red_spork's top 10 of 2022

[red_spork]

10. The first coin I'm sharing isn't a particularly rare one but it's a very pleasing example of the type and one I surprisingly found on eBay at a pretty reasonable price, thanks to a tip from a friend. This is an Anchor series denarius, a relatively early issue. The exact meaning of the anchor is not clear but the anchor also shows up on some earlier Roman currency bars and some later issues and seems to have been an important symbol.

Roman Republic AR Denarius(4.26g). Anonymous, first anchor series. Circa 209-208 B.C. Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, X. Border of dots / Dioscuri galloping right; below, anchor; in linear frame, ROMA. Line border. Crawford 50/2
Privately purchased 9 September 2022, ex Harlan J Berk Buy or Bid Sale 121, 10 July 2001, 262

 

9. The second coin I'm sharing is a type that I've been wanting to upgrade for quite some time and annoyed me every time I saw it in my trays, but I couldn't quite bring myself to sell my old example for some reason until I got an offer I couldn't refuse on this new example. This type is the anonymous(i.e. without letters) sibling of the C AL series from Sicily, a scarcer type that seemingly always comes with strike issues and on flans that are just a bit too tight for the dies they're struck with, and my new example still isn't perfect but I find it much more pleasing in my trays than my prior example. New example below with white background, old with black background.

Roman Republic AR Denarius(19mm, 4.47 g, 1h), anonymous(related to C AL series), 209-208 B.C., Sicilian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right with loop beneath visor; behind, X / The Dioscuri galloping right; below, ROMA in linear frame. Crawford 75/1c; Sydenham 191a; Russo RBW 321
Privately purchased from Michael Stolt, 28 October 2022, ex CNG e-Auction 514, 20 April 2022, lot 350

 

8. The third coin I'm sharing is an overstrike I've looked for a clear example of for years and it's probably the most "different" coin I'll be sharing from what I normally collect. This type features a facing head of Silenus on the obverse and a wreath surrounding MAKEΔONΩN on the reverse. The exact chronology of these mysterious types is debated, but I am a fan of Pierre MacKay's argument in ANSMN 14 that these should be placed in the period after the third Macedonian War. These types virtually always show signs of overstriking and, when the undertype can be deciphered as it can here(note the locks of hair at 9 o clock obverse and wings at 12 o clock, among other things), the undertypes are virtually always Roma/legend in wreath issues of the Roman quaestors Gaius Publilius or Lucius Fulcinnius. MacKay argues that these quaestors were striking coins under Lucius Aemilius Paullus directly following the end of the war, but that once word got to Rome, in an attempt to keep up the illusion of a free Macedon, the Roma-headed coins were recalled and overstruck with this Silenus design(the prominent D at the top of the obverse standing essentially for "deletion"). I disagree with the standard assumption that a D. Junius Silanus was responsible, I think the design could be somewhat arbitrary but I do think the overall narrative is correct.

Macedon under Roman Rule. Uncertain official(traditionally, D. Junius Silanus), Æ25 (9.96g), 167-165 BC. Facing mask of Silenos, wearing ivy wreath / MAKE/ΔONΩN in two lines, D above; all within oak wreath. MacKay, "Bronze Coinage In Macedonia, 168-166 BC," ANSMN 14 (1968), pl.III, 10; SNG Copenhagen 1324.

Overstruck on a quaestor Æof Gaius Publilius or Lucius Fulcinnius as evidenced by the Roma obverse undertype remnants at 9-12 o clock obverse

Privately purchased from NeroNumi via Vcoins, 10 June 2022, ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung Auction 220, 11 March 2014, 1249

 

7. Another example of a coin that's common but has eluded me for years is a nice denarius of C Mamilius Limetanus. This type is a perfect example of the explosion of personal types you see in the period after the Social War. This moneyer's family claimed descent from Telegonus(and thus, Odysseus) and celebrated the famous scene from the Odyssey where Odysseus, having returned in disguise as a beggar after 20 years, is  only recognized by his old dog Argos, who wags his tail and looks at his master one last time to greet him before passing away. It's a touching scene for dog lovers like me. Given the timing of this issue I can't help but wonder if there weren't also some subtle undertones about the return of Sulla baked into this design, but this is all debated and I can't really do that discussion justice here.

Roman Republic AR Denarius serratus(3.72g), 82 BC, Rome mint. C Mamilius Limetanus, moneyer. Draped bust of Mercury right, wearing winged petasus; caduceus over left shoulder and behind, I / C·MAMIL – LIMETAN; Ulysses standing right, holding staff and extending his right hand to his dog, Argus. Crawford 362/1

Privately purchased from the personal collection of Edgar L. Owen 31 January 2022, ex Numismatica Ars Classica 64, 17 May 2012, 2304

 

6. Another overstrike! I really like overstrikes and I knew I wanted this one as soon as I saw it. This is a very clear McCabe Group H1 semis ovesrtruck on captured Carthaginian Tanit left/Horse issue from about the middle of the Second Punic War. While Rome-over-Carthage overstrikes of smaller denominations are quite common, enough that you can find group lots of them from time to time, Hersh & Crawford only cite a single example of an approximately uncial weight semis overstrike on a Carthaginian coin in the Scullard collection. In about 8 and a half years of collecting and focusing on overstrikes, this is the only example I've ever seen offered, so I was stoked to be able to acquire it.

Roman Republic Æ Semis(11.47g, 27mm). Anonymous, after 211 BC, mint in Southern Italy, Sicily or Sardinia. Laureate head of Saturn right, S behind/Prow of galley right, S above, ROMA below. McCabe Anonymous group H1(half weight overstrikes); Cf. Crawford 56/3
Overstruck on Carthaginian bronze with head of Tanit left/Horse standing right, head turned left. For overstrike, cf Hersh, Numismatic Chronicle 1953, 6; Crawford, overstrikes 31.
Purchased from Lucernae, 14 July 2022

 

5. There's a lot to like about this coin: interesting moneyer, interesting devices, great provenance, great surfaces(minus a couple small bankers marks) and really beautiful toning. The type was minted by the moneyer Faustus Cornelius Sulla, son of the Dictator Sulla, in 56 B.C..The three small wreaths on the reverse refer to Pompey's three triumphs, and the larger one to the Corona Aurea(gold crown) he was awarded in 63 B.C.. The globe probably refers to the globe carried in Pompey's third triumph as he claimed that he had now conquered the entire known world, having Triumphed for victories in Spain, Asia and Africa. The apluster and wheat-ear likely refer to Pompey's position as cura annonae in 57 B.C..

Roman Republic AR Denarius(18.5mm, 4.02 g, 9h), Faustus Cornelius Sulla, moneyer, 56 B.C., Rome mint. Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress; behind, SC and monogram, downwards / Globe surrounded by three small wreaths and one large wreath; apluster to lower left, stalk of grain to lower right. Crawford 426/4a; Sydenham 882; Cornelia 61; RBW 1529; Banti Cornelia 86/5(this coin).

Ex CNG Electronic Auction 525 session 1, 19 October 2022, lot 789, ex JS collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Spring Sale 2021, 10 May 2021, lot 1081, ex Dr Angelo Signorelli collection, part II, P.P. Santamaria, 4 June 1952, lot 329

 

4. If I ever post a top 10 list without at least 1 victoriatus you should probably congratulate me on having collected them all or try to figure out if someone is impersonating me. This victoriatus is from the "LT" series, previously thought to have been a later emission or a different workshop of Luceria but more recent analyses such as that by Andrew McCabe suggest LT to be the product of a separate mint, basically marking the transition of the Luceria mint's role to another, more convenient locale in Apulia closer to where the coin was needed during the Second Punic War. This victoriatus is part of a large hoard that's been dispersed by a handful of auction houses and dealers over the last 4 or 5 years, mostly in slabs. A lot of these were overpriced but this scarcer type was seemingly overlooked by a dealer who seemingly priced a bunch of victoriati by the slab grade, neglecting that some were scarcer types or were way better condition than others. Of course I have liberated it since purchase but I've neglected to get a better photo.

Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(3.81g), Anonymous("LT" series). ca. 214-212 B.C., Central Apulian mint, perhaps under Quintus Fabius Maximus filius at Herdonia. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath; LT between. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 98a/1b

 

3. I didn't add many Imperatorial coins this year but I really like the one Imperatorial denarius I did pick up. I actually added it to my watchlist in late 2021 and found the Rashleigh provenance listed below but felt it was still a bit on the expensive side until the falling Euro made it too cheap for me to resist. This denarius of Antony was struck Summer 38 BC in Athens. On the obverse of this coin is Antony, portrayed in the priestly robes and with the lituus of an Augur, likely Antony's attempt at stressing his adherence to traditional Republican values in opposition to Octavian who was driving towards autocracy. The reverse features a bust of Sol, a symbol of the East, in this case likely attempting to show that affairs in the East were still important to Antony, who had recently returned from Italy where he had been for much of 40 and 39 BC. 

Roman Imperatorial period AR Denarius(3.82g), Marcus Antonius, Summer 38 B.C., Athens. Marcus, veiled and wearing the priestly robes of an augur, standing right, holding lituus in right hand; M•ANTONIVS•M•F•M•N•AVGVR•I(MP)•TE(RT) around clockwise. Border of dots / Radiate head of Sol right; III•VIR•R•P•C•COS•DESIG•ITER•ET•TERT around clockwise. Border of dots. Sear HCRI 267; Crawford 533/2; BMCRR East 141; Banti Marcus Antonius 57/3(this coin)
Purchased from Numismatica Varesina, 8 July 2022, ex VL Nummus Auction 12, 15 September 2019, lot 87, ex Giuseppe De Falco FPL 51, December 1960, 272, ex John Cosmo Stuart Rashleigh Collection, Part I, Glendining, 14th-16th January 1953, lot 427.

 

2. The penultimate entry on my list is yet another victoriatus but this one is particularly special - probably my third favorite in my entire collection. This victoriatus is from a rare series not listed in Crawford but referred to as "91A"(due to some similarities with 91/1a and 1b) by Debernardi & Carbone in their paper on Hoards from Paestum. This series is relatively small, about 10 die pairs total, and, along with Crawford 91, is too rare to really say where it was minted since they only show up in a few isolated hoards and never in large numbers, but that just makes these coins all the more interesting to me.

Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(3.39g, 17mm, 8h). Anonymous. ca. 212 BC. Uncertain mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford - but cf Crawford 91/1b & see P. Debernardi & F. Carbone "The Ara Basilica and Smaller Victoriati Hoards from Paestum", NC 178(2018), pp 312, type 91A.
Ex Aes Rude Titano 42, 29 September 1990, 71

 

1. My top coin is probably no surprise to many of the members here. Its the first Roman silver coin, the first coin in my trays and really the first coin that is purely and entirely "Roman" in design since the two earlier struck Roman coins, 1/1 and 2/1 are in many ways, Neapolitan types with the name of Rome on them. Rather than copy some existing Neapolitan devices, on this type the Romans went with something entirely original: Mars, god of war and guardian of agriculture, and the Equus October or the October Horse, which would be sacrificed to Mars at the end of the connected warring and growing seasons. This type was minted right as Rome's conquest of the Italian peninsula was beginning and it's quite fitting that the first real "Roman" coinage would honor none other than the god of war himself.
This coin also has a wonderful old provenance to the Brunacci collection sold by P & P Santamaria in Rome in 1958. I don't alway demand provenances for my coins, but this was the most I've spent on a coin and certainly one of the centerpieces of my collection, so I was very happy I was able to find some sort of provenance for it to help sweeten the deal and help convince me to make that offer and get the coin.

Roman Republic AR Didrachm(7.27g, 6h), anonymous, circa 326-300 BC, Neapolis mint. Helmeted head of bearded Mars left; behind, oak-spray / Horse's head right on base; behind, corn-ear; on base, ROMANO. Crawford 13/1; Burnett 5(Ob/R2); BMCRR Romano-Campanian 1; Sydenham 1
Privately purchased from M.V. Collection on 15 September 2022, ex Count Luigi Brunacci Collection, P & P Santamaria 24-28 February 1958, lot 1

 

Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think and which ones are your favorites!

Edited December 19, 2022 by red_spork

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

That's quite an impressive list!  I don't think I have any Roma head denarii, something which I'll have to change in 2023.

I was going to vote Limetanus as my favorite of the list until I came across the lovely Faustus Cornelius Sulla.  My third favorite is the Marcus Antonius.

 

[akeady]

Congrats on a great year of coining!

ATB,
Aidan.

[panzerman]

You added some really supberb Republican coins to your collection. Thanks so much for sharing your treasures😊

John

[Di Nomos]

Number 1 definately my favourite. But I like numbers 5 & 7 also. Well done on a great year of collecting.

[DonnaML]

Wonderful coins. If I had to pick my favorites, I would choose 10, 9, 7 (one of the best Mamilius Limetanus denarii I've seen), and, of course, # 1. Congratulations! 

[ambr0zie]

A great year.

Choosing 3 - number 8 (a type I also intend to buy); number 7 - I also managed to get an example a few days ago. Extremely happy with it, although it is not in the same condition. It was on the top of the bucket list for me; and of course number 1, a coin very important historically and also beautiful, both in design and condition.

Edited December 19, 2022 by ambr0zie

[Qcumbor]

Your #1 would be mine too. I wouldn't mind getting # 5, 7 and 3 too should I be asked 

Great coin year 

Q

[Hughie Dwyer]

A great year for your collection! Lovely coins!

[Al Kowsky]

8 hours ago, red_spork said:

10. The first coin I'm sharing isn't a particularly rare one but it's a very pleasing example of the type and one I surprisingly found on eBay at a pretty reasonable price, thanks to a tip from a friend. This is an Anchor series denarius, a relatively early issue. The exact meaning of the anchor is not clear but the anchor also shows up on some earlier Roman currency bars and some later issues and seems to have been an important symbol.

Roman Republic AR Denarius(4.26g). Anonymous, first anchor series. Circa 209-208 B.C. Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, X. Border of dots / Dioscuri galloping right; below, anchor; in linear frame, ROMA. Line border. Crawford 50/2
Privately purchased 9 September 2022, ex Harlan J Berk Buy or Bid Sale 121, 10 July 2001, 262

 

9. The second coin I'm sharing is a type that I've been wanting to upgrade for quite some time and annoyed me every time I saw it in my trays, but I couldn't quite bring myself to sell my old example for some reason until I got an offer I couldn't refuse on this new example. This type is the anonymous(i.e. without letters) sibling of the C AL series from Sicily, a scarcer type that seemingly always comes with strike issues and on flans that are just a bit too tight for the dies they're struck with, and my new example still isn't perfect but I find it much more pleasing in my trays than my prior example. New example below with white background, old with black background.

Roman Republic AR Denarius(19mm, 4.47 g, 1h), anonymous(related to C AL series), 209-208 B.C., Sicilian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right with loop beneath visor; behind, X / The Dioscuri galloping right; below, ROMA in linear frame. Crawford 75/1c; Sydenham 191a; Russo RBW 321
Privately purchased from Michael Stolt, 28 October 2022, ex CNG e-Auction 514, 20 April 2022, lot 350

 

8. The third coin I'm sharing is an overstrike I've looked for a clear example of for years and it's probably the most "different" coin I'll be sharing from what I normally collect. This type features a facing head of Silenus on the obverse and a wreath surrounding MAKEΔONΩN on the reverse. The exact chronology of these mysterious types is debated, but I am a fan of Pierre MacKay's argument in ANSMN 14 that these should be placed in the period after the third Macedonian War. These types virtually always show signs of overstriking and, when the undertype can be deciphered as it can here(note the locks of hair at 9 o clock obverse and wings at 12 o clock, among other things), the undertypes are virtually always Roma/legend in wreath issues of the Roman quaestors Gaius Publilius or Lucius Fulcinnius. MacKay argues that these quaestors were striking coins under Lucius Aemilius Paullus directly following the end of the war, but that once word got to Rome, in an attempt to keep up the illusion of a free Macedon, the Roma-headed coins were recalled and overstruck with this Silenus design(the prominent D at the top of the obverse standing essentially for "deletion"). I disagree with the standard assumption that a D. Junius Silanus was responsible, I think the design could be somewhat arbitrary but I do think the overall narrative is correct.

Macedon under Roman Rule. Uncertain official(traditionally, D. Junius Silanus), Æ25 (9.96g), 167-165 BC. Facing mask of Silenos, wearing ivy wreath / MAKE/ΔONΩN in two lines, D above; all within oak wreath. MacKay, "Bronze Coinage In Macedonia, 168-166 BC," ANSMN 14 (1968), pl.III, 10; SNG Copenhagen 1324.

Overstruck on a quaestor Æof Gaius Publilius or Lucius Fulcinnius as evidenced by the Roma obverse undertype remnants at 9-12 o clock obverse

Privately purchased from NeroNumi via Vcoins, 10 June 2022, ex Gorny & Mosch Giessener Münzhandlung Auction 220, 11 March 2014, 1249

 

7. Another example of a coin that's common but has eluded me for years is a nice denarius of C Mamilius Limetanus. This type is a perfect example of the explosion of personal types you see in the period after the Social War. This moneyer's family claimed descent from Telegonus(and thus, Odysseus) and celebrated the famous scene from the Odyssey where Odysseus, having returned in disguise as a beggar after 20 years, is  only recognized by his old dog Argos, who wags his tail and looks at his master one last time to greet him before passing away. It's a touching scene for dog lovers like me. Given the timing of this issue I can't help but wonder if there weren't also some subtle undertones about the return of Sulla baked into this design, but this is all debated and I can't really do that discussion justice here.

Roman Republic AR Denarius serratus(3.72g), 82 BC, Rome mint. C Mamilius Limetanus, moneyer. Draped bust of Mercury right, wearing winged petasus; caduceus over left shoulder and behind, I / C·MAMIL – LIMETAN; Ulysses standing right, holding staff and extending his right hand to his dog, Argus. Crawford 362/1

Privately purchased from the personal collection of Edgar L. Owen 31 January 2022, ex Numismatica Ars Classica 64, 17 May 2012, 2304

 

6. Another overstrike! I really like overstrikes and I knew I wanted this one as soon as I saw it. This is a very clear McCabe Group H1 semis ovesrtruck on captured Carthaginian Tanit left/Horse issue from about the middle of the Second Punic War. While Rome-over-Carthage overstrikes of smaller denominations are quite common, enough that you can find group lots of them from time to time, Hersh & Crawford only cite a single example of an approximately uncial weight semis overstrike on a Carthaginian coin in the Scullard collection. In about 8 and a half years of collecting and focusing on overstrikes, this is the only example I've ever seen offered, so I was stoked to be able to acquire it.

Roman Republic Æ Semis(11.47g, 27mm). Anonymous, after 211 BC, mint in Southern Italy, Sicily or Sardinia. Laureate head of Saturn right, S behind/Prow of galley right, S above, ROMA below. McCabe Anonymous group H1(half weight overstrikes); Cf. Crawford 56/3
Overstruck on Carthaginian bronze with head of Tanit left/Horse standing right, head turned left. For overstrike, cf Hersh, Numismatic Chronicle 1953, 6; Crawford, overstrikes 31.
Purchased from Lucernae, 14 July 2022

 

5. There's a lot to like about this coin: interesting moneyer, interesting devices, great provenance, great surfaces(minus a couple small bankers marks) and really beautiful toning. The type was minted by the moneyer Faustus Cornelius Sulla, son of the Dictator Sulla, in 56 B.C..The three small wreaths on the reverse refer to Pompey's three triumphs, and the larger one to the Corona Aurea(gold crown) he was awarded in 63 B.C.. The globe probably refers to the globe carried in Pompey's third triumph as he claimed that he had now conquered the entire known world, having Triumphed for victories in Spain, Asia and Africa. The apluster and wheat-ear likely refer to Pompey's position as cura annonae in 57 B.C..

Roman Republic AR Denarius(18.5mm, 4.02 g, 9h), Faustus Cornelius Sulla, moneyer, 56 B.C., Rome mint. Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress; behind, SC and monogram, downwards / Globe surrounded by three small wreaths and one large wreath; apluster to lower left, stalk of grain to lower right. Crawford 426/4a; Sydenham 882; Cornelia 61; RBW 1529; Banti Cornelia 86/5(this coin).

Ex CNG Electronic Auction 525 session 1, 19 October 2022, lot 789, ex JS collection, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Spring Sale 2021, 10 May 2021, lot 1081, ex Dr Angelo Signorelli collection, part II, P.P. Santamaria, 4 June 1952, lot 329

 

4. If I ever post a top 10 list without at least 1 victoriatus you should probably congratulate me on having collected them all or try to figure out if someone is impersonating me. This victoriatus is from the "LT" series, previously thought to have been a later emission or a different workshop of Luceria but more recent analyses such as that by Andrew McCabe suggest LT to be the product of a separate mint, basically marking the transition of the Luceria mint's role to another, more convenient locale in Apulia closer to where the coin was needed during the Second Punic War. This victoriatus is part of a large hoard that's been dispersed by a handful of auction houses and dealers over the last 4 or 5 years, mostly in slabs. A lot of these were overpriced but this scarcer type was seemingly overlooked by a dealer who seemingly priced a bunch of victoriati by the slab grade, neglecting that some were scarcer types or were way better condition than others. Of course I have liberated it since purchase but I've neglected to get a better photo.

Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(3.81g), Anonymous("LT" series). ca. 214-212 B.C., Central Apulian mint, perhaps under Quintus Fabius Maximus filius at Herdonia. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath; LT between. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 98a/1b

 

3. I didn't add many Imperatorial coins this year but I really like the one Imperatorial denarius I did pick up. I actually added it to my watchlist in late 2021 and found the Rashleigh provenance listed below but felt it was still a bit on the expensive side until the falling Euro made it too cheap for me to resist. This denarius of Antony was struck Summer 38 BC in Athens. On the obverse of this coin is Antony, portrayed in the priestly robes and with the lituus of an Augur, likely Antony's attempt at stressing his adherence to traditional Republican values in opposition to Octavian who was driving towards autocracy. The reverse features a bust of Sol, a symbol of the East, in this case likely attempting to show that affairs in the East were still important to Antony, who had recently returned from Italy where he had been for much of 40 and 39 BC. 

Roman Imperatorial period AR Denarius(3.82g), Marcus Antonius, Summer 38 B.C., Athens. Marcus, veiled and wearing the priestly robes of an augur, standing right, holding lituus in right hand; M•ANTONIVS•M•F•M•N•AVGVR•I(MP)•TE(RT) around clockwise. Border of dots / Radiate head of Sol right; III•VIR•R•P•C•COS•DESIG•ITER•ET•TERT around clockwise. Border of dots. Sear HCRI 267; Crawford 533/2; BMCRR East 141; Banti Marcus Antonius 57/3(this coin)
Purchased from Numismatica Varesina, 8 July 2022, ex VL Nummus Auction 12, 15 September 2019, lot 87, ex Giuseppe De Falco FPL 51, December 1960, 272, ex John Cosmo Stuart Rashleigh Collection, Part I, Glendining, 14th-16th January 1953, lot 427.

 

2. The penultimate entry on my list is yet another victoriatus but this one is particularly special - probably my third favorite in my entire collection. This victoriatus is from a rare series not listed in Crawford but referred to as "91A"(due to some similarities with 91/1a and 1b) by Debernardi & Carbone in their paper on Hoards from Paestum. This series is relatively small, about 10 die pairs total, and, along with Crawford 91, is too rare to really say where it was minted since they only show up in a few isolated hoards and never in large numbers, but that just makes these coins all the more interesting to me.

Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(3.39g, 17mm, 8h). Anonymous. ca. 212 BC. Uncertain mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford - but cf Crawford 91/1b & see P. Debernardi & F. Carbone "The Ara Basilica and Smaller Victoriati Hoards from Paestum", NC 178(2018), pp 312, type 91A.
Ex Aes Rude Titano 42, 29 September 1990, 71

 

1. My top coin is probably no surprise to many of the members here. Its the first Roman silver coin, the first coin in my trays and really the first coin that is purely and entirely "Roman" in design since the two earlier struck Roman coins, 1/1 and 2/1 are in many ways, Neapolitan types with the name of Rome on them. Rather than copy some existing Neapolitan devices, on this type the Romans went with something entirely original: Mars, god of war and guardian of agriculture, and the Equus October or the October Horse, which would be sacrificed to Mars at the end of the connected warring and growing seasons. This type was minted right as Rome's conquest of the Italian peninsula was beginning and it's quite fitting that the first real "Roman" coinage would honor none other than the god of war himself.
This coin also has a wonderful old provenance to the Brunacci collection sold by P & P Santamaria in Rome in 1958. I don't alway demand provenances for my coins, but this was the most I've spent on a coin and certainly one of the centerpieces of my collection, so I was very happy I was able to find some sort of provenance for it to help sweeten the deal and help convince me to make that offer and get the coin.

Roman Republic AR Didrachm(7.27g, 6h), anonymous, circa 326-300 BC, Neapolis mint. Helmeted head of bearded Mars left; behind, oak-spray / Horse's head right on base; behind, corn-ear; on base, ROMANO. Crawford 13/1; Burnett 5(Ob/R2); BMCRR Romano-Campanian 1; Sydenham 1
Privately purchased from M.V. Collection on 15 September 2022, ex Count Luigi Brunacci Collection, P & P Santamaria 24-28 February 1958, lot 1

 

Thanks for reading and please let me know what you think and which ones are your favorites!

Red, You made some wonderful additions this year, & the Roman didrachm is my favorite 😍! The standing horse & horse head were favorite reverse types on Siculo-Punic coinage too.

[El Cazador]

I particularly like #7

[Ursus]

Excellent list! I particularly like the Rome-on-Carthage overstrike, followed closely by the Faustus Cornelius Sulla denarius.

[Limes]

Great coins, congratulations on a good collecting year! My favorite is your no. 3, which not only matches my collecting interest, but is also a splendid coin! Second coin I would like to mention is your no. 5. Great coin which is also historical very interesting.

have a great 2023!