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<p>[QUOTE="zumbly, post: 3285250, member: 57495"]I posted the <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/zumblys-year-end-favorites-list-20-11.328925/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/zumblys-year-end-favorites-list-20-11.328925/">first part</a> of my year-end favorites list two weeks ago and was waiting for one last coin to arrive to post the second part. I was just about resigned to not being able to make this post until next year when the package arrived on my doorstep today (thank you, almighty postal gods!). So, without further ado, here's my Top 10 coins of 2018... </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#10</b></p><p><b>SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS. PONTUS, Herakleopolis. AE28.</b> Herakles & the Cretan Bull.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]868605[/ATTACH] </p><p>It's highly unlikely I'll ever have a full set of coins depicting all 12 Labours of Herakles, but I'm still going to try for the ones I don't have, as long as I can afford them. In any case, this nice, hefty Roman Provincial was right up my alley. It depicts Herakles's 7th Labour, the capture of the Cretan Bull. It has a great portrait of Septimius and despite the wear, I really like the statuesque figures of Herakles and the Bull on the reverse.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#9</b></p><p><b>MARCUS AURELIUS. EGYPT, Alexandria. Billon Tetradrachm.</b> Ex Staffieri Collection. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]868606[/ATTACH] </p><p>The portraits of Marcus Aurelius when he was Caesar have always been amongst my favorites in the Roman series. They seem to not only capture his youthful good looks, but also the essence of a young philosopher's enthusiasm and idealism. When he later became emperor, the troubled times that he and the Empire faced seemed to really take their toll and etch the world and war-weariness into his portraits. This was my only win from January's Triton XXI sale of the Staffieri Collection coins of Roman Egypt. It was a tough auction and I was happy to score even one coin from it.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#8</b></p><p><b>JULIUS CAESAR. AR Denarius.</b> Elephant trampling snake. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]868607[/ATTACH] </p><p>I'm sure my finally getting a Julius Caesar elephant denarius has nothing at all to do with [USER=84744]@Severus Alexander[/USER]'s <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/poll-24-22-panzerman-vs-27-severus-alexander-round-2-cit-2018.322139/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/poll-24-22-panzerman-vs-27-severus-alexander-round-2-cit-2018.322139/">exemplary writeup</a> on the subject in this year's Coin Imperator Tournament, but I'm gonna blame him anyway. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Seriously, he did call it "<i>a numismatic Darth Vader: the denarius that destroyed the Republic and sowed the seeds of Empire.</i>" How could I not get myself one of those?? Anyway, mine has the elephant in the cute n' dumpy style. The previous collector's tag calls it "<i>the later more imitative style</i>". Either way, it has really grown on me!</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#7</b></p><p><b>IBERIA, Ebusus.</b> <b>AE17.</b> Bes, God of Good Times. Ex Stevex6 Collection. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]868608[/ATTACH] </p><p>One of my favorite stevex6 coins of all time. On the obverse is really the funniest ever depiction of a deity - we call him Captain Caveman here, but he was known back then as the Egyptian god Bes. The Phoenicians brought the cult of Bes to the western Mediterranean island of Ebusus when they colonized it in the mid 7th century BC. Bes was the god of feasting, dance, and carnal pleasure, and today at Ebusus (the present-day party island of Ibiza), his following clearly remains strong. This coin is not only one of the best examples of the type known, it really is for me the quintessential Stevex6 winner. As Steve would say... good times! <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie50" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#6</b></p><p><b>ROMAN REPUBLIC. AR Denarius. </b>M. Junius Brutus. Ex Michael Kelly Collection. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]868611[/ATTACH] </p><p>I ended up buying two of this same type this year. Rightfully, both of them ought to be in my year-end Top 20, but in deciding not to show duplicates on the list, I really just made my life difficult because I love both of them almost equally. Many will likely prefer the other one I bought, which isn't damaged and is in slightly better grade, but for me, the holes driven into this one just added a unique appeal to what was already (and still is) a beautiful coin of great historic value.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#5</b></p><p><b>CRETE, Knossos-Gortyna Alliance coinage. AE19.</b> Labyrinth of Knossos. </p><p>[ATTACH=full]868612[/ATTACH] </p><p>The story of the Minotaur was a childhood favorite of mine, and scoring a coin of ancient Crete depicting the legendary Labyrinth of Knossos was always a long term goal. This example came from a Frank Robinson auction, where I e-mailed my bid to him exactly 22 minutes after he sent out the link to the catalogue. Having to wait the next 36 days to find out if I would be the winner was no fun, but the eventual victory sure was sweet. Next on my want list : a coin depicting the legendary <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/gortyna-stater-bull-in-the-labyrinth.285907/#post-2559331" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/gortyna-stater-bull-in-the-labyrinth.285907/#post-2559331">Labyrinth of Overlook</a>. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#4</b></p><p><b>ATTICA, Athens. AR Tetradrachm. </b></p><p><b>[ATTACH=full]868613[/ATTACH] </b></p><p>As the year was coming to an end, I decided I'd try to take advantage of the hoard of these currently out there to jump onto the ol' Athens Owl bandwagon. It's not that I never felt like a proper collector of Greek coins without one of them, but they're just so iconic and historically significant that I, uhm... never really felt like a proper collector of Greek coins without one of them? <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie82" alt=":shy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> Ok, fine, why even try to deny it. And while I'm in a confessional mood - she just arrived today, she's stunning and plainly out of my league, and yes, she'll be sleeping next to me tonight... as I wear my cheap tourist t-shirt from Athens. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie80" alt=":shame:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> </p><p>[ATTACH=full]868614[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#3</b></p><p><b>VALERIAN. PHOENICIA, Tyre. AE27.</b> The Founding of Thebes by Cadmus.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]868615[/ATTACH] </p><p>I didn't know this rare type existed until I saw it come up in a CNG auction, and then I just really <b>really </b>wanted it. The Provincial coins of Tyre have some of the most interesting reverses, drawing from the city's long history and fascinating myths. This one depicts the founding of Thebes by Cadmus, a prince of Tyre. Cadmus journeyed from Tyre to Greece in search of his sister, Europa, who had been abducted and taken to Crete by Zeus. On reaching Greece, he taught the Greeks writing and the alphabet, and later, also founded the city of Thebes. Going after this coin in the auction was absolutely nerve-wracking, because I knew that if I didn't win it, it might be years before I'd get another shot at the type. Thanks must go to [USER=56859]@TIF[/USER] and Clio for letting me get away with this one. <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie50" alt=":happy:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /> </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><b>#2</b></p><p><b>LOKRIS, Opuntii. AR Stater. </b>Demeter / Ajax the Lesser.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]868616[/ATTACH] </p><p>I wouldn't have won this coin except that I made the absent-minded mistake of coming up with a max bid for it in USD, and then entering the same figure in EUR without making the necessary adjustment for currency difference. After I received the coin, I decided it was a happy mistake. I really love the contrast of feminine beauty on the obverse and the masculine, martial pose of Ajax on the reverse. The artistic rendering of Demeter's head, the graceful proportions of Ajax's body, and the intricate details on the inside of his shield also really add to the coin's appeal for me. I won this coin in early March, and for almost 8 months, no other coin I bought came close to topping it as my favorite of the year, until the next one came along...[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="zumbly, post: 3285250, member: 57495"]I posted the [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/zumblys-year-end-favorites-list-20-11.328925/']first part[/URL] of my year-end favorites list two weeks ago and was waiting for one last coin to arrive to post the second part. I was just about resigned to not being able to make this post until next year when the package arrived on my doorstep today (thank you, almighty postal gods!). So, without further ado, here's my Top 10 coins of 2018... [B]#10 SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS. PONTUS, Herakleopolis. AE28.[/B] Herakles & the Cretan Bull. [ATTACH=full]868605[/ATTACH] It's highly unlikely I'll ever have a full set of coins depicting all 12 Labours of Herakles, but I'm still going to try for the ones I don't have, as long as I can afford them. In any case, this nice, hefty Roman Provincial was right up my alley. It depicts Herakles's 7th Labour, the capture of the Cretan Bull. It has a great portrait of Septimius and despite the wear, I really like the statuesque figures of Herakles and the Bull on the reverse. [B]#9 MARCUS AURELIUS. EGYPT, Alexandria. Billon Tetradrachm.[/B] Ex Staffieri Collection. [ATTACH=full]868606[/ATTACH] The portraits of Marcus Aurelius when he was Caesar have always been amongst my favorites in the Roman series. They seem to not only capture his youthful good looks, but also the essence of a young philosopher's enthusiasm and idealism. When he later became emperor, the troubled times that he and the Empire faced seemed to really take their toll and etch the world and war-weariness into his portraits. This was my only win from January's Triton XXI sale of the Staffieri Collection coins of Roman Egypt. It was a tough auction and I was happy to score even one coin from it. [B]#8 JULIUS CAESAR. AR Denarius.[/B] Elephant trampling snake. [ATTACH=full]868607[/ATTACH] I'm sure my finally getting a Julius Caesar elephant denarius has nothing at all to do with [USER=84744]@Severus Alexander[/USER]'s [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/poll-24-22-panzerman-vs-27-severus-alexander-round-2-cit-2018.322139/']exemplary writeup[/URL] on the subject in this year's Coin Imperator Tournament, but I'm gonna blame him anyway. :D Seriously, he did call it "[I]a numismatic Darth Vader: the denarius that destroyed the Republic and sowed the seeds of Empire.[/I]" How could I not get myself one of those?? Anyway, mine has the elephant in the cute n' dumpy style. The previous collector's tag calls it "[I]the later more imitative style[/I]". Either way, it has really grown on me! [B]#7 IBERIA, Ebusus.[/B] [B]AE17.[/B] Bes, God of Good Times. Ex Stevex6 Collection. [ATTACH=full]868608[/ATTACH] One of my favorite stevex6 coins of all time. On the obverse is really the funniest ever depiction of a deity - we call him Captain Caveman here, but he was known back then as the Egyptian god Bes. The Phoenicians brought the cult of Bes to the western Mediterranean island of Ebusus when they colonized it in the mid 7th century BC. Bes was the god of feasting, dance, and carnal pleasure, and today at Ebusus (the present-day party island of Ibiza), his following clearly remains strong. This coin is not only one of the best examples of the type known, it really is for me the quintessential Stevex6 winner. As Steve would say... good times! :happy: [B]#6 ROMAN REPUBLIC. AR Denarius. [/B]M. Junius Brutus. Ex Michael Kelly Collection. [ATTACH=full]868611[/ATTACH] I ended up buying two of this same type this year. Rightfully, both of them ought to be in my year-end Top 20, but in deciding not to show duplicates on the list, I really just made my life difficult because I love both of them almost equally. Many will likely prefer the other one I bought, which isn't damaged and is in slightly better grade, but for me, the holes driven into this one just added a unique appeal to what was already (and still is) a beautiful coin of great historic value. [B]#5 CRETE, Knossos-Gortyna Alliance coinage. AE19.[/B] Labyrinth of Knossos. [ATTACH=full]868612[/ATTACH] The story of the Minotaur was a childhood favorite of mine, and scoring a coin of ancient Crete depicting the legendary Labyrinth of Knossos was always a long term goal. This example came from a Frank Robinson auction, where I e-mailed my bid to him exactly 22 minutes after he sent out the link to the catalogue. Having to wait the next 36 days to find out if I would be the winner was no fun, but the eventual victory sure was sweet. Next on my want list : a coin depicting the legendary [URL='https://www.cointalk.com/threads/gortyna-stater-bull-in-the-labyrinth.285907/#post-2559331']Labyrinth of Overlook[/URL]. :D [B]#4 ATTICA, Athens. AR Tetradrachm. [ATTACH=full]868613[/ATTACH] [/B] As the year was coming to an end, I decided I'd try to take advantage of the hoard of these currently out there to jump onto the ol' Athens Owl bandwagon. It's not that I never felt like a proper collector of Greek coins without one of them, but they're just so iconic and historically significant that I, uhm... never really felt like a proper collector of Greek coins without one of them? :shy: Ok, fine, why even try to deny it. And while I'm in a confessional mood - she just arrived today, she's stunning and plainly out of my league, and yes, she'll be sleeping next to me tonight... as I wear my cheap tourist t-shirt from Athens. :shame: [ATTACH=full]868614[/ATTACH] [B]#3 VALERIAN. PHOENICIA, Tyre. AE27.[/B] The Founding of Thebes by Cadmus. [ATTACH=full]868615[/ATTACH] I didn't know this rare type existed until I saw it come up in a CNG auction, and then I just really [B]really [/B]wanted it. The Provincial coins of Tyre have some of the most interesting reverses, drawing from the city's long history and fascinating myths. This one depicts the founding of Thebes by Cadmus, a prince of Tyre. Cadmus journeyed from Tyre to Greece in search of his sister, Europa, who had been abducted and taken to Crete by Zeus. On reaching Greece, he taught the Greeks writing and the alphabet, and later, also founded the city of Thebes. Going after this coin in the auction was absolutely nerve-wracking, because I knew that if I didn't win it, it might be years before I'd get another shot at the type. Thanks must go to [USER=56859]@TIF[/USER] and Clio for letting me get away with this one. :happy: [B]#2 LOKRIS, Opuntii. AR Stater. [/B]Demeter / Ajax the Lesser. [ATTACH=full]868616[/ATTACH] I wouldn't have won this coin except that I made the absent-minded mistake of coming up with a max bid for it in USD, and then entering the same figure in EUR without making the necessary adjustment for currency difference. After I received the coin, I decided it was a happy mistake. I really love the contrast of feminine beauty on the obverse and the masculine, martial pose of Ajax on the reverse. The artistic rendering of Demeter's head, the graceful proportions of Ajax's body, and the intricate details on the inside of his shield also really add to the coin's appeal for me. I won this coin in early March, and for almost 8 months, no other coin I bought came close to topping it as my favorite of the year, until the next one came along...[/QUOTE]
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