happy_collector

Such wonderful selections, Donna. Beautiful coins! The reverse design of your Antoninus Pius aureus is superb. Your Aelia Flaccilla has such a nice portrait. Your Valentinian I solidus is my other favorite. Thanks for sharing. 😊

Wonderful additions, Donna. Your Edward IV and Elizabeth I are my favorites. Nice gold coins also. 🙂

All wonderful coins, Donna! You really have a fruitful year of coin collecting in 2022. My favorites are 5, 7, 13, 15 and 16. I am still looking at all the details on your Macrinus coin. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 

Great additions, @Spaniard. Coins 6, 8 and 9 are my favorites.  🙂

Very beautiful medals, Donna. A great variety, and my favorites are Queen Charlotte coronation and Napoleon conquest of Upper Egypt. They are very iconic pieces to me. Thanks for sharing!  😊

Nice Seleucid tetradrachm, @KyNumis. Thanks for sharing. I like the testing arrow design. 
Here is my recent pickup on an earlier Seleucid tetradrachm with a similar reverse design. 🙂

Antiochos II Tetradrachm. 261-246 BC.
Seleukia on the Tigris
Obv: Portrait 
Rev: Apollo Delphios seated left on omphalos testing bow.
33mm, 15.28g
ESM 189
Den of Antiquity. October 2022

16 hours ago, Spaniard said:

@happy_collector...

Wonderful bronzes...

My favourites are the Antonia, Lucilla and of course that sweet Sabina..Congrats. 

I only picked up one bronze lady this year...

Diva Faustina Senior. Æ Sestertius (32mm, 21.19 g.)
Rome mint, struck under Antoninus Pius, circa AD 146-161.
Obv. DIVA FAVSTINA draped bust right.
Rev. AETERNITAS S-C seated left, holding scepter and globe surmounted by phoenix....RICIII #1103 (Antoninus Pius)
Reddish-brown patina.

Thanks, @Spaniard. You picked up a nice sestertius also. 🙂

15 hours ago, Qcumbor said:

That Crispina portrait is just amazing : what a beauty she must have been !

Only three empresses so far this year for me, none is bronze

 

Julia Domna tetradrachm

 

Otacilia Severa tetradrachm 

 

Victoria, double florin 😄 

 

Q

 

Thanks for sharing your very nice tetradrachm, @Qcumbor. Both have great portraits!

Wonderful Victoria double florin also! 🙂

18 hours ago, mc9 said:

@happy_collector,

you did a great job (coin wise) in 2022! Congratulations.

Here is one that i picked up this year:

Otacilla Severa

MARCIA OTACIL SEVER AVG

bust of Otacilla Severa right

CONCORDIA AVGG // SC

Concordia seated left, holding patera in right,and cornucopiae in left hand

16.42 gr, 30 mm, RIC 203

 

Thanks, @mc9. You picked up a nice sestertius!  🙂

18 hours ago, ambr0zie said:

That's a theme I like -  empresses!

When I received my first ever ancient coins - 3 lots that were excellent to light the passion, I had the chance to have 2 denarii of Faustina I and Julia Domna. At that moment I wasn't even sure that coins with ladies are not something eccentric.
So this became one of my major collecting areas.
I managed to add a large number of empresses in my collection, but most in silver. Your theme is even more interesting because you concentrated on bronze.

Here are coins from this theme that I acquired in 2022.

Herennia Etruscilla AD 249-251. Rome
As Æ
26 mm, 8,79 g
Date Range: AD 249 - AD 251
HERENNIA ETRVSCILLA AVG, bust of Herennia Etruscilla, diademed, draped, right / PVDICITIA AVG S C, Pudicitia, draped, veiled, seated left, drawing veil with right hand, holding sceptre in left hand
RIC IV Trajan Decius 136c

Julia Domna. Augusta AD 193-217. Rome
Sestertius Æ. AD 193-196
30 mm, 25,51 g
IVLIA DOMNA AVG, bust of Julia Domna, hair waved and coiled at back, draped, right / VENERI VICTR S C, Venus, naked to waist, standing left, holding apple in extended right hand and palm sloped over left shoulder in left hand, resting left elbow on column
RIC IV Septimius Severus 842; Cohen 195; BMC 488.

LUCILLA (Augusta, 164-182). Rome. Sestertius. AD 164-169. 30 mm, 20.6 g
LVCILLA AVGVSTA, draped bust right / IVNO, Juno seated left, holding patera and sceptre, S C across fields. RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1746

FAUSTA. (Augusta, 324-326). Nicomedia Follis, AD 325-326. 18 mm 2.4 g
Obv : FLAV MAX FAVSTA AVG. Bust of Fausta, waved hair, mantled, right. / Rev : SALVS REI - PVBLICAE. Fausta, veiled, draped, standing front, head left, holding two children in her arms (Constantine II and Constantius II).  Mintmark MNA. RIC VII Nicomedia 130

 

Great additions, @ambr0zie. Thanks for sharing.  🙂

In addition to bronze coins, I also collect denarii on Roman empresses. However, my denarii are usually in coin trays. For sestertius, I like putting these big bronze pieces on my hands instead.  

17 hours ago, Limes said:

Nice collection! I like the Sabina dupondius. Great portrait and patina. Your last Faustina sestertius is very nice too. The pictures dont do it justice I assume! 

Thanks, @Limes. I agree that the Sabina portrait is very nice. I really like the last Faustina sestertius, with its large size and clear portrait. 

17 hours ago, Julius Germanicus said:

What a great haul! I am still missing a Domitia (practically impossible to catch as a Sestertius)! 

Here are the Banti numbers and specimen counts for your Sestertii:

Otaclilia Severa: Banti 12 (46 specimens)

Crispina: Banti 10 (31 specimens)

Lucilla: Banti 33 (70 specimens)

Faustina No.2: Banti 141 (6 specimens)

Faustina No.1: Banti 75 (8 specimens)

 

Many thanks for your additional information, @Julius Germanicus. I'll put them in my records. 🙂

Great new style owl, @NewStyleKing. Congrats! Thanks for sharing. 🙂

You have a fruitful year, @Cordoba. My favorites are #1, 2 and 6.  🙂

1 hour ago, singig said:

Difficult to choose the best ones , I will vote for :   #6 Sabina  ,  #1 Faustina II and #10 Otacilla , in this order. Congratulations !

Thanks, @singig. 

1 hour ago, Roman Collector said:

Some real beauties there, @happy_collector!! Congratulations on the new acquisitions to your numophylacium! My favorite is the left-facing Sabina.

I devoted almost the entire year to acquiring coins of my favorite empresses, Faustina I and II. Here's my latest acquisition, which arrived in yesterday's mail. It's a sestertius issued to commemorate the birth of the empress's first child, Domitia Faustina, on 30 November 147.

A nice purchase, @Roman Collector. I like Faustina Junior coins with her young portraits. 😊 

It is surely not easy to do balancing with only one hand... 😅

JULIA MAMAEA. Æ. Sestertius
Obv: IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA. Diademic and coated bust on the right.
Rev: VENVS FELIX S.C. Venus, seated, carrying scepter and statue.

Happy Holidays! December is the “Top 10” season for many of us, and I am waiting for next week’s CNG and ROMA to finalize my own list. Before that happens, I would like to share 10 bronze coins I picked up this year. They all fit into my “Roman Empress” collecting theme. I am super happy to receive my 6 coins on various Roman empresses earlier today. I purchased them just last week from Aegean Numismatics. Instead of starting a post on a coin, I think it would be fun to type up my “Top 10 Roman Empresses in 2022” list instead. Here it is…

You are most welcome to share any Roman empress coin you picked up this year. Thanks!
Wishing you all a great Holidays season!  😃

# 10: Otacilla Severa. 244-249 AD. Sestertius Æ
Obv: MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG, diademed and draped bust to right 
Rev: PVDICITIA AVG, Pudicitia, veiled, seated to left, holding sceptre and drawing veil
31 mm, 20.19 g
RIC IV 209a (Philip I); C. 55.
Savoca Auction. March 2022

# 9: Nero with Agrippina Junior.  54-68 AD. 
Lydia, Thyatira. Æ.
Obv: Bare head of Nero right 
Rev: Draped bust of Agrippina Junior. 
RPC I -; RPC I Suppl. -.
19mm, 5.83g, 12h
Very Rare
Variana Coins, October 2022

#8. Galeria Valeria 293(?)-311, Bronze Follis
Obv: Draped and diademed bust of Galeria Valeria right
Rev: Venus standing left, holding an apple and drawing drapery from her shoulder.
"VENVRI VICTRICI" "MKV" in exergue
26mm, 6.56g
RIC 46
Aegean Numismatics, December 2022

#7. ANTONIA AE Dupondius. 41-54 AD. 
Obv: ANTONIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right. 
Rev: TICLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP S-C, Claudius in toga standing left, holding simpulum. 
29mm, 13.1g
Cohen 6, RCV 1903.
Incitatus Coins, September 2022.

#6.  Domitia (Augusta, 82-96). Phrygia, Laodicea ad Lycum.
Æ 20mm, 4.89g, 6h. 
Obv: Draped bust r. 
Rev: Tetrastyle temple.
RPC II 1290; SNG von Aulock 3846; BMC 188.
London Coins, January 2022.
 

#5.  SABINA (Augusta, 128-136/7). Dupondius. Rome.
Obv: SABINA AVGVSTA HADRIANI AVG P P. Draped bust left.
Rev: CONCORDIA AVG. Concordia seated left on throne, holding patera.
RIC² 2519.
26mm, 13.40 g.
Numismatik Naumann, July 2022
 

#4. Crispina, Augusta, 178-182 AD. Sestertius. Rome. 
Obv: CRISPINA AVGVSTA ; Draped bust right.
Rev: LAETITIA / S - C ; Laetitia standing front, head to left, holding wreath in her right hand and anchor in her left. 
30 mm, 24.64 g 
RIC 669, C. 27
Carthago Numismatics. July 2022

#3. Lucilla AD 164-169 AD. Sestertius. Rome.
Obv: LVCILLA AVGVSTA, draped bust right 
Rev: PIETAS, S - C, Pietas standing left, holding acerrum and hand over lighted altar. 
31mm, 23,06g.
RIC III 1755 (Marcus Aurelius).

#2. Faustina Junior. 147-175 AD. Æ Sestertius. Rome.
Obv: Draped bust right. 
Rev: Venus seated left, holding Victory and sceptre.
RIC III 1686 (Aurelius).
31mm, 23.36g, 6h.
London Coins, July 2022.

#1.  Faustina Junior. Augusta, 161 AD. Æ Sestertius. Rome.
Obv: Draped bust right, hair waved and fastened in chignon with a band of pearls low at back of head
Rev: Juno, holding infant, standing left between two young girls. 
32mm, 23.18 g, 12h
RIC III 1649; MIR 18,18-6a; Banti 75. 
CNG Auction, November 2022. 

Great pickups, @singig! 

I like your tetradrachms and the Corinth stater. Classic Greek selections. 🙂

Sorry to hear about your loss, @zadie. Thanks for sharing your 2022 additions. You picked up some great RR coins!  

Nice 2022 pickups, @ambr0zie. Thanks for sharing!  🙂

I really like your #1 and #2. I also picked up a similar #2, and is looking for an example similar to your #1. 

Nice additions, @Simon. I like your #2 and #4. Your #8 seal stamp is also a very interesting item. Thanks for sharing. 🙂 

Wow! Wonderful Faustinae coins, @Roman Collector. Great to see them altogether in one top 10 list. 😀

In choosing which ones are my favorites, I would simply say "all of them".  😃  

Nice bronze additions, @kirispupis. I like your #2 coin with Pergamon trophy, #6 Marcus Aurelius AE Sestertius, and your #8 Attica bronze. My favorite would be your #8. I am putting this coin type in my watchlist. 🙂

I picked up a number of bronzes this year, but nearly all of them are on Roman empresses. Here is one of them:

Domitia (Augusta, 82-96). Phrygia, Laodicea ad Lycum.
Æ 20mm, 4.89g, 6h. 
Obv: Draped bust r. 
Rev: Tetrastyle temple.
RPC II 1290; SNG von Aulock 3846; BMC 188.
London Coins, January 2022. 

Wonderful selections, John! Your Anglo Saxon coins have cool designs. They surely are my favorites, together with the Henry VI Groat. 🙂 

Nice selections, @Qcumbor. These are all great coins, and I especially like the Brutus denarius and Julia Domna tetradrachm. 🙂

Great denarii additions, @LONGINUS. I especially like your Roman empress coins. Wonder presentation!  🙂  

A very nice coin, @lordmarcovan. Great toning.  🙂

I plan to add a similar one to my collection next year. I currently have a Pisidia of a later date. Reverse is Hercules holding club instead of slinger. 

Pisidia, Selge Stater circa 350-325 BC.
26.00 mm., 10.34 g.
Obv: Two wrestlers grappling, below, BA.
Rev: Herckles standing r., holding cluboverhead and lion's skin; in r. field, spear head and below, shield.
SNG France 1935.
Naville Numismatics. June 2022