Amarmur

8 minutes ago, CPK said:

I've done this too many times. And I suspect I've done it again - last night I bid on a coin that I probably shouldn't have, I think it might be a fake, but I'm not sure. If it's genuine it will be a great acquisition. Oh well, I didn't bid all that much.

Here's my own "why exactly did I buy that?" coin I won a little while ago in an auction. I bought it for the interesting reverse type, but since I've been trying to sell off superfluous coins this one will probably go soon:

TRAJAN, AD 98-117
AR Denarius (19.21mm, 3.09g, 6h)
Struck AD 113. Rome mint
Obverse: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P, laureate head of Trajan right, slight drapery on far shoulder
Reverse: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI, Annona standing facing, head left, holding corn ears and cornucopiae; child standing left at feet, ALIM ITAL in exergue
References: OCRE II 243, RCV 3117.
Lightly toned with good detail.
"The alimenta was a scheme under which needy children were provided support through the investment in agriculture of funds donated by wealthy philanthropists (including the emperors Nerva and Trajan)."
- David R. Sear (Roman Coins and Their Values, Vol II, p.95)

Trajan denarii sell well. So selling it won't be an issue unless it's fake (it looks genuine to me). I bought some Greek bronzes which aren't super liquid. Yes, cool to own but selling them isn't easy unless they are from a famous city state like Athens, Thebes, Syracuse. I semi-regret buying some Greek bronzes because they just don't fit anywhere for me right now and collecting every city state is absurd and nearly impossible. I have a few I need to get rid of and don't mind selling cheaply. Worst part of regret buys is buying something that's not liquid, difficult to sell, rare but ugly, super niche, and just isn't interesting enough to keep.

I had some impulse bad buys before. Sometimes you buy a coin at auction thinking oh I'll get it because it's a good deal or it's mislabeled. Next thing you know you don't want it and it has no place in your collection. Like this Spanish Netherlands 3 Stuviers (not Roman) but I just think it's boring. It was cheap but I don't need it now I have to figure out how to sell it or otherwise it will sit in my drawer for an eternity. 

69/70 AD Vespasian Tetradrachm I got from @CPK 

Its really lovely it has an Egyptian style portrait even though it was minted in Antioch. I believe it was minted to fund the Judean war. 

I recently got a Dacia Capta Trajan Dupondius. Highly worn but I liked it because of the emerald patina. Idk this my only ancient coin with this look and it's pretty cool.

Vespasian is a fun one to collect. A lot of his coins are rooted in so much history with the building of the colosseum to the Judean wars. He has such a distinct portrait and it is difficult to find a good portrait of him. I just got a new Vespasian from fellow member CPK and will post when it arrives!

Hi picked these up at a coin show for $10 each unidentified ancients. 
 

1. Julio-Claudian Roman provincial with lightning bolt on the reverse. Claudius or Augustus my guess.

2.  I think this Augustus from Phyrigia has a look like it's Roman provincial from Phyrigia. Will be super happy if ends up Caligula but I doubt it.

3.  Nice prancing horse I think it's Greek from Aeolis or Syracuse

4. My personal favorite of the ones I picked up. Distinctly Flavian portrait with Nike on the reverse. Not sure what province it's from.

I screwed up when buying this Bactrian drachm of Eucratides. The details are nice, but it doesn't fit in my collecting interests, and it is crystallized.  I will probably sell it if anyone is interested in it. idk I like it but idk is crystallization like a death sentence for silvers like bronze disease for coppers? The thing is if it wasn't crystallized it would have been like a $500+ coin.

No it won't damage it, soak it as much as you please

I recently acquired a portrait coin of Julius Caesar. It's a posthumous type with young Octavian from Macedonia. It's a nice coin in great shape but still not a lifetime piece. Well it's still pretty cool and it has a great counter mark of a Capricorn. 

Mercury is packing heat but as impressive as the other dongs shown 

Just now, Amarmur said:

Here an AS from 192 AD. He dressed up as Hercules. He was a great archer and murdered many animals for no good reason

Elagabalus was also famously misbehaved 

Here an AS from 192 AD. He dressed up as Hercules. He was a great archer and murdered many animals for no good reason

A few contenders that didn't make the top 10

1. Man headed bull coin of 3rd century Greece. Acarnanian confederecy. Very cool and unusual coin

2. Bar Kokhba revolt coin. Very historic and nice coin love the obverse detail.

3. Tryphon bronze. Fairly common but I like the condition and artistry is a tad pricier in this condition.

My top coins of 2023

1. Nero Dupondius 65 AD Roma reverse. Beautiful condition 

2. Marcus Aurelius Victory in Parthia denarius 166 AD

3. Philip III Danube imitation very original look to it very unique

4. Juba I of Numidia denarius. Very rare and was very cheap on eBay 

5. Tacitus 275-276 AD I just like the condition it's in superb in AU 

6. Philip the Arab Stag Secular Games issue 247 AD nice piece in a high grade

7. Aksum coin 375-400 AD was bought in a group lot. Very rare and pretty coin with gilding leftover 

8. Urbus Roma a nice higher grade one in XF a fairly common popular one 

9. Kings of Lydia 1/24 Stater. One of the oldest coins in the world. Tiny and well detailed. 564-550 BC

10.  Trajan Sestertius bridge over the Danube. Well worn but an expensive coin even in this grade. The most important and longest bridge in antiquity.

These are the coins I got the most enjoyment out of this year. Some are not necessarily valuable but they are interesting and hold value to me. 

Philip II AE Macedon horse

Alexander the Great horse

and my absolute favorite abstract Celtic horse on a unknown tribe Celtic coin 

To console you. I didn't realize my Caligula had surface issues when buying it. It is still my favorite coin in my ancient coin collection because of the strong VF/XF details and portrait. A nice portrait of Caligula is hard to get so if the nick wasn't there on your coin it would be like a $600-$700 coin in that shape.

8 hours ago, lordmarcovan said:

 

 

That's a nice Nero, all right.  I like the portrait.

My nicest Nero (currently my only Nero) is this:

Wonderful. The portrait is great and it's gold. Can't go wrong with this example. 

My last coin purchase of this year 

Bar Kokhba revolt middle bronze year 3 I believe.

The coin of final Judaean revolt 

Very cool piece 

Weight of the Flavian bronze 6.89 grams

Weight of the Trajan AS 11.2 grams

Picked these up as unknown ancients quite low grade but the Vespasian or Domitian left facing quadrans coin intrigued me. The reverse of the Trajan AS is a seated godddess most likely Fortuna but I'm not sure. Any ideas on these?

Went to a coin show and picked up a few ancients and 1 medieval coin.

1. I think its an AE from Ionia i need to clean the verdigris off because it is quite the stunner.  Any recommendations for cleaning it without destroying it?

2. 1st century AS most likely Augustus with Claudius countermark and another countermark I can't make out. 

3. Medieval coin no clue appears Scandinavian

4.  Byzantine Follis Romanos IV Diogenes overstruck?

Thank you for your help!

Late to the party but I have a Judea Capta of Vespasian in tough shape I used the sellers pic (they are expensive). Probably the most iconic Vespasian coins are the Judea Capta themed ones. 

Wonderful Nero's everyone. I think Roman art during the 1st century really peaked and the coins from this era are some of my favorites. Hopefully I can add to my growing Nero collection (Temple of Janus As, Denarius with Jupiter, the Dupondius with Roma, Alexandria tetradrachm with Tiberius, Syria Tetradrachm with Eagle, Phrygia AE with Athena) and get a nice imperial victory reverse and port of ostia one (are they even available under $500?) Happy Thanksgiving!

6 hours ago, AncientJoe said:

I don't have a Nero in silver but here's my best in bronze and gold:

NERO. 54-68, aureus. 64-68. NERO CAESAR Laureate head r. Rev: AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS Nero standing facing, dressed in toga and wearing radiant crown. He is holding a branch and a victoria on a globe. C. 44. RIC 46. Calico 402. 7.34g, St. 6h. High relief. Ex. Boscoreale Hoard 1895; Ex. H. P. Smith Esq Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge, June 5 1905, lot 405; Ex. Sotheby Wilkinson & Hodge, December 6, 1907 lot 111; Ex. Dr Eugen Merzbacher Munchen, November 2, 1909, lot 1204; Ex. Dr Jacob Hirsch Auction 33, November 17, 1913, lot 1144; Ex. Robert Ball Nachf Auction 6, February 9, 1932, lot 1037; Ex UBS 72, 2007, lot no. 209

 

That port of Ostia coin is incredible how much does that type typically go for?

11 minutes ago, AETHER said:

 

Nice grab! Amazing price.

I just picked up this victory type, it's on the way...

Gotta love those wings on victory