What's your FAVOURITE ancient coin (that you own)?

[Alegandron]

5 minutes ago, zumbly said:

I always post the same wretched coin when this topic comes up, so I think many here might have seen this one before.  For those who haven't, apologies in advance... 😊

CRETE, Gortyna
AR Stater. 11.77g, 29.8mm.
CRETE, Gortyna, circa 330-270 BC. SNG Cop -; Svoronos 36/62 (same obv die as 36, pl. XIII, 10; rev of 62, pl. XIV, 9); BMC Crete pg. 38, 7/8, pl. IX. 6 (same obv die) and 7 (same rev die?).
O: Europa, wearing chiton with short sleeves and peplos over lower limbs, seated right in platanus tree; right hand on tree, head resting pensively on left arm, which is bent and supported by her knee.
R: Bull standing to right, head turned back left to lick its flank.
Notes: Overstruck on a stater of Knossos, circa 425-360 BC (Svoronos 23), with visible undertypes of the Minotaur on obv and Labyrinth of Knossos on rev.

The combination of overstrike and visible undertypes from two different Cretan cities in addition to the worn state of the dies used make for quite a mess, but in a nutshell, the obverse shows the Phoenician princess Europa sitting in a tree (Gortynian type) struck over an archaic depiction of the Minotaur (Knossian type), and the reverse has the Cretan bull struck over the fabled Labyrinth of Knossos.  

It's far from the prettiest coin on the block, but to my mind it's certainly the most interesting and unique one I have in my collection, and it's the one that I would consider absolutely irreplaceable for me.  If I had to think of a coin I could ever get that would usurp its spot at the top of my favorites list, it would probably be an EID MAR struck over a CAESAR DICT PERPETVO.  One can dream, right? 😊

 

That is so cool, Z !

[Qcumbor]

On 6/1/2022 at 12:27 AM, Severus Alexander said:

How lovely that you picked an SA coin, Q!  (I bet the black sestertius was close competition for it...)

Sure, some days it is at the top actually

Severus Alexander, Sestertius - Rome mint AD 231
IMP SEV ALEXANDER AVG, Laureate bust of Severus Alexander righ, with light drapery on left shoulder
IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding thunderbolt and sceptre, with a small figure of the emperor at his feet, SC in field
14.75 gr
Ref : RCV #7966, Cohen # 74

 

Q

[Riley]

It's a low grade Antigonos I, but I love it. Easily my favourite dynasty (Second to the Ariobarzanid)

[Joshua.Lemons]

I've several favorites, which is easy since my collection of ancients stands at 30 coins...for now!  This denarius of Philip I, RIC 106a, is likely my favorite. It's nicely struck with lovely peripheral toning.  The seller even included the old ANACS soapbox insert it was previously entombed in.  

[Dafydd]

This is a problematical question because I have so many interests and I have favourite Republican denarii, Imperial Sestertii , English hammered coins and shillings.

There are none I would put under my pillow at night and some would be found in pieces the next day if I did.

However, overall one of the most impressive coins I have ever opened an envelope to find is my Attica Owl. It is a coin I had been interested from the point of view of its iconic status and because I had once read a reference to it in a novel and had to look it up. It is a hefty piece and whilst not as great and symmetrical as many, it really "rings my bell".

I really like Greek coins and admire the artistry compared to Roman coins and would like to collect them but the prices are greater than what I want to spend as I am building a backlog of coins to research when I have the time and there seems to be a gulf between the price of good Greek coins and Roman coins so I would buy fewer Greek than Roman and that doesn't suit my ongoing interests. I like to acquire coins regularly and don't have the budget or patience to collect super condition coins as I do this for fun and relaxation not investment.

[Jeremy]

Tough question! My favorite coin is probably this stater from Aegina:

Islands off Attica, Aegina AR stater

Circa 456/45-431 BC
Obverse: Tortoise with segmented shell.
Reverse: Incuse square with skew pattern.
References: Milbank pl. 2, 12. SNG Copenhagen 516ii. SNG Delepierre 1836; Dewing 1683; ACGC 127.
20mm; 12.05g

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Steve]

Holy crap, that tortoise is a tough act to follow!! ...

Man, there are  lot of very cool coins in this thread and as Gandalf already stated "it's kinda like choosing a favourite child"

... so, my choice will probably change in a couple of minutes, but for now this is my favourite ex-coin ... 

 

Anonymous, Roman Republic Æ As

Rome Mint

Circa 179-170 BC

Diameter: 35 mm

Weight: 33.82 grams

Obverse: Laureate head of Janus; I above

Reverse: Prow of Galley right; “FLY” above, [ROMA] below

Reference: Crawford 159/3; Sydenham 324; BMCRR (Italy) 382

Other: 6 h … Black patina, scuff to right of prow

 

... pretty cool, right? (I love the fly stow-away)

[seth77]

Not the rarest, nor the most "valuable" nor the most historically significant.

But for some reason I really love this one:

 

From Victor's Imperials on VCoins.

Edited June 2, 2022 by seth77

[sand]

1 hour ago, Steve said:

this is my favourite ex-coin ... 

Did you sell it?

[Steve]

Did you sell it?

 

Yah ... sadly, I sold over 500 of my ancient coins a few years ago after being diagnosed with cancer and thinking that I was cashing-out on life (I didn't want my wife to be stuck having to get our money-back trying to sell the purdy lil' things)

I miss all of my coins, but I don't regret collecting them ... I joined this cool new forvm because I miss talking ancient coins with my ol' CCF and CT coin buddies 

Hopefully that's not against the coin rules? (geesh, I've already been booted-out of the other two coin forums ... sigh ... I'm  misunderstood)

[Egry]

Similar to @dougsmit I shared my favourite coin on the avatar thread. So, I’d like to share my second favourite coin which is actually two coins.

Here are my second favourite 2 x coins which  are from the Beachy Head Hoard. One of Balbinus and another of Pupienus both minted in Rome in 238 AD during the year of the six emperors. Both coins found in 1964 within the same coin hoard in Sussex England,

I would like to believe they were most likely minted in Rome at the same time, shipped to Britannia in the same chest, and buried along with over 3,000 others by one of the first ancient romans to receive them as change where they were quickly hurried away into a clay jar. 1800 years later they were dug up and shipped halfway around the world into to happily slot into my collection (purely speculation of course). 
 

 

 

 

[AncientOne]

As of today it is this Valerian from Nicaea. Next week it will be something different.

Bithynia, Nicaea. Valerian (253-260). AE26

Obv: ΠΟV ΛΙΚ ΟVΑΛΕΡΙΑΝΟC CEB / Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust left, raising hand and holding eagle-tipped sceptre over shoulder. Rev: NIKAIEΩN / Gallienus and Valerian I facing each other in military dress, clasping hands and each holding a spear; Valerian II, togate, standing left, holding patera. Cf. SNG Copenhagen 536.

[Curtisimo]

15 minutes ago, Steve said:

 (geesh, I've already been booted-out of the other two coin forums ... sigh ... I'm  misunderstood)

I think your days of getting kicked out of coin forums are over my friend... bars, women’s volleyball matches and open-bar weddings might be another matter however. 🥳

Edited June 2, 2022 by Curtisimo

[Egry]

On 6/1/2022 at 7:39 AM, AncientJoe said:

It's hard to pick a favorite but right now, on May 31st, I'll say my Athens gold diobol. It's small, a bit scraped, not perfectly centered, but irreplaceable and absolutely dripping with history:

 

ATTICA. Athens. AV Diobol (1.43 gms), ca. 407/6 B.C.
Svoronos-pl. 15#7. Head of Athena facing right wearing crested Attic helmet adorned with palmette and olive leaves; Reverse: Two owls standing confronted, olive branch between, ethnic in exergue. Minor scuffs, though commensurate with the assigned condition.
Ex. John Whitney Walter Collection

Athens was a prolific producer of silver coinage, minting millions of owl tetradrachms. Gold, however, was much scarcer in the region and Athens only minted gold coinage when in severe crisis. This gold diobol comes from the final years of the Peloponnesian War and is one of the most important and rarest Greek coins.

Athens faced heavy losses against Sparta. Near the end of the war, they blocked Athens from accessing its silver mines, resulting in an economic emergency. After four years of being starved out, the need for funds became so dire, the authorities ordered the melting of seven of the eight massive gold statues of Nike which were standing around the Parthenon on the Acropolis.

These statues were symbols of the city’s great economic reserves making this a true moment of desperation for Athens. The gold from these statues was minted into coins and used to construct a new fleet of ships to attempt a naval retaliation. Because of their value, to protect against forgeries, the dies used to strike the coins were stored in the Parthenon treasury in an alabaster box. Further indicating the importance of their minting, the historical context of these gold coins is exceptionally well documented by the playwright Aristophanes and by the Athenian treasury records.

Unfortunately, even with the influx of funds, Athens was ultimately defeated at sea and surrendered to the Spartan general Lysander.

While many thousands of coins were minted with the volume of gold from the statues, only a very small number survive today. This coin is one of only two diobols in private hands with the four others residing in museums. Other denominations are also known but exist in similar numbers, with only one or two examples of each available to private collectors.

 

That is an amazing story/history. I don’t even own it and I think that’s my new favourite coin lol. 

[seth77]

14 minutes ago, Curtisimo said:

I think your days of getting kicked out of coin forums are over my friend... bars, women’s volleyball matches and open-bar weddings might be another matter however. 🥳

CHAMPAGNE CAVIAR

[sand]

36 minutes ago, Steve said:

Did you sell it?

 

Yah ... sadly, I sold over 500 of my ancient coins a few years ago after being diagnosed with cancer and thinking that I was cashing-out on life (I didn't want my wife to be stuck having to get our money-back trying to sell the purdy lil' things)

I miss all of my coins, but I don't regret collecting them ... I joined this cool new forvm because I miss talking ancient coins with my ol' CCF and CT coin buddies 

Hopefully that's not against the coin rules? (geesh, I've already been booted-out of the other two coin forums ... sigh ... I'm  misunderstood)

Congratulations on still being alive. Are you doing better now?

Well, you can always start again. For me, it seems like, half of the fun of coin collecting, is shopping for coins. However, it can be addicting, so I can understand, if you don't want to get started again.

Edited June 2, 2022 by sand

[Etcherdude]

@Dafydd

Wonderful relief on your owl!

[sand]

50 minutes ago, Steve said:

Did you sell it?

 

Yah ... sadly, I sold over 500 of my ancient coins a few years ago after being diagnosed with cancer and thinking that I was cashing-out on life (I didn't want my wife to be stuck having to get our money-back trying to sell the purdy lil' things)

I miss all of my coins, but I don't regret collecting them ... I joined this cool new forvm because I miss talking ancient coins with my ol' CCF and CT coin buddies 

Hopefully that's not against the coin rules? (geesh, I've already been booted-out of the other two coin forums ... sigh ... I'm  misunderstood)

P.S. : I just re-read your post, and I noticed, that you sold "over 500 of" your ancient coins. Did you keep some of your ancient coins? How many did you keep? Do you have other categories of coins (medieval, world, US)?

[dougsmit]

On 6/1/2022 at 10:35 PM, zumbly said:

quite a mess

I always look forward to seeing this one again.  It is a coin that needs to be in the care of someone who recognizes that it is special in a way that outranks superficial beauty and high letter grade.  This thread asked for a favorite coin.  It is most interesting to see what it is that leads each of us to make that selection.  This is one with which I totally agree.  That is 'some coin'.