Limes

Here's one of my latest additions, and I'll show another next.

This one probably wont end up in my 2023 list - provided two coins that have been stuck in DHL purgatory since December 2, ultimately will show up in my mailbox... 

Its a neatly toned denarius of Manlius Torquatus for Sulla, struck during one of the many, many, many military campaigns at that time. The flan is quite small, 16 mm, and on the reverse some of the devices are not on the flan. Nevertheless, the 'SVLLA' is legible, which is a 'must' for me. The devices that are present on the coin are well struck, with lots of detail remaining. In all: a perfect coin for my collection 🙂

Simply fantastic coins, all of them. Thanks for sharing the list. Have a great 2024. 

Something very different from my collecting preferences, and I don't see these types posted here often. I never heard of gilded quadrantes! Hard to pick favorites, they are all very interesting coins and appealing, thanks for posting this list. By the way, the reverse of your no. 5 looks a bit corroded, is it active? (Hope not of course!)

Now those are some quality coins, congratulations! I really like the cistophorus, but also that Geta provincial is really impressive. Have a great 2024! 

Impressive set up. I vote for Gecko no. 3!😁  And such a nice thing of @ominus1 sending you the coin. Wishing you a great 2024!

Great coins! Im going against popular opinion here, but I like your no. 3 the most. I got a coin this year, with the Milvian Bridge on the reverse. I like the history behind it, its a big turning point in Roman history perhaps. But I did not know your coin even exists, and is a direct reference to the battle, and even more specifically, the soldiers fighting in it. A good find, and it shows your knowledge about issues of Constantine. Well done! And an absolutely fantastic piece of history! 

Great coins! Invited for the Vitellius, Trajan cistophorus and the Severus Restitutie Urbis. And the portrait on your other Severus is fantastic too. Have a great 2024!

Great list again @panzerman, all are fantastic coins. But that last one really stands out. 

Great coins! I voted for the nice looking Decentius and Aurelian. But my favorite is your no 3. Good portrait and cool bust. Flan and toning appear similar to your no 9. Same source?

Just my two cents, and there s something the be said from all different perspectives. And in not picking sides here or whatever.

First, agreed that Leu could have done better perhaps, just dont see how this could have increased the hammer price of your coins significantly. Second, leu offers thousands of coins in all their auctions. They have done this many times. So why conseign there? Third, how did the communication go.before consignment? I have asked questions to auction houses, on how they would offer a coin, in a group lot or not, and so on. Then made a decision. Or did they give you different information? Fourth, buying common coins at Leu does not make sense to me, as a buyer. Maybe as a bonus coin, added to another purchase, but not more the that. The fees are simply to high. So Id think, that if you want to attract buyers to more, sort of, common coins, a different auctioneer makes.more sense to me. 

I know a lot of sellers on e.g. MA shop get their coins on offer from auctions. You do too. Thats fine of course, and I also make use of it, if I missed something at an auction. But what I dont like, as @kirispupis mentions, is sellers buying coins only to offer them at a much higher price. Like your Nero sesterius, I can easy look up the price you got it at, and see for how much you now offer it. Its your choice, but as a buyer I avoid your offers because to me its not a fair market price. But thats my choice, and you will have hopefully a lot of customers of course.

Edit: its the Nero with the arc reverse, portrait to the left by the way. 

And overall, no hard feelings!

All fantastic coins @Romancollector, congratulations. But for me, that Nero is my favorite. A mesmerizing coin. Fantastic portrait, although it's the reverse that really gets me going! Have a great 2024! 

Wow, that's a good number of resolutionss @kirispupis! Quite ambitious and I wish you all the best with accomplihing them. I also like reading other members' resolutions, including the "I wish to spend less money on coins". Good resolutions, untill the next auction arrives, or the favorite sellers list: "oh thats a nice coin, I'll guess I'll buy it then..." I've been absolutely guilty about that too 🤣

But on a serious note, last years has been a difficult year health wise. Next year I will cut down on my working hours, and undergo additional healthcare. So less income, which makes spending less on coins a fact in stead of a resolution, I'm afraid. I have no idea how 2024 will look like in that sense, I'll see. 

Digital high five, well done! A Galba is always a good score, and your spouse is the best!

You've got some very, very interesting and cool issues by the way, even though they're not high grade they're really nice. Not only that Augustus denarius, but I also really like your Domitian Minerva victrix. Not something you see every day. 

This is my first Galba. Not best of grade, but the reverse is what attracted me to it. 2019 knew pre-corona prices for coins. Those were the better days... 

Fantastic coins @DonnaML, congratulations! I lts difficult to pick favorites. The Hadrian Nilvs reverse is fantastic. I also really like the coin of Julia Domna, and the AE As of Antoninus Pius. Have a great 2024! 

Read this is the paper. Very strange ruling, although I dont know all the inns and outs of the case, I cant see this happening here (hopefully, then again, one never knows...). A dealer is regarded to be a professional, acting with more information and knowledge about historical objects than private citizens. Hence he has an obligation to provide information, which private citizens dont have access to. But as I read it, the couple should have gained information about the value. How? Go to an antiques dealer, they did! Or do people in France all have expert knowledge about artefacts (or anything else) and extensive libraries? And knowing something about an object is not the same as knowing the value! My conclusion: that dealer is an ass, and offering merely 300.000 is just bad. 

9 hours ago, Ocatarinetabellatchitchix said:

Let’s not talk about a mask and the poor couple for two minutes…

SURVEY FOR THE MEMBERS: and what if you’d see a very very rare and precious coin for sale (let’s say in a yard sale), definitely the seller doesn’t know the treasure he has in hands, what would you do ??? Be honest please !

Well, be honest, always. I dont want to live with money that I gained in a dishonest manner. Talk to the person about it, is step one. 

9 hours ago, Heliodromus said:

Is the yard sale in France ?

 

Hopefully so. Apparently its ok there, to play dumb and get rich from it. 

On 5/26/2023 at 10:48 AM, maridvnvm said:

I must admit that I really dislike the concept of tooling coins. A tooled coin is a coin where details on a coin have been "enhanced" by an engraver in modern times. The act of tooling is not related to the preservation of the coin but is a simple attempt to increase the appeal of a coin by engraving details on the coin to apparently increase the grade by "enhancing" these details.

I would never knowingly buy a tooled coin.

I spotted this Sestertius of Trajan recently whilst browsing an auction and thought that the style was "off".

Looking at the auction description they declare the tooling. "Details on this type were tooled with meticulous care." but then go on to grade the coin as "Exremely Fine" (sic).

The question that always crosses my mind in these cases is "How much if that detail is real?"

I am not very familiar with the type and thought it a worthwhile exercise to look at untooled examples to get an idea of what it should look like as a bit of self education. As part of this exercise I stumbled across the following, which I believe to be the "host" or "before tooling" example of the coin. I come to this conclusion by the congruence of much of the underlying die and flan shape.

This makes it much easier to determine what detail is "enhanced".

I must admit that I prefer the "before" coin but then that's me.... Which do you prefer? Do you knowingly buy tooled coins? How happy are you with such "enhancements" having seen the before and after? 

Martin

Can someone tool my upper body too? I want a package like Tiber is carrying! 🤣

And that second indeed seems like the original coin, good find Martin. Its a shame someone ruined the coin like that. 

8 hours ago, Prieure de Sion said:

Oh - that's what happens when you're not a native English speaker 😉 ... but ok, maybe it wasn't for nothing - maybe it shows one or the other reader that trading as a main job is a very hard job (I'm glad it's only my hobby).
 
But as a restorer - yes - maybe you should give it a try. But be careful that nothing like this happens in the end 😄 

 

I remember when this came in the news. Sad, and hilarious at the same time.

The elderly women who did it had not bad intentions, and was "misguided". Would these words also apply to some of the people tooling ancient coins...? "Sorry, it got out of hand, but there was no bad intention..."

5 hours ago, Ricardo123 said:

And thank you for insulting a member here , calling his purchase a « piece of junk ». Just hoping for you simon w is not simon wieland. Respect 

Who?

Fantastic coins @Amarmur. That Nero dupondius is a beauty, but I also really like the Marcus Aurelius denarius, and that Juba I denarius. Really interesting, good looking coins overall.

Have a great 2024!

Thats a great coin, very nice portrait! Below is my only Aelius coin. 

11 hours ago, Phil Davis said:

Sorry! But all's not lost. Just redefine the risotto as sizzling rice and call it a new approach to fusion cuisine!

Thanks for the suggestion. Fusion cuisine might be a bit too experimental for the kids, but stating I added some macaroni may help next time 😉

Great additions @ambr0zie, and completely to my liking 😁 I voted for the Faustina sestertius. Great portrait, lovely reverse, and fantastic patina!

You had a great year, @Roman Collector! Thanks for all the fridy write ups, I dont reply often, because I only have one coin of Faustina the elder, but I enjoy reading it. 

I think my favorite is your no. 8. Fantastic reverse, and generally those draw my attention so to say. 

I got this coin this year. I must admit, not because it's a Faustina, but because of the temple on the reverse. 😥

Fantastic additions! Your list made me burn my risotto, I could not stop looking... i really like your no. 9, it's just so crips, fresh, the details are fantastic. Also, the portrait of Mark Antony on your no 5 is very impressive. Guess these are my favorites. 

Of course I had to vote for the Leeuwendaalder 🙂 Great list. Second coin I voted for was the Philippus denarius, with the arched aquaduct reverse. I got the same type this year too!