Zumbly's 10 Favorites of 2019

I've been really enjoying going through the many year-end lists that we've had this year, and appreciating the fact that our board (and hobby) seems to have an ever growing number of passionate collectors of diverse specializations, interests and budgets. For my own collection, 2019 was relatively slow compared to previous years, but I still managed to make a fair number of additions that I'm very pleased with. Here are the Top 10, in order of current preference...


#10.
GALLIENUS. IONIA, Ephesus. AE28. Boar hunt.
Ex N. M. McQ. Holmes Collection.

I recognize that this coin could have nicer surfaces, but when you want a rare or interesting Provincial type (and for me this is both), I find that sometimes you just gotta let the 'small' stuff slide. Here, at least, the devices are clear and the coin is well-centered and still pretty darn good-looking in hand. The reverse depicts the legendary founder of Ephesus, Androklos, son of Kodros, the last king of Athens. Exiled from Greece after the death of his father, Androklos and his followers sailed to Asia Minor, where, as prophesied by an oracle of Apollo, the prince founded a new city at a site they were led to by a wild boar. A really nice touch here I think is Androklos's cape, flowing behind him to the right, which lends the scene an added touch of dynamic motion.


#9.
LUCANIA, Metapontion. AR Didrachm.
Ex Prof. Samuel-Jean de Pozzi Collection (Boutin), No. 499

A common type that's always been somewhere on my want list. This example was a perfect mix of : a) lovely old cabinet toning, b) cool seated dog control symbol, c) good enough condition, d) right price for my budget, and, e) Best Pedigree Ever! Recently, there was a thread about our being the temporary custodians of coins in our collection that struck a chord with me. I feel this about all the coins in my collection, but I get the sense of my temporary guardianship most when I consider a coin's provenance, and imagine a scene where I'm taking physical custody of it from the hands of one of its previous guardians. The more I know about them, the more vivid the scene. This particular coin's former owner was Samuel-Jean de Pozzi (1846-1918), who between the late 19th and early 20th century assembled one of the finest ever collections of Greek coins. Pozzi was a prominent Parisian surgeon who, in his day, was also a celebrity in fashionable society, known for his dandyish good looks, taste in fine art, marriage to a railroad heiress, association with erudite friends such as the writer Marcel Proust, and his numerous lovers, most notably the famous actress Sarah Bernhardt. If he were around today, Pozzi would be a coin collector who also happened to be a social media star with 50 million Twitter followers and who was dating Scarlett Johansson. So, yes, from the Pozzi Collection to the Zumbly Collection. I'm hoping this coin won't mind a downgrade of guardian for the next thirty or forty years.


#8.
ANTONINUS PIUS. EGYPT, Alexandria. AE Drachm.
Harpokrates of Canopus. Ex Phil Peck ("Morris") Collection

High on the list of monsters I never want to be chased by in my dreams is a cross between a vaguely creepy Egyptian child god and a vicious Nile crocodile. Put it on a coin, though, and it's "Yes, please, thank you!". If anyone asks me why I love Alexandrian Provincials of this period, this is the coin I'm likely to show them. On a separate note, this purchase was also memorable for being the first time I got to crack a coin out of an NGC slab (satisfying). It was also the first time I won a coin from a Heritage auction... and paid about $37 to have it shipped to me (distinctly not satisfying).

#7.
THRACE, Alopekonnesos. AE13. Ex Thrax Collection

Coins struck by famous historical figures such as Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar are always awesome to have. Same goes for those issued by storied ancient cities like Athens and Syracuse during epic times of war and glory. Almost equally cool in my book, are those that are almost the complete opposite of the iconic and ubiquitous... the hardly ever noticed scraps of bronze issued by obscure Greek towns no one has ever heard of, made and used by people largely forgotten to history. This one was struck around the 3rd-2nd centuries BC by a small city on the north-western tip of the Thracian Chersonesos called Alopekonessos, literally meaning "fox island". Obviously, their coins featured cute little foxes. And so, what does the fox say? In this instance, it said, "BUY ME!".


#6.
ROMAN REPUBLIC. L. Cassius Longinus. AR Denarius.

The token RR on my list. It's an interesting if common type, and there are better ones out there, but this particular example just spoke to me. With its flan flaw and fiery burst of colours, it's one of those coins I think I'd be able to easily spot in a lineup of hundreds of the same type. As the clear "V" (for Vti Rogas) held by the figure on the reverse indicates - "I Approve".


#5.
SALONINA. IONIA, Ephesus. AE29.
Ex N. M. McQ. Holmes Collection; ex "Bavarian" Collection; Karwiese Plate Coin

This coin was part of a 3-coin group lot that also included the #10 on this list. I was especially happy to win the lot because of this coin. It had a fascinating pedigree that I was familiar with from reading @dougsmit's page on the "Bavarian" Collection, and also two other features that made it even more desirable to me. One was the obverse legend, which names Salonina 'XPVCOΓONH' (Chrysogone, meaning 'begotten of gold'), an addition that occurs only at a handful of Provincial mints. The other feature is the wonderfully bold style of the reverse, where the die engraver seems to have made the artistic choice of positioning and rendering the branches of the tree in the background such that it appears that Artemis has a pair of leafy wings, something that I think elevates the coin from being a nice one to a rather special one.


#4.
TRAJAN DECIUS. Double Sestertius.
Ex Dr C. Haymes Collection; ex Bruce R. Brace Collection

Even as I find myself having comparatively greater interest in Greek and Roman Provincial coins these days, there remain a number of Imperial issues that continue to call to me from the old want list quite persistently. This coin and the next one fall into that category (and their positions at #4 and #3 on this list probably show that I remain a true generalist at heart). I had bid without success on a few of these Trajan Decius double sestertii before, and didn't think my bid on this one was a knock out the park by any stretch. As the coin gods would have it, I won it at my max, and boy, am I glad to now have this commandingly handsome and hefty 32-gram chunk of Imperial bronze in my collection!


#3.
SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS. AR Denarius.
Ship in Circus Decennalia issue.

The latest addition to this list, this coin just arrived in the mail a few days ago. It was a type on my All-Time Dream List, one that I think proves the point that nobody threw Games like the Roman Emperors. Seriously, look at the crazy Ludi Saeculares scene on the reverse... that's a whole SHIP in the Circus arena, with FOUR quadrigae being ridden around it, and a veritable menagerie of exotic animals dashing about like mad below it! This super-cool issue was struck by Severus to commemorate his decennalia (10th anniversary of rule) in AD 202. Cassius Dio, in writing about the event, essentially described the reverse of this coin: "The entire receptacle in the amphitheatre had been constructed so as to resemble a boat in shape, and was capable of receiving or discharging four hundred beasts at once; and then, as it suddenly fell apart, there came rushing forth bears, lionesses, panthers, lions, ostriches, wild asses, bisons, so that seven hundred beasts in all, both wild and domesticated, at one and the same time were seen running about and were slaughtered."


#2.
EPEIROS, Ambrakia. AR Stater.
Ex Collection of Greek Coins of a Man in Love with Art (NAC 116)

I hope to eventually own a set of these Colts from each of the Corinthian colonies that issued the type. This is my first from Ambrakia, a mint whose style and variety of minor control devices I've always liked. The pegasos on this one is a tad weak, but it's really the reverse that's remarkable. It's struck from a die of exceptional style, and where the control device on a typical Colt would be a small symbol placed unobtrusively behind Athena's head, on this rare issue it takes the form of an elaborate, encircling wreath of ivy. I won this coin at NAC's October sale of the "Highly Important Collection of Greek Coins of a Man in Love with Art". I watched live the most expensive coin from that collection fetch CHF 450,000 before fees, and felt like quite the bottom feeder, scurrying away with a prize that hammered for about a quarter of a percent of that lot. For some added perspective, this coin costs more than double of any other on this list, and is overall the second priciest in my collection. I feel lucky to have it.


#1.
VALENS. AE4. Festival of Isis.

The fascinating bronzes of the Festival of Isis series are all rare, but amongst them, the anonymous varieties that have the bust of Serapis or Isis on the obverse are more commonly encountered. A fair bit rarer, and for me, more interesting, are those that were issued with the portraits of the emperors, in an unbroken chain of rulers from Diocletian to Valentinian II, using official obverse dies of the Rome mint. These are especially intriguing when issued by Christian emperors, and they help paint a picture of the early Christian period of the Empire, when rulers often maintained a measure of pragmatism when it came to conflicts between the state religion and the traditional practices and expectations of the people. Not only did they continue to allow the observance of important pagan traditions such as the Festival of Isis, they even tolerated having their portraits paired with Egyptian gods such as Isis, Serapis, Harpokrates, Nepthys, Anubis, and others. My coin was issued under Emperor Valens, with this particular reverse being previously unpublished for him and possibly unique. The coin is now recorded online in the excellent Tesorillo pages on the Festival of Isis coinage. This was my first auction win of 2019, and it ends the year my favorite.


I'd be happy to read any comments you may have, or hear which of these is your favorite. Here's to Happy Coining in 2020, everyone!

 

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WOW @zumbly. Really nice coins. Hard to beat that Epeiros. No wait. That Sep Sev is incredible. Hmmm, maybe Longinus. No, no. It has to be Lucania. Wait, the Festival of Isis Valens. Aw, heck. I love 'em all.

 

Dear Z...

It is such a pleasure to know you and if you weren't my friend I'd have to hate you a bit for the superlatively interesting coins you find! Your writeups are always engaging, full of subtle wit and humility and this year-end list is no exception.

I'd love to have every single coin shown. Not only are they desirable in their own right but most have interesting pedigrees as well. Pozzi? Yes please! My favorite pedigree though is "Highly Important Collection of Greek Coins of a Man in Love with Art" and I love that NAC used such a phrase rather than his name, initials, or some other one word moniker for the collection.

The Ephesus Gallienus was a great score of a coin showing what provincials are all about: a concise depiction of a locally important scene.

Your A-Pi Harpodile drachm... man, I wish mine were as nice!

The Alopekonnesos with fox?! So jealous. Not a common animal on ancient coins!

Your voting scene denarius has oodles of eye appeal.

The leafy "wings" of Artemis on the Ephesus Salonina are beautiful and unusual.

Great portrait on that Decius hockey puck!

Septimius ship in circus-- you know I love that one

Your first Ambrakian stater is a doozie.

Another Festival of Isis coin when some of us still done have their first? Humph!

What a year!

I truly cannot choose a favorite here.

 

Wow. I really love this list, especially the Septimius Severus ... what a guilty pleasure that coin is!

 

I will have to go with #9 because of the Pozzi pedigree (after all he was french, wasn't he ?)

But two TD double sestertii in CT members year's lists are too much I can stand without being a bit jealous for not having one...

The reverses on Galienus and Salonina are very pleasant too.

Well, like others here, I would be hard pressed to choose just one from your ten !

Well done, you're a man of taste too
Q

 

IMHO, this is the way to collect. I can not be a generalist completely since I can not get interested in modern, machine made coins but I can enjoy most things with real age. I like all these coins an really like coins that come with questions. I have a few.

#9. What do you make of the wear through on the lettering making dark centers? What is the wandering line running up the center of the grain? Was this issue done with severe flan enhancement (acid pickling of the flans to enrich the top layer)? Could this be plated?

#5. I love the coin for the reasons you state but often wonder why so many die cutters show a bow string curved like the bow. At rest, bow strings are straight. This can not be just sloppy work. The overall work is too high a level.

#4. The edge irregularity that shows on the obverse but not reverse is odd. What happened and when?

#1. (My favorite) Do you see the possibility that the emperor was not 'allowing' this die coupling as much as the mint was using up dies left over rather like we suspect from the Urbs Roma / two soldiers 'mules' which are far too common to be accidents. I suspect many people then (and now?) were quick to proclaim their Christianity without having the same view of what that meant as we do today. The best example of that is the Constantine death issue with DV. What do we know of Valens' theology (if he had any)?

I suspect there is a line forming behing TIF. I'm there.

 

Awww, thanks for saying all that. Of course, I feel exactly the same way. I would absolutely have hated you a bit too.

Same here! I also enjoyed the writeup the NAC catalogue had on the collector. It didn't reveal his name, but it was personal, effusive, and informative. Apparently, apart from being from a royal family, having great taste and lots of money, he also had a photographic memory and was just a really nice guy. Probably handsome, too. Some people have all the luck... and all the coins. Nope, not grumbling at all.

Indeed he was! And maybe, someday, ifi you ever get tired of any of your fantastic coins, you'll remember your friend Z, and my ex Pozzi will be joined by a couple more coins with another fine French pedigree.

The auction house didn't note the possibility, but I did think that might have been the case when I first received the coin in hand. I can't think of any other explanation, though I've seen other coins with similar surfaces being passed off as regular issues. I'm waiting to receive the Boutin catalogue where this coin appears to see if it was listed as plated there.

Interesting question I've never asked myself! I'm going to have to look at more bow strings on coins.

Was it slightly bashed/chipped/broken so that the damage showed on just one side? I'm not sure.

Both Valens and his brother Valentinian were known to have been fairly tolerant of pagan worship. The issues with the emperors' portraits began from the time of Diocletian, and were produced at Rome in small quantities every year for every ruler until Valentinian II. Module size of the issues varied, and if my recall of Alfoldi is correct, matched with contemporary issues. The reverse legend VOTA PVBLICA was used for all the Festival types and suggests these were official product, used either for the Jan 3 public vows or the Mar 5 Isis Festival. The use of the emperor's portrait on Festival issues stop with the anti-pagan programs of Theodosius I, and Alfoldi suggests that it is from this date (379/380) that the anonymous Isis/Serapis types were introduced.

 

Congratulations on your excellent coin list. You had a great year! I like them all, but #3 is exceptional
John

 

I like all of them. The Festival of Isis coin is definitely a keeper. Here's one of Isis and Anubis on the reverse. Kind of surprising when you think about how late it was in the pagan period. Just a few years later the Serapeum in Alexandria was destroyed by an enraged mob.

 

Great coins @zumbly! That septimius Severus is my favorite. Amazing reverse! Not as amazing as that fox song though...

 

#2 was my favorite.

 

Absolutely fantastic Zumbly, I love them all but your Lucania is a real standout. I'm glad you mentioned it's previous owner Pozzi as I recently bought one of his coins and didn't have the foggiest who he was. Congrats on a great year of buying.
Maxentius, 307-312. Follis (Silvered bronze, 25 mm, 6.77 g, 7 h), Aquileia, late summer 307. IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG Laureate head of Maxentius to right. Rev. CONSERV VRBS SVAE / AQΓ Roma seated left within tetrastyle temple, holding scepter and handing globe to Maxentius standing right, holding scepter; seated captive between; Victories as acroteria, she-wolf and twins in pediment. RIC 113. Good very fine.
From the S. Pozzi Collection, privately purchased from K. Alber on 16 January 1973 and previously acquired from G. Brosi, Basel.

 

AA, that’s unfortunately a different “S. Pozzi” whose collection Leu was selling this year (you’ll note yours bought his coin in the 1970s, whereas the original Pozzi died in 1918). Yeah, confusing, I know! I’m not sure if the collector’s name actually was S. Pozzi, but Leu by letting the collection go to sale with that name, really opened the gates for mix ups to occur between the two collections.

 

Incredible year! I really like all of them!

i am a proud bottom feeder. Welcome to the club.

 

Just dyn-o-mite,@zumbly ! You always have fantastic taste, and you astound me with the super variety of coins! I always admired you collecting... wish I could see your collection in person. Thanks for showing.

I am naturally drawn to the RR, but you always open my eyes when you post your coins!

Thanks!
Brian

 

All desirable ! I found No 2 especially so - I have never come across
an ivy wreath as a control mark. Does this occur on other issues ?

 

There are a few others, but all are very rare. Here's one from Leukas that I bid on unsuccessfully a couple of years ago.



Ambrakia during the same period also issued a variety where the encircling wreath is one of laurel leaves. Ravel suggests they were issued around 404 BC, with the design specially chosen to commemorate the victory of Sparta and her allies (which included Ambrakia's mother city, Corinth) over Athens in the Peloponnesian War. Unfortunately, I've never seen one of those for sale.

 

It's hard to pick between the reverse of #2 and #3. The Circus Maximus type is one of my favorite denarii and the wreath makes your stater really beautiful and remarkable.

Congratulations!

 

What a fascinating group of coins, and excellent write-ups. My personal favorite is the Septimius, but I really love the Artemis reverse on the big Salonina bronze as well, just beautiful.

I also really like #9. I will admit that I fell for Leu’s little “Pozzi” scheme earlier this year and bought one from that other “S. Pozzi” collection. Very cool to see one from the real Pozzi collection, he lived quite a life, that’s a great pedigree to have.

Congrats on some truly outstanding additions this year!

 

I'd like to have a "Fox Coin" in my collection, because I don't have it. Congrats..