Curtisimo

I have been the recipient of many gifts from fellow forum friends over the years. I sometimes feel a bit self conscious and guilty at the level of pure selflessness and generosity that I have experienced from members here. Since @Qcumbor showed a gift I sent him I am happy to show one of Q’s generous gifts to me (I have several great coins to choose from). This type has a special significance and I was very pleased to receive it! 🙂 Next: Keep the gift train rolling!

Fantastic example Rob. Congratulations! For me, winning my Julius Caesar example was the most exciting of my 12 Caesars wins so far. Here is mine with the same portrait design as yours. 🙂 Roman Imperitorial Julius Caesar, 49-44 BC. AR Denarius (Lifetime Portrait), P. Sepullius Macer (moneyer), Rome mint, struck first half of March 44 BC (17 mm, 3.53 g, 4 h) Obv.: CAESAR [DIC]T PERPETVO Laureate and veiled head of Julius Caesar to right. Rev.: P•SEPVLLIVS - MACER Venus standing front, head lowered to left, holding Victory in her right hand and long scepter adorned with star in her left; to right, round shield set on the ground. Ref.: Babelon (Julia) 49 and (Sepullia) 4, Crawford 480/11, CRI 107b, RBW 1684, Sydenham 1072 Ex Seaby’s Coin & Medal Bulletin (January 1976), lot A51; Ex Seaby’s Coin & Medal Bulletin (December 1976), lot C541; Ex Münzhandlung Ritter Lagerliste no. 19, lot 327 (November 1983); Ex Collection formed in the Rhineland, Leu Numismatik Web Auction 24, lot 496 (Dec. 3, 2022)

Great coins all. Here are a few of my Diocletian examples that I find special for various reasons. The first one is a sole rule example, the argentius is one of my favorite Roman silver coins and the Follis was from the collection of our much missed forum friend Jamesicus. Roman Empire Diocletian, AD 284-305 AE Antoninianus, Rome mint, 6th officina, struck AD 285-286 (sole reign issue) Dia.: 24.73 mm Wt.: 3.55 g Obv.: IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG. Diocletian radiate bust right. Rev.: IOVI CONSER-VAT AVG. Jupiter standing holding thunder bolt and scepter. XXIZ below. Ref.: RIC V:II 161 Ex Dr. Walter Neussel Collection, aquired from Auktion GM 92, Lot 365 (Nov. 1998), Dr. Busseo Peus Nachf. Auktion 420, Lot 6051 (Nov. 2017) 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) Roman Empire Diocletian, AD 284-305 AE Follis, Lugdunum Mint, 1st officina, struck ca. AD 295 Dia.: 28 mm Wt.: 8.5 g Obv.: IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG; Laureate bust right Rev.: GENIO POP-VLI ROMANI: Genius standing left holding patera and cornucopia /LA in exergue Ref.: RIC VI 2a, Lugdunum Group I, Class II Ex James Pickering (Jamesicus) Collection with his hand written ticket; privately acquired in 2018

Beautiful car John!

I catalog my provenances from oldest to most recent. I try to be as standardized as possible with how I record them. Take the below example. Ex Howard Coppuck Levis Collection (1859-1935†), Ars Classica XI, lot 316 (June 18, 1925); Ex Walter F. Stoecklin Collection, Amriswil (1888-1975†), Obolos 9, lot 164 (March 25, 2018) If I have a collection name I start with that followed by the evidence for the coin being in that collection (usually a sale or auction). In the above example the first collection is “Howard Coppuck Levis Collection.” The Levis Collection was sold in Ars Classica XI so that auction is listed as the supporting evidence immediately after. Provenance items that should be read together are separated by a comma while items that should be read separately are separated by a semicolon. Note the semicolon to separate the Levis Collection information from the the Stoecklin Collection information. If I have life dates for the collector I list them after the collection name inside parentheses. The dagger symbol indicates the year of passing of the individual. I will sometimes include information on a collection such as the city it was formed in. In the above example I did this with the Stoecklin Collection which was formed in Amriswil. This can be useful when searching for further provenance. I put the date of the auction or sale in parentheses after the details of the sale. I use “Ex” to designate a former provenance. If I have a collection and a sale the “Ex” will come before the collection name. If I have only a sale, the “Ex” will come before the sale information.

Cool idea @Sulla80. It’s outside of your stated date range but the century I find most interesting is the 5th century BC. I am fascinated by the Persian Wars as well as the Peloponnesian Wars that bracket the century. I have several coins from this century that can contend for my favorite coin of the century. This is one such coin with a great provenance, a connection to the myth of Dionysus at Thebes and a Peloponnesian War issue to boot. BOEOTIA, Thebes AR Stater, struck ca. 425-400 BC (22 mm, 3h, 11.84 g) Obv.: Boeotian shield. Rev.: Θ-Ε Bearded head of Dionysos to right, wearing ivy wreath. Ref.: BCD Boiotia 438. An attractive, toned example. Ex Collection of Kommerzienrat Heinrich Otto Jr. (H Otto), Stuttgart (1856-1931†), Adolph Hess Nachf. (Luzern) Auktion 207, Lot 422 (Dec. 1, 1931); Ex W. F. Stoecklin Collection, Amriswil (1888-1975†), acquired from Münzen und Medaillen in Basel prior to 1975; Ex Obolos 8, lot 224 (Dec. 2, 2017)

Nice post @Roman Collector. Here is my relevant (possibly fouree?) Juno denarius.

I’ve been researching this coin’s provenance for a while but with no luck. I haven’t found any leads on the collection tag but in a conversation with Curtis JJ he mentioned it looks like an Italian collector tag. I’m still hopeful to find a provenance for it in an old catalog as I expand my library.

Excellent coin Connor! Congratulations. Here is my Faustina II. Roman Empire Faustina II, daughter of Antoninus Pius and wife of Marcus Aurelius AE Sestertius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 156 Dia.: 33mm Wt.: 26.11g Obv.: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA AVG PII F; Draped bust right Rev.: S-C; Diana standing left, holding bow and arrow Ref.: C 206; RIC A. Pius 1383; BMCRE 2194 Ex Naville Numismatics Auction 61, lot 449 (November 8, 2020), includes old collector tag.

What a wonderful collection of silver pieces @CassiusMarcus. Back when I was putting together my Top 10 way back in 2017, I made a collage photo of my top coins for the year. The collage was partially inspired by the thought of finding the coins hidden in an ancient container.

Absolutely beautiful @Andrew McCabe! I’m definitely looking forward to this thread. I also can’t resist posting my own Octavian denarius with a provenance. Ex Achille Cantoni Collection (1844-1914†), P. & P. Santamaria, lot 207 (November 29, 1920); Ex Walter Niggeler Collection (1878-1964†), Munzen und Medaillen AG & Bank Leu AG, Sammlung Walter Niggeler 2 Teil, lot 1014 (October 21, 1966); Ex Marc Poncin Collection, CNG Mail Bid Sale 72, lot 1357 (June 14, 2006)

I have these types of conversations with a few members pretty regularly (though sometimes with quiet periods). This includes some members that don’t post on the open forum very much anymore. Feel free to PM me anytime you want to chat about random coin things or to discuss targets. Cheers, Curtis

Great example @ambr0zie! Congrats on marking off a great historic type. Here is mine: Satraps of Caria Maussolos AR Tetradrachm, Halikarnassus mint, struck ca. 377 - 352 BC Dia.: 23 mm Wt.: 15.06 g Obv.: Laureate head of Apollo facing three-quarters right Rev.: MAYΣΣΩΛΛO, Zeus Labraundos standing right Ref.: BMC 1 var; SNG Von Aulock 2359 var.; Traité II, 91 Ex Roma Auction II, lot 302 (Oct. 2, 2011)

Wonderful coin Connor and congratulations on the truly awesome discovery! You are on a roll with great additions lately. Several of my Commodus coins have special provenances. I posted about my newest provenance discovery here. This coin is special because it came from the collection of my friend Jamesicus who passed away and is still very missed. Roman Empire Commodus (AD 177-192) AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 187 Dia.: 18 mm Wt.: 2.77 g Obv.: M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT; Laureate bust right Rev.: AVCT PIET P M TR P XII IMP VIII COS V P P; Pietas standing left, sacrificing over altar with incense and patera, holding box. Ref.: RIC III 146, scarce Ex James Pickering Collection of Britannic Coinage; AMCC 1, lot 158 (Dec. 1, 2018) This coin is begging for more research. It was purchased in the 1960s from Prof. Luigi De Nicola. I suspect it is published in one of his fixed price lists but I currently don’t have access to any of his lists and I have not come across any for sale. Some day I’ll find it though. Roman Empire Commodus (AD 177-192) AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 192 Dia.: 17 mm Wt.: 2.66 g Obv.: L AEL AVREL COMMA VG P FEL; Commodus bust right wearing lion skin on head. Rev.: HER-CVL RO-MAN AV-GV; Club in wreath Ref.: RIC III 251, Scarce Ex W.F. Stoeckin Collection, Amriswil (1888-1975†), acquired in the 1960s from Prof. Luigi De Nicola (Rome), Obolos 9, lot 329 (March 25, 2018)

That is a wonderful set @lordmarcovan! The Aureii are nice cherries on top. I’m 50% complete with my 12 Caesars in imperial silver collection. I’ve been waiting for specific reverse types on most of the 6 I don’t have. I suspect Claudius will be my most difficult and expensive. The ones I still need are: Tiberius, Claudius, Otho, Vitellius, Vespasian and Domitian. I need to take some time and photograph my two newest but here is my JC: Roman Imperitorial Julius Caesar, 49-44 BC. AR Denarius (Lifetime Portrait), P. Sepullius Macer (moneyer), Rome mint, struck first half of March 44 BC (17 mm, 3.53 g, 4 h) Obv.: CAESAR [DIC]T PERPETVO Laureate and veiled head of Julius Caesar to right. Rev.: P•SEPVLLIVS - MACER Venus standing front, head lowered to left, holding Victory in her right hand and long scepter adorned with star in her left; to right, round shield set on the ground. Ref.: Babelon (Julia) 49 and (Sepullia) 4, Crawford 480/11, CRI 107b, RBW 1684, Sydenham 1072 Ex Seaby’s Coin & Medal Bulletin (January 1976), lot A51; Ex Seaby’s Coin & Medal Bulletin (December 1976), lot C541; Ex Münzhandlung Ritter Lagerliste no. 19, lot 327 (November 1983); Ex Collection formed in the Rhineland, Leu Numismatik Web Auction 24, lot 496 (Dec. 3, 2022) Congrats on a great addition to your collection, Rob.