Nerosmyfavorite68

I just picked up my new glasses, so now I can see my coins better! I still need a magnifying glass for Forum's id tags, but it's an ultra-tiny font. It's the 70's hit man/tv villain style, lol. But isn't the whole point of Lenscrafters to be same day? Took me 6 days. And I wasn't about to get the $500+ frames (ugly). Constantine IV does rather look like the undead in his huge Justinianic folles, but at least he was trying. It takes a really ugly design to mess up a 40 mm. coin . I want to find a nice example of a certain Valerian II Antoninianus so I'll probably pivot back to Roman soon.

And per my 'depressing' comment, I meant the history - the final decline and fall of the Roman state. An earlier bucket-list want, realized: Attribution: Sear Byzantine 323 Ravenna mint Date: Dated Year 34 - AD 560/1 Obverse: Helmeted and cuirassed bust facing, holding globus cruciger, cross to right Reverse: Large M, A/N/N/O to left, cross above, X / XX / IIII (date) in left field, RAVEN / NA below Size: 34.13mm Weight: 8.81 grams Description: Very Rare. From the Peter Lee Collection. my grade: aVG Of the common and affordable series, the Year 12-14 huge folles of Justinian I are my favorite. My favorite Byzantine rulers: Anastasius, Justinian I & II, Constantine IV, Basil II, Nicephorus Phocas, 'The White Death of the Saracens' (a contemporary nickname, from the History of Byzantium podcast). Drat, I forgot: I also love the enigmatic military mint folles of Maurice (Grierson's Rome style, the bucket head ones). Sadly, I only have one.

Cool, Phocas is one of my favorite emperors, numismatically. My dad bought me a nice Phocas solidus, c. Christmas 1994, which I shall always treasure.

Was Carinus really that bad of an emperor, or was it largely Diocletianic propaganda? Attribution: RIC IV 23 Date: 235-238 AD Obverse: MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, Laureate and draped bust right Reverse: VICTORIA GERM, Victory standing left holding wreath in right hand and palm in left, captive seated at feet Size: 20.51 mm Weight: 3.7 grams Some considered Maximinus I to be a bad emperor.

I have only a couple of slag heap AE4's. I hope to snag Solidi of those two emperors. There's usually a problem one (graffiti or the like) kicking around.

I started collecting for real in about 1993, and started collecting Byzantines soon after that. And thus began my on again, off again Byzantine collecting journey. There would be phases where I would heavily be into Byzantine and years where I'd completely collect Roman or Hellenistic coins. My mom began to call Byzantine AE, 'slag heaps'. While she's right in a sense, virtually none of them were as artistic as the best-done Roman or Hellenistic coins, these slag heaps are endearing. Some of them exude a dignity or even majesty. My favorite periods are from 539-630, 668-c.720 and 1092-1204. My favorite mints are Rome and Ravenna, but since I don't have Bill Gates' type money, I only have a few of these, and no AV from these mints. Ravenna made my favorite gold issues, but alas, I can only gaze at those in references. It's a bucket list goal to obtain a Ravenna Solidus with an annular border. Who knows? I never thought I would get a Heraclius 'Jerusalem', but one popped up at a coin show. A finder's gash, thankfully only affecting a couple letters of the beginning of the obverse legend, made it affordable. At the same show, I also remember looking at a tray of 7th century Pegasi Ravenna AE and my eyes popping out when I saw $700 price tags. More than my 'Jerusalem' cost. After a collecting lull from 2014-2022 (I was still interested in coins throughout), I jumped back in, and with a bigger budget than before. Maybe 70% of my purchases this year have been Byzantine. The 'History of Byzantium' podcast was the main culprit in reviving my interest. Byzantine coins are also one of the most 'affordable' realm of gold coins. I can at least afford to slowly pick off a few of the emperors that way. It's the most satisfying way to get a Leo or Zeno (I know, they're not 'Byzantine.'). My favorite affordable type; the large post-reform facing 40 nummi of Justinian I (although I also like collecting Justinian II). Oh, and I'd like to find a nice VF example of the two bust Heraclius Seleucia 40 nummi. And perhaps a first-reign bearded Christ Justinian II Solidus. I find the beardless second reign version kind of weird-looking. My frustrating incompetence with coin photography has prevented me from photographing anything which doesn't have a dealer's picture. I can only share pics of coins which you've mostly witnessed previously. I know, this one is ad nauseum, but it's my favorite buy of the year. A lucky shopping accident and Dr. Haymann's patience enabled me to buy this Tiberius Apsimar (another bucket list emperor). While the picture doesn't show it, it's by far my most lustrous gold coin. The event also helped me trust DHL Express more. It's my second most expensive coin ever, although I feel I got a good deal on it. While the AE and billon of the post 1092 reform don't do much for me, I rather love the scyphate gold. And since gold has largely become too expensive for me, there's the electrum Trikephalon. Easily my second favorite buy of this year, a John II electrum Trikephalon: While I find some of the immediate post-1204 history interesting, I find the late, late period much too personally depressing to collect (not meant as an insult, just a personal preference). There's many people here with magnificent late collections. Oh, it also didn't hurt that noted Byzantine collector Mike Braunlin was my college librarian. That really helped fuel my Byzantine kick. My collecting goes in phases. I'll probably soon return to Roman, but Byzantine will always have a place in my collection. Please feel free to post Byzantine, especially coins from Rome or Ravenna, the huge Constantine IV folles, nice pre-1204 Hyperpyra, or Heraclius from Seleucia.

C. Norbanus fourreé Denarius (plated), ca. 83 BC, Rome. Obv: C NORBANVS, control number LXXXV to left, diademed head of Venus right. Rev: Corn ear, fasces and caduceus reverse. 18-20 mm, 3.16 g Syd. 739 I find the thread very interesting! Here's my favorite fourree.

Thanks! I don't want another repeat of the Great BD Outbreak of 1999, so I ALWAYS wear them. I also noticed that my doorknobs also acquired verdigris, so I guess my hands aren't coin friendly.

Mine's worn out. I purchased mine at a coin show. Where do I get replacement cotton gloves, so I can handle coins?

Very interesting. Thanks!

Do you agree with Glenn W. Wood's attribution?

Wow!

Wow, it must cost a pretty penny!

Is AORTA the tiny square (but thick) book? I got that for Christmas one year. It's still sitting on teh floor somewhere. (no real room for some book overflow). It's a nice extra book to have but I never use it. As someone who wears glasses, small isn't a good thing.

But you get real bd! I'm very happy with my one Zurquieh buy, but I noticed that coin before. Like they said on Used Cars, "The price is...." I wouldn't buy that thing for 5 dollars. Granted, coins from Judea aren't my thing (small and no portrait), but it has some big time issues. How much should Otho Aureii be? This price is more commensurate with a Glycerius. To my untrained eyes it looks like good VF with a ding on the cheek.

My Glenn W. Woods one. John II, Comnenus. AD 1118-1143.. AV hyperpyron (30 mm, 4.39 gm). Thessalonica. Christ seated facing on throne with back. Rev: Facing figures of the Virgin and John. SB 1949. EF. Graffiti on reverse

I've been increasingly ordering from Europe, and other than some slow deliveries, no problems so far, knock on wood. Recently; 60% Europe, 35% USA, 5% Canada. 10 years ago; 60 pct. US, 35 pct. canada, 5 pct. Europe. Another one (since retired) pretty much declared the restrictions BS (right on!) and offered to sell me ones which had gone on the restriction list back then.

I just (with a couple of exceptions, all reputable dealers) stick to vcoins.

My first identifiable coin was a crappy Treb. Gallus Antioch Ant. I did collect some Constantius II when starting out. Welcome to the ancients side. May your journey be a happy one. Now you'll have to figure out what ancient genre really makes you happy.

Forgive me; I've had a really, really crappy day. I don't really understand the graph? I'm assuming it's a graph of relative scarcity? That's amazing that Isaac II would be among the most affordable. I bought an affordable nice John II Hyperpyron from Glenn W. Woods some years ago. I guess I'll have to be happy with my upcoming electrum of Manuel. I have a a VF/XF trachy of Manuel, purchased 25 years ago from A. Berman. Unfortunately it was one of the victims of the great BD outbreak of 1999 and is marred by a couple of malachite lumps. I do kind of dig the early billon trachea of Alexius. I'm pretty sure I ended up buying a nice one from Jon Subak many moons ago. I can't recall purchasing a trachy since at least 2000. While I've cooled toward my recent buy of the broken Nicephorus, the John Trikephalon really made me happy. I'm so happy with my buy. Next to the Tiberius II, easily the second favorite coin buy of the year. The Nicephorus is 'good enough' until I find a better deal on a whole one. The precious metal scyphates make me happy, but the post 1092 AE's don't do that much for me. It's just a personal collecting preference. I'd rather just eventually have one electrum or AV each of the 1092-1204 rulers. Maybe not Andronicus I. He's too hard to get. Maybe a really nice trachy. I'm a budget buyer, but I do have the budget to slowly pick up the missing gold/electrum ones, at least for one/two coin/s per ruler. The only trachy which I really remember is a 'half' Manuel? (I think it's Manuel, it's been 25 years) Trachy. I remember fondly digging through the HJB bag/hoard of them, c. 1996 with Mike Braunlin. I hope he's still with us.

How cool! I'm rather biased in favor of Magnus Maximus (the emperor). It's a delightful piece of an emperor whom I'm missing. I'm not heavily active in the late field. I don't have the budget for the AV (at least, not in great number), but I enjoy the Siliquae. A recent chipped Valens was the first siliqua I've purchased in my life. The nice ones were gifts from my dad. I'd like to pick up a non-clipped Val. II in the near future.

I don't find the post Alexius billon trachea very rewarding. I've been going the electrum or gold 1 or 2 coins per ruler route. A small chip or a not too horrible crack doesn't bother me too much. Prices for Isaac II or Alexius III Hyperpyra are probably too much now, though.

I just ordered a chipped half shell; a celebration of my new glasses. Hopefully Belgium will turn out to be ok. $90 for DHL Express! Yikes. I chose the snail mail route.

Congratulations on your new coin! Yes, the large AE's of Justinian are pretty rewarding.

Is DHL more expensive in Belgium? What is it like to order there? The Netherlands took forever, but it's a small sample size.