happy_collector

Nice thread, @rasiel. Here is a small coin set of Faustina Senior, Faustina Junior and Lucilla. 🙂

Sorry to hear about it, Donna. Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Nice addition, @Tejas. Here is my semissis. Minted during Arcadius at Constantinople. 🙂 AV gold semissis Arcadius, Constantinople mint 392-393 A.D. Obv: D N ARCADIVS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM, Victory seated right on cuirass, inscribing VOT X / MVLT XX in four lines on shield set on knee; Christogram in right field 2.08g. 17.50mm RIC X 16; Depeyrot 52/2 Germania Inferior Numismatics. June 2022

That is a really wonderful large-sized coin, @idesofmarch01!! Thanks for sharing. The story of Minotaur and the labyrinth is my most favorite among all Greek myths. I have the following Greek coins that illustrate ancient myths. CRETE. Gortyna. Ca. 330-270 BC. AR stater (24mm, 11.47 gm, 4h). Obv: Europa seated facing in tree, raising her veil with right hand, left arm holding eagle with spread wings in her lap. Rev: Bull trotting to right, head turned left. BMC Crete 30. Svoronosp. 168, 84 and pl. XV, 7 (same obverse die). CNG Feature Auction, 2022. Pontos, Komana Æ 29mm. Time of Mithradates VI Eupator, circa 105-90 or 90- 85 BC. Obv: Helmeted head of Athena Parthenos to right Rev: Perseus standing facing, holding harpa and severed head of Medusa, headless body at feet; KOMA-NΩN across fields, monograms to left and right. SNG BM Black Sea 1260-1; HGC 7,279. 18.00g, 29mm, 12h. ROMA E-Sales, 2021.

My first coin with a Janus design, and I picked it up in January. 🙂 M. Furius L.f. Philus. 120 BC. AR Denarius (19.5mm, 3.93 g, 12h). Rome mint. Obv: Laureate head of bearded Janus Rev: Roma standing left, holding wreath and scepter; to left, trophy of Gallic arms flanked by a carnyx and shield on each side; star above. Crawford281/1; Sydenham 529; Furia 18; RBW 1105. Toned with iridescence. CNG Triton. January 2024. From the Kalevala Collection. Ex Roma E-Sale 60 (1 August 2019), lot 620.

Nice addition, RC! I think the one I have is of a similar type, but without stephane. Faustina II. AE as. 147-161 AD. Rome Mint. 27mm, 10.12g, 11h. Obv: Draped bust of Faustina Junior right. Rev: Pudicitia standing facing, head left, holding veil in both hands, right hand raised. RIC III (A Pius) 1403

Happy Faustina Friday, RC. Thanks for your latest write up. Your veiled version of Faustina Senior is very nice. Here is my Faustina Senior denarius with Ceres reverse.

Nice Lucilla coins with great pedigree, @Michael Stolt. I like her various hairstyles and portraits. I also enjoy pairing up my Lucilla with Faustina Junior coins to become "mother and daughter" coin pairs. Here are a few I picked up: Lucilla, wife of Lucius Verus AD 161-169, AR Denarius (18mm, 3.19 gram) Rome Obv: LVCILLA AVGVSTA; draped bust r. Rev: FECVNDITAS; Fecunditas seated r., holding child, young girl standing before her RIC 765 Lucilla. AR Denarius 3.36g. 19mm. 164-169 A.D. Rome Mint Obv: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F. Draped bust r. Rev: VENUS. Venus standing l., holding apple and sceptre. RIC III 784; RSC II 70 Lucilla AD 164-169. Rome. Sestertius Æ 31mm., 23,06g. LVCILLA AVGVSTA, draped bust right / PIETAS, S - C, Pietas standing left, holding acerrum and extending hand over lighted altar at feet to left. RIC III 1755 (Marcus Aurelius). Lucilla. Augusta, AD 161-162. AV Aureus. Rome Mint. Struck under Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus. Obv: LVCILLΛE ΛVG ΛN TONINIΛVG F, draped bust right, hair waved and knotted low at back in chignon Rev: VOTΛ/ PVBLI/CΛ •/ • in three lines within laurel wreath. RIC III 790 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 22-2(a) – (same obv. die as illustration on pl. 5, 22-2/10); Calicó 2219a (same rev. die as illustration); BMCRE 327 (Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus; same rev. die); Biaggi 979 (same rev. die); J. Hirsch XVIII, lot 1008 (same dies). 18mm, 6.07 g, 12h.

All stunning coins, @Kazuma78. My absolute favorites are your #1, 2 and 3. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

Nice additions, @Humilau. My favorite is #5. The horseman battle scene is particularly nice, with great patina. 🙂

Great article, RC. Thanks for sharing the different varieties on IVNONI REGINAE coins. 🙂

Wonderful additions! My favorites are #4, 5 and 10. These coin designs are the ones on my lookout list. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

Great Christmas gifts, RC. These are wonderful coins.

Nice additions, @Shea19. My favorites are your #1, 3, and 10. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

Great selections! The cool photos show the coins very well. I especially like your Syracuse litra, Maximilian I, and Titus aureus. Cool octopus design on the litra. Your Maximilian I has such an interesting obverse design. I love the history behind the Titus aureus. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

All are superb coins. Your Greek coins are such great artwork. Thanks for sharing!

All cool coins, @panzerman. Thanks for sharing. I like your bull/tuna hemihekte. 🙂

Both your Nero and Ptolemy II are stunning, @Romancollector. Thanks for sharing. Looking forward to your other 5. 🙂

Thanks for noticing, @Di Nomos. It is a typo, weight should be 27.41 g. I'll make change.

Happy Holidays! It is nice to read about the 2023 Top10 lists by Numis Forum members, which tempted me to compile mine. I did not buy too many coins this year, as I saved a portion of budget onto my family’s European trip this early summer (it’s really so warm in Rome). My hope was to locate an affordable signed Syracuse tetradrachm, which was at the top of my wish-list. I ended up finding 2. These are my top favorite coins of the year, plus 2 close contenders that barely missed the top 10 mark. 10. Antiochos VII tetradrachm. Although a common design, I like this coin because it has a good portrait. An off-centered obverse helps to bring down my purchase price. Antiochos VII Euergetes (Sidetes). 138-129 BC. AR Tetradrachm Antioch on the Orontes mint. Obv: Diademed head right. Rev: Athena Nikephoros standing left, resting hand on shield, and propping spear on her arm; to outer left, monogram above A; monogram to inner right; within wreath. 27mm, 16.46 g, 12h SC 2061.4e; Lorber, Die, Phase 3, Group 12, 974 (obv. die A109); HGC 9, 1067d. CNG e-Auctions, Feb 2023. 09. I am branching out my coin collecting interests to Antioch tetradrachm. This coin is a good start to me. I like Otacilia Severa’s determined look portrait in this coin. SELEUCIS & PIERIA. Antioch. Otacilia Severa. 244-249 AD. Tetradrachm. Obv: ΜΑΡ ΩΤΑΚΙΛ ϹЄΟΥΗΡΑΝ ϹЄΒ. Draped bust left, wearing stephane and set upon crescent. Rev: ΔHMAPX ЄΞ OYCIAC VΠA TO Γ / ANTIOXIA S C. Eagle, with wreath in beak and wings spread, standing left, head right. McAlee 1092; Prieur 391. RPC VIII online - (unassigned; ID 29008). 26mm, 11.88 g. Numismatik Naumann. August 2023. 08. A scarce left-facing Faustina coin has been on my watchlist. I am glad to find a sestertius (large coin) with a good left-facing portrait. Having a coin of the empress wearing stephane is a plus to me. Diva Faustina Senior. Æ sestertius Rome, under Antoninus Pius, A.D. 141. Obv: DIVA AVGVSTA FAVSTINA, veiled and draped bust of Diva Faustina Senior left wearing stephane Rev: PIET-AS AVG, S C across field, Pietas standing facing, head left, sprinkling incense on lighted, candelabrum-altar and holding box of perfumes 31mm, 24.94 g. N&N London, Ltd. March 2023 07. Another coin type in my watchlist is an Agrippina Junior coin. I am glad to find an affordable example with a good-sized portrait. SELEUCIS and PIERIA, Antioch. Nero, with Agrippina Junior. AR Tetradrachm. Dated CY3: 56-57 AD. Obv: Head of Nero right, wearing oak wreath Rev: Draped bust of Agrippina Junior right; Γ EP (date) to right. McAlee 253; RPC I 4175; Prieur 74. 25mm, 14.30 g, 12h. CNG Auction. Nov 2023. 06. I picked up this Agrippina Senior sestertius mainly because of the Empress’s portrait on the coin. Need to make sacrifice on the reverse design though, plus smoothing. It is a nice coin to pair up with the #8 Agrippina Junior tetradrachm above. AGRIPPINA I (Died 33). Sestertius. Rome. Struck under Caligula. Obv: AGRIPPINA M F MAT C CAESARIS AVGVSTI. Draped bust right. Rev: S P Q R / MEMORIAE / AGRIPPINAE. Ornamented carpentum drawn left by two mules. RIC² 55 (Caligula). 35mm. 27.41 g. Ex: Numismatik Naumann Auction. 05. I am actively looking for a Marcus Aurelius coin with a young portrait. I am glad to locate a large example (sestertius), with an interesting left-facing portrait. Marcus Aurelius. As Caesar, AD 140-144. Æ Sestertius. Rome mint. Obv: Bare headed and cuirassed bust left Rev: Emblems of the pontificate: sescepita, aspergillum, capis, lituus, and simpulum. 31mm, 24.79 g. N&N London Ltd. January 2023. 04. This coin is quite special to me. I have been looking for an upgrade to my very first sestertius coin, a Diva Faustina sestertius. This one fit well, adding that the coin is a scarcer lifetime sestertius. However, It took me seven months to receive the coin. The auction house got my shipping address wrong, so the coin spent months flying between US and London. Finally, I decided to pay extra for a FedEx in order to get it before the year-end. Faustina Senior Lifetime Sestertius. 139 AD. Obv: FAVSTINA AVG ANTONINI AVG PII P P. Draped Faustina Senior bust to right. Rev: VENERI VSVGTAE. Venus standing to right holding apple, drawing up robe from shoulder. S C across field. 32mm, 23.5 grams N&N London Ltd. April 2023. 03. This Thrace tetradrachm has such a large sized flan, and I especially like the Dionysos portrait. Thrace, Thasos. Tetradrachm. 148-90 BC Obv: Head of Dionysos right, wearing ivy wreath. Rev: ΗΡΑΚΛΕΟΥΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΟΣ ΘΑΣΙΩΝ, Hercules naked standing left, holding club and lion skin. Control: monogram. 34mm, 16.35g Numismatik Naumann, May 2023 02. A signed Syracuse tetradrachm is an item high on my wish-list. Thus, I am happy to see a signed Himera tetradrachm that fits my bill in the January Nomos NYINC fixed price list. It is struck on a tight flan, but the signature “MAI” is quite clear. Sicily, Himera. Silver Tetradrachm. 409-407 BC. Obverse die signed by artist Mai. Obv: Nymph Himera driving quadriga galloping to right, beginning to slow down at finish of the race; above, Nike flying to left, bearing a wreath for the driver in her right hand and holding a tablet inscribed MAI in her left; in the exergue, hippocamp swimming left. Rev: [IMEPAION], Nymph Himera standing facing, head left, pouring libation over altar from patera; to right, satyr standing to right in a fountain basin, showering under a stream of water emanating from a lion's head spout. 24mm, 17.65g, 3h. Nomos Fixed Price List 15. January 2023. 01. What I like about this Syracuse tetradrachm is that it has clear signatures on both obverse and reverse. It does not have the best surface condition, thus an affordable and good price for me. SICILY, Syracuse. Second Democracy. 415-409 BC. AR Tetradrachm. Obverse die signed by Eu(menes), reverse die signed by Eu(kleidas). Obv: Charioteer, holding kentron and reins, driving fast quadriga left; above, Nike flying right, crowning charioteer with wreath; EV below; in exergue, dolphin and tunny right Rev: Head of Arethousa left; EV below, four dolphins swimming around. 24.5mm, 16.85 g, 1h. Fischer-Bossert, Coins 31 (V11/R21); Tudeer 31; HGC 2, 1328; SNG ANS 262 (same dies); SNG Lloyd 1372 (same dies); BMC 147 (same dies); Gillet 616 (same dies); McClean 2708 (same dies). CNG Auction. July 2023. From the David Welsh Collection. Ex Heritage 351 (3 June 2004), lot 12008; Seventko Collection (Heritage 296, 30 July 2002), lot 11018; Superior (10 December 1988), lot 1781. Here are the two honorable mentions that didn't get a spot in my top 10, but I do like them. The first is a Plotina hemiassarion. I like the portrait quite a lot. The second one is an interesting Julius Caesar fourree denarius. Is Caesar’s troops run out of silver? 11. LYDIA. Philadelphia. Plotina, 105-122. Hemiassarion (Bronze, 20 mm, 5.12 g,), struck under her husband Trajan. Obv: ΠΛΩΤΕΙΝΑ CΕΒΑCΤΗ Draped bust of Plotina to right. Rev: ΦΙ/ΛΑΔΕ/ΛΦΕ/ΩΝ in four lines within laurel wreath. BMC 68-70. RPC III 2384. SNG Copenhagen 382 Savoca. Dec 2022 (arrived Jan 2023) 12. Julius Caesar. Fourree Denarius 49-48 BC. Military mint traveling with Caesar. Obv: CAESAR in exergue, elephant advancing right, confronting horned serpent. Rev: Pontifical implements: simpulum, sprinkler, axe and priest's hat. Crawford 443/1; HCRI 9; Sydenham 1006; RSC 49. 17 mm. 2.4 gm. Praefectus Coins. Nov 2023. Do you have a favorite coin on this list? If yes, please mark on the poll. Wishing you all a great collecting year in 2024.

Pisidia, Selge Stater circa 350-325, AR 26.00 mm., 10.34 g. Two wrestlers grappling, below, BA. Rev. Herckles standing r., holding cluboverhead and lion's skin; in r. field, spear head and below, shield. SNG France1935, Rare. Naville Numismatics auction, May 2022. Next: more weapon (or rose) on coin

Great coins, Donna. Your Julia Domna denarius is my favorite. Superb portrait and with wonderful reverse design. Thanks for your detailed research info regarding the two Pannoniae provinces design. 🙂

Nice additions! The Ptolemy drachm is my favorite. 🙂

Thanks for your great post, @Sulla80. It is nice to see the various Alexandrian coins of Salonina through various years. I only have two coins on the empress. 🙂

You have a great coin collecting year, @Cordoba. Your #1 coin is my favorite, as I like the bold designs on both sides. Your Mazaios Stater has one of my most favorite reverse design. Nice! Thanks for sharing! 🙂