm</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423796[/ATTACH]</p><p>Was: the result of the mobile phone version of accidentally raising your hand in an auction.</p><p>Is: #10 on this Favorite Coin list.</p><p>I&#039;ve made worse mistakes <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie80" alt=":shame:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>9. HADRIAN </b>- AR Denarius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423797[/ATTACH]</p><p>The Aegyptos is the most readily available of Hadrian&#039;s &#039;Travel series&#039; denarii, but as I am trying to make a set of them, this proved to be a fortuitous inclusion in my most recent group lot.&nbsp; It&#039;s also just a really good-looking coin.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>8. THESSALY, Lamia</b> - AR Hemidrachm</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423798[/ATTACH]</p><p>This one is on the list because a nice hemidrachm with lovely toning and a BCD pedigree is one of life&#039;s genuine pleasures <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>7. PONTOS, Komana, time of Mithridates VI</b> - AE28</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423799[/ATTACH]</p><p>Only a collector of ancients would want to see the face of Medusa, but her mug on the bodyless head held by Perseus is notoriously elusive on these issues.&nbsp; Combined with the fact that it was struck at a rare mint, I consider this coin a personal coup.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>6. C. HOSIDIUS GETA, Roman Republic</b> - AR Denarius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423800[/ATTACH]</p><p>Slightly off center, but the details are wonderfully sharp, particularly on the reverse.&nbsp; The thing I like best about this coin is the thing that is the hardest to capture in a picture - the head of the Calydonian boar, turning to the right at the edge of the flan, so deeply struck that it seems like it may just charge off the surface of the coin.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>5. OTHO</b> - AR Denarius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423801[/ATTACH]</p><p>A little scruffy and ex-jewelry to boot, but I have a soft spot for these damaged survivors.&nbsp; And, well, it&#039;s an Otho!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>4. SICILY, Syracuse, Timoleon &amp; the Third Democracy</b> - AE Dilitron</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423802[/ATTACH]</p><p>A pleasant surprise in a $35-per-coin mixed lot, which then whet my appetite for more group lot purchases.&nbsp; There are many beautiful Greek silver coins out there, not so many in bronze.&nbsp; I think this one is a great example of the latter.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>3. COMMODUS, Marcianopolis</b> - AE25</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423803[/ATTACH]</p><p>I had been hunting a Three Graces reverse for some time and was very pleased to check the box off with this example. Three seemingly anorexic Graces served as models for this coin and got it illustrated in Hristova &amp; Jekov&#039;s <i>The Coins of Moesia Inferior I-III c. A.C. Marcianopolis</i>.&nbsp; Not quite Swimsuit Illustrated, but we take what we can get.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>2. C. COSSUTIUS SABULA, Roman Republic </b>- AR Denarius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423804[/ATTACH]</p><p>One can only speculate as to the reasons why this moneyer decided to go with a bust of Medusa for his issue, but I love the results - a scarce, slightly mysterious and arrestingly beautiful piece.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>1. JULIUS CAESAR </b>- AR Denarius</p><p>[ATTACH=full]423805[/ATTACH]</p><p>I bought this last year, but it didn&#039;t make it to my 2014 favorites list because a postal misadventure caused it to go missing for three months.&nbsp; I just had to put it on this list.&nbsp; It&#039;s a Julius Caesar portrait denarius... not sure what else I can add to that![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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