Curtisimo

I’ve been enjoying these colorization threads. Very interesting and creative. My favorite is the top left. The figures really stand out and the colorization highlights details of the coin (very nice coin btw). I especially like how you used details from an actual crater to colorize the tiny crater (is it Herakles fighting the hydra, correct?). Very cool!

🙂 Just to clarify. I own both coins. I am just having a little fun while trying to decide which will be my representative example in my Nerva-Antonine sub collection. 🙂

This is really interesting. I love that the votes are currently at a deadlock. Like I said, I have these coins ranked about neck and neck in terms of which I like best. I enjoy hearing the opinions of other collectors on things like this. There are a lot of collectors who I admire that have posted their opinion so far. Thank you all. Great fun! I think it would be interesting to see more threads like this where people post two coins from their collection that they consider close in desirability and see how the board votes.

I’ve been putting together some digital trays of a few sub-collections I have been working on recently. This exercise has forced me to consider which of my coins is my current representative example for that sub-collection (in this case my Nerva-Antonine Collection). These two A-Pi denarii are close enough in my estimation that I had to think about it. That made me curious as to how the board might rank them. 1 Temple of Divus Augustus This coin shows the Temple of Divus Augustus that was built after his death on the site of his boyhood home. Caligula is said to have finished the temple and also to have erected a bridge over it between the Palatine and Capitoline hills. This coin commemorates Antoninus Pius’s restoration of the temple during his reign. It is an interesting architecture type from an emperor who did not have all that many interesting types. It has nice toning. Roman Empire Antoninus Pius 138-161. AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 158-159 (3.32 g, 17mm) Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXII. Laureate bust to the right. Rev.: AED DIVI AVG REST, in section COS IIII. Octastyle temple (Temple of Divus Augustus) with the statues of Divus Augustus and Livia. Ref.: RIC 284 Ex ROMA ÆTERNA Collection (chinamul), coin posted on numismatikforum in 2009, Gut-Lynt Auction 13 Part II, lot 1583 (October 1, 2023) 2 Pretty Purple Pius I’ve had this coin for many years and I’ve always really liked it. The reverse type is not as interesting as coin no. 1 but the eye appeal in hand is pretty great. The portrait is better in my opinion and it has a wonderful purple color. In hand it takes the eye appeal category for sure. Roman Empire Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161 AR Denarius, Rome mint, Struck ca. AD 140-143 Wt.: 3.01 g Dia.: 17 mm, 6h Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P COS III; Laureate head right Rev.: AEQVITAS AVG; Aequitas standing left, holding scales and sceptre Ref.: RIC III 61; RSC 14 Ex CNG E-auction 394, lot 478 (March 29, 2017) So what do you think? Which do you like better? I’d love to hear your opinions.

Beautiful coin @lordmarcovan! Congratulations!

This is true but all you need is maybe 1 out of 100 on long shots bids to make it fun. I’ve been surprised a few times. Plus I lose the vast majority of my bids in auctions anyway so getting “clio’d” doesn’t really bother me anymore. 🙂

Yes it was an interesting morning. I had a few I was watching but I went strong on these two (some of my first big bids in a long while) and got rolled on both. Noonan’s has not been kind to me this last week.

Really great coin and write up Connor! The portrait, especially, is quite nice!

Woo hoo Trajan party!

I’d like to think… … but let’s be honest. 🥳🤣

Fantastic! I love the old provenance too. A lion quadriga seem so over-the-top Romans showing off. 🙂

Wow! Amazing coin. One of these is high on my list but I’ve struck out the few times I’ve bid on one.

I think pretty much every ancient coin fits the bill for telling a story. Most of the imagery on them was designed to do exactly that. Here are a few that I think tell a particularly interesting story and are not at all expensive. The First Denarius This coin was among the first issues of the denarius. Based on historical accounts and metallurgical analysis, these first denarii were most likely struck with looted silver taken from the sacks of Syracuse and Capua during the Second Punic War. This coin was struck to pay the legionaries fighting Hannibal. Roman Republic Second Punic War (218 – 201 BC) Anonymous AR Denarius, Rome Mint, struck ca. 211 BC Wt.: 4.2 g Dia.: 20 mm Obv.: Helmeted head of Roma right. X in left field Rev.: Dioscuri galloping right. ROMA in exergue and partially incuse on raised tablet Ref.: Crawford 44/5 Brinkman Group 5. Sydenham 167. RBW 169. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica Auction 100, Part II, Lot 1368 (May 30, 2017) The First Jewish Coin This is the first coin struck by an independent Jewish state in its own name. The design is notable for respecting the prohibition against graven images. I wrote about this coin here. Hasmonean Dynasty of Judea John Hyrcanus I, 134-104 BC AE Prutah, Jerusalem mint, struck ca. 129-122 BC Wt.: 1.82 g Dia.: 15 mm Obv.: Paleo-Hebrew inscription in wreath; Greek letter alpha above Rev.: Double cornucopia with a pomegranate between horns Ref.: Hendin 1132 Ex E. Montgomery Collection, privately purchased on March 9, 2017 The First Jewish Revolt Another Judaean coin. This one was struck in Jerusalem during the second year of the Jewish revolt and proclaims “Freedom of Zion.” However, just a few years later Vespasian and Titus would oversee the suppression of the revolt and the destruction of the Second Temple. Judaea First Jewish War AE Prutah, Jerusalem mint, struck ca. AD 67/8 Wt.: 2.13 g Dia.: 16 mm Obv.: Amphora; Paleo-Hebrew inscription: "Year Two" Rev.: Vine leaf; Paleo-Hebrew inscription: "Freedom of Zion" Ref.: Hendin 1360 Ex Tareq Hani Collection

Link: Diocletian Roman Empire Diocletian (AD 284-305) AR Argenteus, Ticinum mint, struck ca. AD 294 (20 mm, 2.92 g) Obv.: DIOCLETI-ANVS AVG; Laureate bust right Rev.: VIRTVS MILITVM; Tetrarchs sacrificing in front of fort with 6 turrents Ref.: RIC VI 14a Ex Naville Numismatics Auction 40, lot 782 (May 27, 2018)

Link: FEL TEMP REPARATIO Roman Empire Constantius II AE Centenionalis, Heraclea mint, struck ca. AD 350-355 Dia.: 22.5 mm Wt.: 5.3 g Obv.: DN CONSTAN-TIVS PF AVG; Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev.: FEL TEMP RE-PARATIO; Γ in left field, SMH (?) in exergue; Helmeted soldier spearing fallen horseman who is reaching back. Hair in braids, no beard. Plain shields. Ref.: RIC 82 Heraclea (?) Purchased from Minotaur Coins on February 6, 2021