savitale's Top 10 of 2023

[savitale]

savitale’s Top 10 coins of 2023

I have had the pleasure of reviewing many of the 2023 Top Coin lists these past couple days. I have learned quite a lot from those, both about the coins themselves and about the people who collect them. This year was numismatically quite good to me and so quite unexpectedly I find myself with enough new coins from my Roman Imperial collection to offer my own Top 10 list.

The coins below are in chronological order, since that seems appropriate for a Roman Imperial collection. Feel free to leave comments including which, if any, you enjoy.

 

1.      Augustus (r. 27 BC – 14 AD)

Description from Edward J. Waddell:

Augustus, 27 B.C.-14 A.D. AR Denarius, 3.78g. 20mm. Spanish mint, c.19 B.C. CAESAR AVGVSTVS. Bare head of Augustus to right. Rev. OB CIVIS SERVATOS. SPQR CL V on shield surrounded by oak wreath. RIC 79a. BMC 381. BN 1144. Virtually as struck with luster under iridescent toning.

Ex Hirsch, Munich, Auction April 26, 1954, lot 155.

Ex UBS, Zurich, Auction 78, September 9, 2008, lot 1307.

Ex Edward J. Waddell, 12 January 2023, Inv. No. 52936.

 

Probably the most important two things I look for are a fine portrait and complete obverse legends. Though Augustus reigned for 41 years, I find surprisingly few of his coins have nice portraits. I was enamored enough by the obverse that I was willing to compromise on an off-center reverse.

 

2.      Nero (r. 54 – 68 AD)

Description from NAC:

 

Nero augustus, 54 – 68. Denarius circa 64-65, AR 3.51 g. NERO CAESAR – AVGVSTVS Laureate head r. Rev. IVPPITER – CVSTOS Jupiter seated l., holding thunderbolt and sceptre. C 119. BMC 74. RIC 53. CBN 220. A bold portrait of excellent style and a superb old cabinet tone. A minor area of weakness on reverse, otherwise virtually as struck and almost FDC.

Ex. NAC Auction 138, May 18-19, 2023

 

If you ask any member of the general public to name a Roman emperor, they would probably be most likely to say “Nero”, if they could name any one at all. So if I had to show non-numismatic folks one coin from my collection it would be this one. So I decided to splurge on what I consider to be a very attractive example.

 

3.      Vespasian (r. 69 – 79 AD)

Description from CNG:

Vespasian. AD 69-79. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.32 g, 6h). Ephesus mint. Struck AD 69-70. IMP • CAES VESPAS • AVG, laureate head right / CONCORDIΛ ΛVG, Ceres seated left on ornate, high-backed chair, holding poppy and grain ears in right hand and cornucopia in left; sideways (Φ) in exergue. RIC II.1 1400 (this coin cited and illustrated); RPC II 809; RSC 65c; cf. BMCRE 434A. Light iridescent tone. Choice EF. Struck from dies of artistic merit. Rare.

Ex. Roma XVIII (29 September 2019), lot 1117

Ex. Gorny & Mosch 126 (14 October 2003), lot 2325

Ex. CNG Triton XXVI Lot 732, 01/11/2023

 

Vespasian denarii come in two major portrait types: Eastern and Western. The Western is more severe and the Eastern is, well, plumper. I have a slight preference for the Eastern type and so this example, with the nicely detailed reverse, fit the bill.

 

4.      Titus (r. 79-81)

Description from Davisson’s:

Titus. A.D. 79-81. AR denarius. 3.52 gm. 17.5 mm. Rome mint. Struck 1 January-30 June A.D. 80. His laureate head right; IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M / Tripod with fillets; above, dolphin right on wreath, flanked by raven left and right; TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P. RIC II.1 131 (Rare). RSC 323a. Mint State; exceptionally crisply struck with lustrous minty surfaces; very light mark in obverse field before chin; upper right of tripod not fully struck (perhaps due to clogged die), and very fine die polishing marks on reverse. In remarkable condition. Fine style.

Ex. Davisson’s, E-Auction 47 Lot 97, 9/6/2023

 

Coins of Titus are very common. But nice Titus portraits are not, most of them leave me flat. This one is quite good, relatively speaking, but it is the technical qualities that make this coin. Except for a minor filled die on the reverse it is superbly struck, and the surfaces are absolutely proof-like.

 

 

5.      Hadrian (r. 117 – 138 AD)

Description from Leu:

Hadrian, 117-138. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.62 g, 6 h), Rome, circa 121. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG Laureate and draped bust of Hadrian to right. Rev. P M TR P COS III / LIB - PVB Libertas standing front, head to left, holding pileus in her right hand and long scepter in her left. BMC 289. Cohen 907. RIC 373. Lustrous and beautifully toned, a splendid piece. Virtually as struck.

Ex. the Mark and Lottie Salton Collection, Künker 377, 20 October 2022, 5814.

Ex. Leu Fixed Price List 1, 1/12/2023

 

The only reason Hadrian is tough in a one-per-emperor collection is because you know a better one will always come along eventually. This example will be difficult to beat however, with essentially perfect centering and strike. I found this coin in person at NYINC this year and it is the only coin I bought off the bourse floor.

 

 

6.      Commodus (r. 177 – 192 AD)

From NGC label:

Commodus AD 177 – 192. AR Denarius (3.25g). Rev. Salus feeds snake rising from altar. MS Strike 4/5. Surface 4/5.

Ex. Sarasota Rare Coin Galleries, 8/9/2023

 

This Commodus has spectacular rainbow toning on the obverse and a hint of the same on the reverse. The contrast with the white fields produces exceptional eye appeal, and so I was willing to compromise a bit on the obverse legend.

 

7.      Gordian I (r. 238 AD)

Description from Edward J. Waddell:

Gordian I, Africanus, 238 A.D. AR Denarius, 3.05g. 20mm. IMP M ANT GORDIANVS AFR AVG. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Gordian to right. Rev. P M TR P COS P P. Emperor standing to left holding branch and parazonium. BMC 1. RIC 1.  Attractive toning with underlying luster and excellent metal quality. Extremely Fine / about Extremely Fine

Ex: Numismatic Fine Arts, Beverly Hillis, Auction XX, March 9, 1988, lot 334.

Ex: Superior, Los Angeles, Auction, August 13, 1995, lot 911.

Ex. Ed Waddell, inv. 56376, 4/17/2023

 

Although not rare and often found with good centering and strike, Gordian coinage is interesting in that it occurs near the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century. Gordian coins do not show the same abasement as later 3^rd century issues but we do find that many examples have poor metal quality. This one is in atypically good metal.

 

8.      Aemilian (r. 253 AD)

 

Description from CGB:

Aemilian Antoninien, 253, Roma, billon 350 ‰,  20,5 mm, 6 h, 3,22 g, Rarity: R2. IMP CAES AEMILIANVS P F AVG Buste radié, drapé et cuirassé d'Émilien à droite, vu de trois quarts en arrière (A2) / VIRTVS AVG Virtus (la Virilité) debout à gauche, tenant une longue haste de la main gauche et une branche d’olivier de la main droite. Superbe exemplaire, idéalement centré des deux côtés. Buste de toute beauté, finement détaillé. Patine grise. CATALOGUE REFERENCES: C.59 - RIC.22 - RCV.9849.

Ex. CGB Live Auction 05 December 2023, lot 684239

 

Moving deeper into the “Crisis”, it becomes harder to find finely executed coins. Aemilian can be quite tough to find with a nice portrait and a complete legend. All things considered, I suspect it will prove very difficult to improve upon the obverse of this Aemilian, so I compromised on the weak reverse.

 

9.      Constantine I (r. 309 – 337 AD) 

Description from Kunker:

Constantine I 306-337. Au-Solidus, 320/321, Ticinum; 4.46g. head r. with laurel wreath//Concordia seated l. with caduceus and cornucopia. RIC 101. R Good Very Fine.

Ex. NAC 46, Zürich 2008, Nr. 1167.

Ex. Kunker Auction 383, Lot 2133, 3/17/2023

 

I plan to collect the coins through the 3^rd century in denarii or antoninianii, and the remainder in soldii when solidii are available. A Choice Constantine I solidus is out of reach for me, so tradeoffs have to be made. This example has excellent centering, strike, and artistry, in my opinion. The tradeoff is that it has some honest wear, which I am very comfortable with. Coins were made to circulate, after all. For some reason I’m not a fan of the “eyes to God” Constantine design, so the present one is a great fit for my collection.

 

10.  Valentinian II (r. 375 – 392 AD)

Description from Edward J. Waddell:

Valentinian II. AV Solidus, 4.51g., 21mm. Antioch. Struck 9 Aug AD 378 – Aug. 383. RIC IX 39a 1. Deperot 42/1. Biaggi 2296.

Ex: MDC Monaco 7, June 12, 2021, lot 57

Ex. Ed Waddell, inv. 56763

 

In contrast to the Constantine I, here Valentinian II is basically a no-compromises coin except for the die break at the top of the obverse which personally I don’t find distracting at all. If you like crisp, shiny solidi, this one’s for you.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by savitale
typos, extra photos for some reason

[Curtisimo]

Beautiful coins @savitale. My favorites are the Augustus and Nero denarii.

[lordmarcovan]

I'm on the bandwagon with the crowd-pleasing Nero denarius.

Gordian I... wow!  And Aemilian, too!  And gold!  The Valentinian II solidus is beautiful.

[David Atherton]

Many numismatists agree that the climax of Roman coin artistry dates from Nero to Vespasian, your denarii perfectly illustrate why. Superb coins!

[ambr0zie]

2,3,4 are the best from the best, from my side. 

[Limes]

Fanastic issues, that's some amazing quality put together. I agree with David above; my absolute favorites are your Nero and Titus denarii, those portraits are simply amazing. Have a great 2024!

[El Cazador]

10 hours ago, savitale said:

savitale’s Top 10 coins of 2023

I have had the pleasure of reviewing many of the 2023 Top Coin lists these past couple days. I have learned quite a lot from those, both about the coins themselves and about the people who collect them. This year was numismatically quite good to me and so quite unexpectedly I find myself with enough new coins from my Roman Imperial collection to offer my own Top 10 list.

The coins below are in chronological order, since that seems appropriate for a Roman Imperial collection. Feel free to leave comments including which, if any, you enjoy.

 

1.      Augustus (r. 27 BC – 14 AD)

Description from Edward J. Waddell:

Augustus, 27 B.C.-14 A.D. AR Denarius, 3.78g. 20mm. Spanish mint, c.19 B.C. CAESAR AVGVSTVS. Bare head of Augustus to right. Rev. OB CIVIS SERVATOS. SPQR CL V on shield surrounded by oak wreath. RIC 79a. BMC 381. BN 1144. Virtually as struck with luster under iridescent toning.

Ex Hirsch, Munich, Auction April 26, 1954, lot 155.

Ex UBS, Zurich, Auction 78, September 9, 2008, lot 1307.

Ex Edward J. Waddell, 12 January 2023, Inv. No. 52936.

 

Probably the most important two things I look for are a fine portrait and complete obverse legends. Though Augustus reigned for 41 years, I find surprisingly few of his coins have nice portraits. I was enamored enough by the obverse that I was willing to compromise on an off-center reverse.

 

2.      Nero (r. 54 – 68 AD)

Description from NAC:

 

Nero augustus, 54 – 68. Denarius circa 64-65, AR 3.51 g. NERO CAESAR – AVGVSTVS Laureate head r. Rev. IVPPITER – CVSTOS Jupiter seated l., holding thunderbolt and sceptre. C 119. BMC 74. RIC 53. CBN 220. A bold portrait of excellent style and a superb old cabinet tone. A minor area of weakness on reverse, otherwise virtually as struck and almost FDC.

Ex. NAC Auction 138, May 18-19, 2023

 

If you ask any member of the general public to name a Roman emperor, they would probably be most likely to say “Nero”, if they could name any one at all. So if I had to show non-numismatic folks one coin from my collection it would be this one. So I decided to splurge on what I consider to be a very attractive example.

 

3.      Vespasian (r. 69 – 79 AD)

Description from CNG:

Vespasian. AD 69-79. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.32 g, 6h). Ephesus mint. Struck AD 69-70. IMP • CAES VESPAS • AVG, laureate head right / CONCORDIΛ ΛVG, Ceres seated left on ornate, high-backed chair, holding poppy and grain ears in right hand and cornucopia in left; sideways (Φ) in exergue. RIC II.1 1400 (this coin cited and illustrated); RPC II 809; RSC 65c; cf. BMCRE 434A. Light iridescent tone. Choice EF. Struck from dies of artistic merit. Rare.

Ex. Roma XVIII (29 September 2019), lot 1117

Ex. Gorny & Mosch 126 (14 October 2003), lot 2325

Ex. CNG Triton XXVI Lot 732, 01/11/2023

 

Vespasian denarii come in two major portrait types: Eastern and Western. The Western is more severe and the Eastern is, well, plumper. I have a slight preference for the Eastern type and so this example, with the nicely detailed reverse, fit the bill.

 

4.      Titus (r. 79-81)

Description from Davisson’s:

Titus. A.D. 79-81. AR denarius. 3.52 gm. 17.5 mm. Rome mint. Struck 1 January-30 June A.D. 80. His laureate head right; IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M / Tripod with fillets; above, dolphin right on wreath, flanked by raven left and right; TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P. RIC II.1 131 (Rare). RSC 323a. Mint State; exceptionally crisply struck with lustrous minty surfaces; very light mark in obverse field before chin; upper right of tripod not fully struck (perhaps due to clogged die), and very fine die polishing marks on reverse. In remarkable condition. Fine style.

Ex. Davisson’s, E-Auction 47 Lot 97, 9/6/2023

 

Coins of Titus are very common. But nice Titus portraits are not, most of them leave me flat. This one is quite good, relatively speaking, but it is the technical qualities that make this coin. Except for a minor filled die on the reverse it is superbly struck, and the surfaces are absolutely proof-like.

 

 

5.      Hadrian (r. 117 – 138 AD)

Description from Leu:

Hadrian, 117-138. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 3.62 g, 6 h), Rome, circa 121. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG Laureate and draped bust of Hadrian to right. Rev. P M TR P COS III / LIB - PVB Libertas standing front, head to left, holding pileus in her right hand and long scepter in her left. BMC 289. Cohen 907. RIC 373. Lustrous and beautifully toned, a splendid piece. Virtually as struck.

Ex. the Mark and Lottie Salton Collection, Künker 377, 20 October 2022, 5814.

Ex. Leu Fixed Price List 1, 1/12/2023

 

The only reason Hadrian is tough in a one-per-emperor collection is because you know a better one will always come along eventually. This example will be difficult to beat however, with essentially perfect centering and strike. I found this coin in person at NYINC this year and it is the only coin I bought off the bourse floor.

 

 

6.      Commodus (r. 177 – 192 AD)

From NGC label:

Commodus AD 177 – 192. AR Denarius (3.25g). Rev. Salus feeds snake rising from altar. MS Strike 4/5. Surface 4/5.

Ex. Sarasota Rare Coin Galleries, 8/9/2023

 

This Commodus has spectacular rainbow toning on the obverse and a hint of the same on the reverse. The contrast with the white fields produces exceptional eye appeal, and so I was willing to compromise a bit on the obverse legend.

 

7.      Gordian I (r. 238 AD)

Description from Edward J. Waddell:

Gordian I, Africanus, 238 A.D. AR Denarius, 3.05g. 20mm. IMP M ANT GORDIANVS AFR AVG. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Gordian to right. Rev. P M TR P COS P P. Emperor standing to left holding branch and parazonium. BMC 1. RIC 1.  Attractive toning with underlying luster and excellent metal quality. Extremely Fine / about Extremely Fine

Ex: Numismatic Fine Arts, Beverly Hillis, Auction XX, March 9, 1988, lot 334.

Ex: Superior, Los Angeles, Auction, August 13, 1995, lot 911.

Ex. Ed Waddell, inv. 56376, 4/17/2023

 

Although not rare and often found with good centering and strike, Gordian coinage is interesting in that it occurs near the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century. Gordian coins do not show the same abasement as later 3^rd century issues but we do find that many examples have poor metal quality. This one is in atypically good metal.

 

8.      Aemilian (r. 253 AD)

 

Description from CGB:

Aemilian Antoninien, 253, Roma, billon 350 ‰,  20,5 mm, 6 h, 3,22 g, Rarity: R2. IMP CAES AEMILIANVS P F AVG Buste radié, drapé et cuirassé d'Émilien à droite, vu de trois quarts en arrière (A2) / VIRTVS AVG Virtus (la Virilité) debout à gauche, tenant une longue haste de la main gauche et une branche d’olivier de la main droite. Superbe exemplaire, idéalement centré des deux côtés. Buste de toute beauté, finement détaillé. Patine grise. CATALOGUE REFERENCES: C.59 - RIC.22 - RCV.9849.

Ex. CGB Live Auction 05 December 2023, lot 684239

 

Moving deeper into the “Crisis”, it becomes harder to find finely executed coins. Aemilian can be quite tough to find with a nice portrait and a complete legend. All things considered, I suspect it will prove very difficult to improve upon the obverse of this Aemilian, so I compromised on the weak reverse.

 

9.      Constantine I (r. 309 – 337 AD) 

Description from Kunker:

Constantine I 306-337. Au-Solidus, 320/321, Ticinum; 4.46g. head r. with laurel wreath//Concordia seated l. with caduceus and cornucopia. RIC 101. R Good Very Fine.

Ex. NAC 46, Zürich 2008, Nr. 1167.

Ex. Kunker Auction 383, Lot 2133, 3/17/2023

 

I plan to collect the coins through the 3^rd century in denarii or antoninianii, and the remainder in soldii when solidii are available. A Choice Constantine I solidus is out of reach for me, so tradeoffs have to be made. This example has excellent centering, strike, and artistry, in my opinion. The tradeoff is that it has some honest wear, which I am very comfortable with. Coins were made to circulate, after all. For some reason I’m not a fan of the “eyes to God” Constantine design, so the present one is a great fit for my collection.

 

10.  Valentinian II (r. 375 – 392 AD)

Description from Edward J. Waddell:

Valentinian II. AV Solidus, 4.51g., 21mm. Antioch. Struck 9 Aug AD 378 – Aug. 383. RIC IX 39a 1. Deperot 42/1. Biaggi 2296.

Ex: MDC Monaco 7, June 12, 2021, lot 57

Ex. Ed Waddell, inv. 56763

 

In contrast to the Constantine I, here Valentinian II is basically a no-compromises coin except for the die break at the top of the obverse which personally I don’t find distracting at all. If you like crisp, shiny solidi, this one’s for you.

Wow, what a fantastic selection, Nero takes a prime spot for me, followed by Augustus 

[Al Kowsky]

savitale, Great additions 🤩! My favorites are #7, 2, & 9 😍.

[DonnaML]

Fantastic coins! 1, 2, and 5 are my favorites, with 9 close behind. 

[singig]

So many beautiful cons  ! , if I will have to chosse I will take the first five coins. Congratulations !

[Di Nomos]

Magnificent coins. I don't collect Roman, but know top quality when I see it. All 10 are great, but my favourites are currently 1, 2, 3, 10 & 9; in that order. Order subject to change as they are all beautiful!

Well done on these excellent additions to your collection.

[panzerman]

 

i have a tough time picking 3/ since all are magnificent. But after looking at them again and again/ my picks are the Titus and the Vespasian Denari/ and the Constantine I Solidus.

Thanks for showing them to us!

John

[savitale]

18 hours ago, David Atherton said:

Many numismatists agree that the climax of Roman coin artistry dates from Nero to Vespasian, your denarii perfectly illustrate why. Superb coins!

Thanks for the comment, I never really thought about an "apex" in Roman coin art. I guess I am still a bit of a Greek coin snob even though I don't collect them. When I see a nice Roman portrait I can't help but think to myself, "That's a beautiful coin, it could almost be Greek." 😄  Your comment makes be want to revisit that attitude ...

[Qcumbor]

Scrolling down your post I thought : Hey, that Augustus is great, then, Wow, that Nero is fantastic, then, OMG that Vespasian is to die for, and so on until the end. An overall great selection. My preferred one is the Vespasian because ephesus mint did a tremendous job back then, followed by the Nero and the Gordian I

Thanks for sharing those beauties

Q

[Shea19]

Fantastic list! The Nero, Augustus and Vespasian are all beautiful, and that Gordian I(!) is amazing.  I think my favorite is actually the Aemilian…I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in that condition with a great portrait AND a full legend, great find!

[Octavius]

All magnificent . I can't imagine a more beautiful Nero denarius.

[SimonW]

That's an amaizing list, @savitale! My favorites are your Augustus, Nero and Hadrian denarii.

[savitale]

Thank you so much for the comments everyone. I have really enjoyed looking at all the 2023 lists and seeing what folks like to collect. Numismatics can be a somewhat lonely hobby, in a way, so it is great to be able to connect with other hobbyists virtually.