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When I started I wanted to have a "Representative collection of RR coins". That would need some of all denominations and periods, but not every rare coin - the really rare coins probably weren't encountered too often even by the Romans, so no need to collect them 😄. I'm not there yet - probably need one or two of the later aurei and a few more earlier aes grave coins and currency bars, but it is achievable in a couple of years. I'd like to get every type - say, taking Crawford as a reference - but that will be impossible as there are maybe forty unique types and many more which are extremely rare and/or expensive, so I will never complete that. I'm interested in knowing when others have decided that their collection is complete and what they did then! I have most of the common/inexpensive types so at some point it will get to the stage where I can only add a few coins a year - maybe the fun in the chase will be all the more then or maybe I'll get frustrated, I don't know 😄 Congrats on your litra! It reminds me that I have at least two of those not on Tantalus. ATB, Aidan.

I see that the number of Roman Republican + Imperatorial coins I have on Tantalus has reached 1000! This number isn't exactly the number of coins I have, as some are not on Tantalus and I've given away 1, but it's near enough and I figured I'd reach 1000 by the end of the year. On Tantalus, this is coin 999 (coin 1000 was posted already in a "Latest coin" thread): Gens: Anonymous - L-T Coin: Bronze Sextans L - Head of Minerva right, wearing Corinthian helmet; below, two pellets T - The Dioscuri galloping right Exergue: ROMA Mint: Near Herdonia (213 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 10.09g / 24mm / 10h References: Sydenham 134 Crawford 98A/6 RBW 435 Provenances: Ex. Andrew McCabe Collection Ex. Gibboni Collection, Munzen & Medaillen, Auction 19, 16-May-2006, lot 598 Ex. Heracles Fixed Price List, Dec. 2003 Acquisition: Roma Numismatics Online auction Auction XXIX #320 9-Nov-2023 I'm not sure how many more RR coins I can add - I guesstimated it would take 20 years to get reasonably close to completing the collection and that was 5 years ago. So, another 15 years and likely adding fewer coins per year, but scarcer/more expensive ones? Maybe upgrade a lot of examples of common coins which are available in better condition than the examples I have? Start side collections in different symbols on coins? Will I ever be able to add Eid Mar denarius and other rare/expensive types? Anyway, here's to the next 1000. ATB, Aidan.

Ruler: Faustina II (Augusta) Coin: Brass Sestertius FAVSTINA AVGVSTA - Diademed draped bust right MATRI MAGNAE - Cybele, holding drum, seated right between two lions Mint: Rome Wt./Size/Axis: 23.20g / 29mm / 0h Rarity: S References: RIC 1663 (Marcus Aurelius) Cohen 169 Acquisition: London Ancient Coins Dea Moneta LAC 5 #119 (part) 29-Sep-2011 Next - Faustina II

Gens: Cornelia Moneyer: L. Cornelius Lentulus Coin: Silver Denarius L·LENT·C·MARC COS - Head of Apollo right Q - Jupiter standing facing, holding thunderbolt in right hand and eagle in left hand; on left, star; on right, altar decorated with garland Mint: Illyricum (49 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 4.09g / - / - References: RSC 65 (Cornelia) Sydenham 1030 Crawford 445/2 HCRI 5 RBW 1563 Provenances: Ex. NAC 52, October 2009, lot 264 Acquisition: Varesi Online auction #169 20-Sep-2020 Too slow - next lions (plural)

I just listened to More Than This about 20 minutes ago on Spotify 🙂

Two we've lost this year - duet from 1995... And quite a few years later from Shane's 60th birthday bash. A random coin picked because it has two heads on it. Gens: Cordia Moneyer: Mn. Cordius Rufus Coin: Silver Denarius RVFVS III VIR - Jugate heads of the Dioscuri right, wearing laureate pilei MN CORDIVS - Venus standing left, holding scales and sceptre; on her shoulder, Cupid Mint: Rome (46 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 4.03g / 20mm / - References: RSC 2 (Cordia) Sydenham 976 Crawford 463/1b HCRI 63 RBW 1606 Acquisition: Naville Numismatics Online auction NN Live 74 #370 19-Jun-2022 ATB, Aidan.

Ruler: Timoleon Third Democracy State, City: Sicily, Syracuse Coin: Gold Hemidrachm ZEYΣ EΛEYΘEPIOΣ - Laureate head of Zeus left ΣYPAKOΣIΩN - Pegasus flying left, A in left field, three pellets beneath Mint: Syracuse (344-335 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 2.10g / 12mm / 0h References: SNG ANS 493 HGC 2, 1284 Acquisition: Gitbud & Naumann Online Auction Pecunem 5 #32 7-Jul-2013 This photo' was quite blurred so I ran it through the Topaz Sharpen AI - it's sharper, but I should just take new photos. Next - Pegasus

Here I have four dolphins State, City: Sicily, Entella Coin: Silver Tetradrachm - Wreathed head of Arethousa left; four dolphins around - Head of horse left; palm tree to right, [‘]MMḤNT (in Punic) below Mint: Entella (ca. 320/15-300 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 16.78g / 26mm / 11h References: Jenkins, Punic, Series 3a CNP 267 HGC 2, 284 Provenances: Ex. CGB Live Auction June 2021, lot 19 Acquisition: CNG Online auction Triton XXV Session V #5015 25-Jan-2022 Next - Sicily.

I bought a lot of three of these and have picked up a couple more since. Gens: Anonymous Coin: Bronze Sextans - Head of Mercury right, wearing winged petasus; • • above ROMA - Prow of galley right; •• below Mint: Sicilian Mint (ca. 211-208 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 2.78g / 17mm / 7h References: Sydenham 310d var Crawford 69/6 var Provenances: Ex. Andrew McCabe Collection Ex. RBW Collection 2013 Acquisition: CNG Online auction E-Sale 432 #211 (part) 14-Nov-2018 Notes: Jun 6, 20 - This is a Second Punic War overstrike; this is an anonymous type. The standard references refer to a type with corn-ear and KA symbol. The obverse shows a bent horse’s leg and is likely a bronze assigned to the mint of Carthage of similar Tanit/Horse type, but with a bent foreleg. These anonymous types probably represent a different mint location in Sicily than the corn-ear and KA types. [Andrew McCabe] Next - another fraction of an as.

And it won't even be fake provenance 😄 ATB, Aidan.

Yes! I like this book and have a couple of coins from the collection. I gave a short talk on the book and its writer, Admiral Smyth, a few months back at the Numismatic Society of Ireland - we had a night where a few of us talked about our favourite books. Smyth was an interesting character - Admiral Smyth - and did a lot of things besides numismatics. As @Phil Davis says in his paper about Erato vs Terpsichore on the Pomponia Musa denarii, Smyth correctly identified Erato long before others decided on a convoluted scheme that made Erato very rare and mis-identified many coins as depicting Terpsichore. The Northumberland collection was sold by Sotheby's in the 1980s. This is one of the coins I have from the collection - I already had a better example of this coin, but not from an old collection, so bought it. Gens: Pinaria Moneyer: Pinarius Natta Coin: Silver Denarius X - Helmeted head of Roma right NATTA - Victory in biga right Exergue: ROMA Mint: Rome (149 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.40g / 18mm / 9h References: RSC 1 (Pinaria) Sydenham 390 Crawford 208/1 Smyth p. 167 #45 (this coin) Provenances: Ex. Noble Sale 107A, lot 3573 Ex. Colin Pitchfork Collection Ex. Sotheby's 4-Nov-1982, lot 232 Ex. Duke of Northumberland Collection Acquisition: Del Parker NYINC Bourse 11-Jan-2019 ATB, Aidan.

It's probably an AE4 , or possibly a Byzantine, as CPK says above. A very useful site for identifying late Roman coins is Tesorillo - there are a few possibilities for coins with crosses on the reverse: Tesorillo - crosses It looks somewhat like a woman on the obverse, which might be Galla Placidia, according to Tesorillo. It's a pity there's no readable legend. ATB, Aidan.

I picked up a few coins in London last week from Roma - here are two of them. The first was in an earlier Roma sale as well, but I suppose it didn't sell. Moneyer: L. Flaminius Chilo Coin: Silver Denarius IIII•VIR / PRI•[FL] - Diademed head of Venus right L•FLAM[INI?] - Victory in biga, right, holding palm-branch and reins in left hand and whip in right hand Exergue: [CHILO] Mint: Rome (43 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.88g / 19mm / 2h References: RSC 2-2a (Flaminia) Sydenham 1088 Crawford 485/2 RBW 1700 HCRI 171 Provenances: Ex. Collection of a Hanseatic Romanophile, Kuenker, Auction 347, 22-Mar-2021, lot 931 Ex. Kuenker, Auction 143, 6-Oct-2008, lot 421 Acquisition: Roma Numismatics Online auction Auction XXIX #415 9-Nov-2023 And a rare uncia - I think this is my most expensive RR bronze and it's not exactly eye candy: Gens: Anonymous - Anchor Coin: Bronze Uncia - Helmeted head of Roma right; pellet behind ROMA - Prow of galley right; pellet above; anchor before Mint: Rome (ca. 169-158 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 4.40g / 18mm / 9h References: Sydenham 238e Crawford 194/6 RBW 836 (this coin) Provenances: Ex. Andrew McCabe Collection Ex. RBW Collection, NAC Auction 61, 5-Oct-2011, lot 832 Acquisition: Roma Numismatics Online auction Auction XXIX #331 9-Nov-2023 ATB, Aidan.

I've often inadvertently bought a second or third example of something by accident. This was the main reason I started cataloguing my collection a bit better. I think my best multiple buying achievement was 3 years ago, when on 17th September, 27th September and 7th October 2020 I managed to buy 3 examples of Cr. 244/1 in different auctions. I looked at what I had and had thrown in bids well in advance on three auctions because I didn't already have an example. I realised later on that I was bidding on the same coin and as always in such cases won all three. From H.D. Rauch, 17th September From Naville, 27th September From NAC, 7th October The NAC coin is by far the nicest and maybe someday I'll sell the others. Moneyer: C. Aburius Geminus Coin: Silver Denarius GEM - Helmeted head of Roma right C. ABVRI - Mars in quadriga right, holding spear, shield, trophy and reins Exergue: ROMA Mint: Rome (ca. 134 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.89g / 19mm / 1h References: RSC 1 (Aburia) Sydenham 490 Crawford 244/1 RBW 1006 Provenances: Ex. Kuenker Sale 193, lot 364, 26-Sep-2011 Acquisition: Numismatica Ars Classica Online auction Auction 120 #514 7-Oct-2020 Yours in duplication, Aidan.

Ah - are you the author? I've bought the first three. Must get this too. ATB, Aidan.

Very nice. I bid at Oslo Myntgalleri for the first time in that auction and won something as well - a bronze uncia, so not so spectacular 😄 Still, a coin I didn't have already: Cr. 315/1 - the last uncia in Crawford. ATB, Aidan.

Gens: Naevia Moneyer: C. Naevius Balbus Coin: Silver Denarius S·C - Head of Venus, right, wearing diadem X (Control mark)/ C·NA͡E·BA͡LB (exergue) - Victory in triga, right, holding reins in both hand Mint: Rome (79 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.69g / 20mm / 5h References: RSC 6 (Naevia) Sydenham 769b Crawford 382/1b Acquisition: Keith Candiotti Coin Fair NYINC 2023 15-Jan-2023 Next - Victory

Moneyer: T. Carisius Coin: Silver Sestertius - Diademed bust of Diana right, bow and quiver over shoulder T. CAR - Hound running right Mint: Rome (46 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 0.95g / 10mm / 10h References: RSC 7 (Carisia) Sydenham 989 Crawford 464/8a HCRI 76 RBW 1621 Provenances: Ex. Gemini Sale X, 2013, lot 227 Ex. Randy Haviland Collection Acquisition NAC Online auction Spring Sale 2020 #660 25-May-2020 Typing on my 'phone and unable to format the above properly. Oh well! Next - another sestertius.

Yeah - if I could combine it with the bull reverse, I'd have a winner 😄 ATB, Aidan.

I like Augustus coins, to the extent that I overpost them here 😄 Here are some again! The original Tribute Penny - RIC 220 (Augustus): My favourite bull, pity about the obverse... RIC 155: Caius on horseback on the reverse - RIC 199: ATB, Aidan.

This is my favourite coin. I'd seen it on Spink's website and they had it at a fair so I ran out, got some cash and bought it 🙂 State, City: Sicily, Syracuse Coin: Silver Tetradrachm - Quadriga left, charioteer crowned by Nike flying right ΣΥΡΑ... - Arethusa left, 4 dolphins around Wt./Size/Axis: 0.00g / - / - References: Tudeer 82 SNG ANS 290 Provenances: Spink Acquisition: London Coin Fair 10-Nov-2007 The photos don't do it justice - too blurred or bad lighting. Interesting to see favourites! ATB, Aidan.

Here's something that goes with the coin, sort-of 😄 Fatima Mansions and 13th Century Boy: And... a 13th century coin. I have a halfpenny, but can't locate it or even a photo' of it, so this penny will have to do. Ruler: Edward I Coin: Silver Penny EDWR ANGL DNS hYB - Crowned bust in triangle, single pellet below bust; small lettering CIVITAS DVBLINIE - Long cross, pellets in angles; large lettering Mint: Dublin (ca 1279-1302) Wt./Size/Axis: 1.10g / - / - References: Spink 6251 Acquisition/: budgies-beak eBay 2-Apr-2013 ATB, Aidan.

This is my avatar photo' in full: Just a 'phone camera photo' from a few years ago (August 2016, it appears). The coin itself (denarius of Augustus - RIC 252) has some scratches which are more obvious in better photos, but it looks nice in this. I picked it to be the avatar as I thought it looked like me, at least when I was younger 😄 Augustus was fairly ageless in his coins, so I can be too 🙂 Ruler: Augustus (Augustus) Coin: Silver Denarius - Bare head right CAESAR DIVI F - Pax standing left, holding branch and cornucopiae Mint: Rome (32-29 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 3.80g / 16.7mm / 9h References: RIC 252 RSC 69 BMC 605 Acquisition: Numismatica Tintinna Online Auction Asta Elettronica 25 #3001 23-Feb-2013 I should take better photos, but here are photos from 2013: As a by-the-way, I see that Tintinna is having its final auction next month - Massimo is retiring from the business. Next - the avatar thing may be fizzling out, but maybe one more?

This is the remaining Cr 428 coin - Cr. 428/2 ATB, Aidan.

Here's a tetrobol. State, City: Troas, Gargara Coin: Silver Tetrobol - Laureate head of Apollo right ΓΑΡΓ - Bull grazing left Mint: (350 BC) Wt./Size/Axis: 2.83g / - / - References: SG4088 Acquisition: agoracoins eBay 12-Mar-2005 Next - an animal of the bovine persuasion.