My Top 10 Ancient Coins of 2023

[Kazuma78]

Now that 2023 is through, I'll post my top 10 list here for posterity, even though I haven't been on the forums much this year and spend more of my time in the specialized ancients Facebook groups.

I was able to add about 36 coins this year for my collection and there were lots of runners up for the last few slots, so I'll sneak in a couple extra above my top 10. Feeling blessed for all the pieces I was able to add!


#1) SICILY, Syracuse. Agathokles. 317-289 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm, 17.05 g). Struck circa 317-310 BC. Wreathed head of Arethousa left; three dolphins around; ΦI below neck / Charioteer driving quadriga left; triskeles above, AI monogram in exergue. Ierardi 73 (O13/R47); BAR Issue 2; HGC 2, 1348; SNG München 1209 (same dies). Beautifully toned and with lustrous surfaces.

Ex. Gorny & Mosch Auction 114, Lot 26 (March 4, 2002)


#2) Zeugitania, Carthage. Time of Hannibal (213-210 BC). AR half-shekel (3.44g, 19mm). Second Punic War issue, for the Sicilian campaign. Carthage or uncertain mint in Sicily, ca. 213-210 BC. Laureate male head left (Melqart, Hannibal, or Mago?); dotted border Reverse: African elephant advancing right; alef (Phoenician) in exergue, linear border. A. Burnett, SNR 62 (1983), 123. E. S. G. Robinson, "Punic Coins of Spain and their Bearing on the Roman Republican Series,"Essays Mattingly series 8b, pl. III (Gades). SNG Copenhagen 383. Solidly struck from fine style dies, with deep colorful iridescent cabinet toning on excellent metal. Superb Extremely Fine.

From the Century Collection. Ex Stack's (10 June 1996), 147.


#3) Macedonian Kingdom, Demetrius I Poliorcetes (306-283 BC). AR tetradrachm (29mm, 17.21 gm). Pella, 294-293 BC. Nike standing left on prow of galley left, sounding trumpet in right hand, stylis cradled in left arm; eye on prow, waves below / ΔΗΜΗΤΡΙΟΥ-ΒΑ-ΣΙΛΕΩ-Σ, Poseidon, nude, striding left, seen from behind, net draped over extended left arm, preparing to throw trident with right hand; ZΩ monogram in left field, dolphin left above eight-pointed star in right field. Dewing 1196. Newell Demetrius, 68 and pl. VI, 18. Lustrous flan with areas of golden toning.

Ex. CNG Mail Bid Sale 60 (May 22, 2002), Lot 361


#4) IONIA. Teos. Ca. 460-420 BC. AR stater (25mm, 11.76 gm). T-H-I-O-N (N retrograde), griffin seated right on ground line, left foreleg raised, beak open; panther head seen from above below raised foreleg / Quadripartite incuse square with stippled surfaces. Balcer, SNR 47, 103. BMC 19. A magnificent example of the type boasting devices struck from fresh Fine Style dies on lustrous surfaces and excellent metal. Virtually as struck and almost FDC.

Ex. NAC Sale 10 (1996), lot 241.


#5) Greek, Kings of Lydia. Alyattes to Kroisos, circa 610-546 BC. Trite (Electrum, 11 mm, 4.74 g), Sardes. Head of a lion with sun and rays on its forehead to right. Rev. Two incuse squares, one larger than the other. SNG Kayhan 1013. SNG von Aulock 2868-9. Weidauer 86-9. A very well centered and unusually complete example. EF.


#6) Kings of Pontos. Mithradates VI Eupator AV Stater (20mm, 8.61 g). First Mithradatic War issue. In the name and types of Lysimachos of Thrace. Byzantion mint. Struck circa 88-86 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon / Athena Nikephoros seated left, left arm resting on shield, spear diagonally in background; monogram to inner left; in exergue, ornate trident left with dolphins above and below trident shaft. Callataÿ p. 142, dies D4/R3(?). Superb Mint State and high relief.

Ex. Ed Waddell Auction 101 (December 19, 2005) Lot 4


#7) Thessaly, Larissa, drachm, c. 350-300 BC, head of nymph Larissa facing three-quarters left, wearing diadem and plain necklace, rev., ΛΑΡΙΣ-ΑΙΩΝ, horse feeding to right, left foreleg raised, 6.10g, die axis 10.00 (BMC 58; SNG Copenhagen 121), toned and extremely fine.

Ex. NFA 18 (3/31/87) Lot 139


#8) Central Europe, East Noricum AR Tetradrachm. 12.91g, 23mm, Warasdin Type A. Circa 2nd - 1st century BC. Male ('Apollo') head wearing three-strand pearl diadem to left / Horse prancing to left; Venetian script above. Göbl, TKN pl. 19, 6 (same dies) [21/77]; Lanz 154, Kostial 154, Flesche 510.
EF with beautiful iridescent cabinet tone highlighting some of the devices and with an old unidentified dealer ticket. Very Rare.


#9) Kings of Thrace, Lysimachos. 305-281 BC. AR Tetradrachm (28mm, 17.21 g). Pella mint. Struck circa 286/5-282/1 BC. Diademed head of the deified Alexander right, with horn of Ammon / Athena Nikephoros seated left, left arm resting on shield, spear behind; HP monogram to outer left, monogram to outer right. Thompson 248; Müller 353 var. (position of outer right monogram). Lustrous with some iridescent toning.

Ex. Gorny and Mosch Auction 112, lot 4066 (October 2001)

Ex. Jonathan Kern with old dealers tag


#10) SICILY. Syracuse. Fifth Republic (Democracy). 214-212 BC. AR 8-litrai (22mm, 6.79 gm, 3h). Head of Athena left, hair flowing in waves, tied at back and upswept at temple, wearing pendant earring and beaded necklace with crested Corinthian helmet pushed back on head / ΣΥΡΑΚΟΣΙΩΝ, winged thunderbolt; ΞΑ below. SNG Copenhagen 880. SNG ANS 1046. SNG Lockett 1023

[Kazuma78]

#11) KINGS OF MACEDON. Alexander III ‘the Great’, 336-323 BC. AR Tetradrachm (25 mm, 17.24 g), Amphipolis, struck under Antipater, circa 325-323/2. Head of Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress. Rev. AΛEΞANΔPOY Zeus seated left on low throne, holding long scepter in his left hand and eagle standing right with closed wings in his right; in field to left, crescent. Price 89. A fresh, clear and well struck lustrous example with some light cabinet toning. Mint State.

Ex. Ed Waddell FPL 36, lot 26 (January 1989)



#12) Sicily, Syracuse, AR litra, c. 466-460 BC, ΣΥΡΑ, pearl-diademed head of Arethusa right wearing earring and necklace, rev., octopus, 0.81g, die axis 3.00 (Boehringer 449-467, dies unlisted; SNG Ashmolean 1952; SNG ANS 130), toned, sharp and extremely fine
Ex. Munzen & Medaillen Auction 494 (11/1/1986) lot 23



#13) Lucania, Velia AR Stater. Circa 300-280 BC. 7.46g, Philistion group. Helmeted head of Athena to right, helmet decorated with wing; AH monogram behind neck guard, Φ before neck / Lion standing to right; above, grain ear between Φ and I, Π beneath lion; YEΛHTΩN in exergue. Williams 478 (O238/R337); SNG Copenhagen 1578 (same dies); SNG ANS 1379 (same dies); HN Italy 1309. Beautifully toned with original luster remaining. EF.

Ex. Dr. Busso Peus Nachf Auction 353 (10/29/97) lot 29

Edited January 3 by Kazuma78

[David Atherton]

Achingly beautiful coins. I can't choose a favourite, they are all stunning.

[El Cazador]

Solid list @Kazuma78

 I voted for #1,# 4 and #9 Lysimachos 

[Di Nomos]

Lovely coins, particularly like #'s 1 & 5, but my absolute favourite is your Hannibal half shekel. A wonderful example and a coin I would love to own.

[Jay GT4]

Outstanding!

[happy_collector]

All stunning coins, @Kazuma78. My absolute favorites are your #1, 2 and 3. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

[DonnaML]

All gorgeous, but I voted for #'s 1, 2, and 7 as the fairest of them all. Congratulations on a fantastic year!

[lordmarcovan]

1 hour ago, DonnaML said:

All gorgeous, but I voted for #'s 1, 2, and 7 as the fairest of them all. Congratulations on a fantastic year!

As did I.  Those three seem to be in the majority.  And yet it wasn't an easy choice, with such a scintillating selection to choose from.

[lordmarcovan]

I see we both bought octopus litrae this (oops- last) year.  I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison.  I'd say they're fairly close, though yours is a touch sharper.

Yours (the face reminds me of the features of an old friend of mine, and several of his family members.)

 

Mine (Arethusa has more kissable lips here, anyway.  Or maybe she's pouting?  LOL)

Edited January 3 by lordmarcovan

[lordmarcovan]

PS- I've always liked Teos griffins, and that is the sharpest one I've seen.

[panzerman]

Marvelous list! Kazuma

My #1 is Teos Griffin

#2 Larissa

#3 Syracuse (Octopus)

Thanks for sharing!

John

[Al Kowsky]

Josh, You had a sensational year 🤩! My favorite has to be #1, the breathtaking Sicilian tet 😍. The toning accentuates the flawless die engraving. #4, the Ionian stater is a masterpiece of classical numismatic art, & 7, the Larissa drachm is a superb example of portraiture by a gifted engraver, & the realism of the horse adds to the beauty of the coin ☺️.

[Kazuma78]

11 hours ago, David Atherton said:

Achingly beautiful coins. I can't choose a favourite, they are all stunning.

Thanks! It was hard to pick my top for the year. I'm always happy when it's a struggle to rank them because I like them all! 

10 hours ago, El Cazador said:

Solid list @Kazuma78

 I voted for #1,# 4 and #9 Lysimachos 

Thanks! 

10 hours ago, Di Nomos said:

Lovely coins, particularly like #'s 1 & 5, but my absolute favourite is your Hannibal half shekel. A wonderful example and a coin I would love to own.

I was super thrilled to add that one. It's a type I thought an attractive example of might be out of reach, but I shockingly was able to win that one this year. I love the realistic elephant on it. 

10 hours ago, Jay GT4 said:

Outstanding!

Thanks! 

9 hours ago, happy_collector said:

All stunning coins, @Kazuma78. My absolute favorites are your #1, 2 and 3. Thanks for sharing! 🙂

Thanks! 

8 hours ago, DonnaML said:

All gorgeous, but I voted for #'s 1, 2, and 7 as the fairest of them all. Congratulations on a fantastic year!

Thanks! You had a great year too Donna!

6 hours ago, lordmarcovan said:

I see we both bought octopus litrae this (oops- last) year.  I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison.  I'd say they're fairly close, though yours is a touch sharper.

Yours (the face reminds me of the features of an old friend of mine, and several of his family members.)

 

Mine (Arethusa has more kissable lips here, anyway.  Or maybe she's pouting?  LOL)

I like your example a lot too Rob. And NGC did a great job photographing it. It's a very attractive example of the type. Between both of our coins I think we could make the perfect example. I like different elements of both coins better. 

1 hour ago, panzerman said:

Marvelous list! Kazuma

My #1 is Teos Griffin

#2 Larissa

#3 Syracuse (Octopus)

Thanks for sharing!

John

Thanks! I really enjoy the Teos also. That one is now sitting in a tray and I'm hoping it picks up a little iridescent cabinet toning. I'd be thrilled if that happened. 

1 hour ago, Al Kowsky said:

Josh, You had a sensational year 🤩! My favorite has to be #1, the breathtaking Sicilian tet 😍. The toning accentuates the flawless die engraving. #4, the Ionian stater is a masterpiece of classical numismatic art, & 7, the Larissa drachm is a superb example of portraiture by a gifted engraver, & the realism of the horse adds to the beauty of the coin ☺️.

Thanks! That's high praise coming from you Al! You have a great eye for coins too! 

[CPK]

Simply fabulous! 

[Curtisimo]

Great coins @Kazuma78. I went with 1, 2 and 4!

[rvk]

Incredible coins. The Demetrius I Poliorcetes tetradrachm is specular.

[Hrefn]

As my father-in-law sometimes said, “Not a dog in the bunch.”  Any one of them would be a highlight of a collection.  If forced to choose, I would select the tetradrachm of Noricum.  The strange and unfamiliar bust, the idiosyncratic horse, the exaggerated prancing, and the utterly mysterious reverse inscription in a forgotten alphabet all constitute an intriguing glimpse of a nearly-forgotten past.  You cannot surpass the boys in Syracuse for pure engraving expertise, but this coin from Noricum embodies curiosity and mystery, and insight into the past is one of the main draws of ancient coins for me. 

[JeandAcre]

Nope, for 1 and 2, I'm having to say,

Woof, Woof.

Syracusan tetradrachms (or the other kind) are The First Reason Why Greek coins are what they are.  The jaw-dropping state of yours eloquently compensates for the house deposit you'd have to make on a dekadrachm, in any condition. 

The Hannibal half shekel, with the amazing hyperspecificity of historical context (right, and there's the elephant) is on the same level.  With the history bumping the esthetics off to one side.  Just for a minute.

Then there has to be #7, the iconic drachm of Thessaly.  Here's a coin I need for evidence that the Hellenic ethos persisted this late into the 4th c. BCE.  Just, you want some?  you got it.

And #8.  I've never once seen a Celtic coin, from either side of Europe, that so magnificently combines 'imitation' (of a presumed Greek prototype) with such a resonantly fully realized assertion of the inimitable Celtic esthetic.  These people aren't imitating; they're riffing.  I have to think they knew exactly what they were doing.  In the process, I have to be reminded of what Charlie Parker did with Broadway standards.  

[Qcumbor]

I voted #1, 7 and 8 but could have voted for any of them all the same. #11 isn't bad either !

Excellent selection

Q

[AncientJoe]

An excellent year for you, @Kazuma78! It's tough to pick a favorite but I'd say #1 and #3, especially knowing how long you've waited for an example of the Agathokles. Looking forward to what you find in 2024!

[Limes]

My wife asked what I was crying about. I stopped reading/looking after yiur coin no. 1. Can't handle this. 

But on a serious note, next level coins, beyond amazing. I voted for the Agathokles Tetradrachm, the Hannibal half shekel and the Larissa drachm. 

[Kazuma78]

On 1/3/2024 at 8:31 PM, rvk said:

Incredible coins. The Demetrius I Poliorcetes tetradrachm is specular.

Thar coin really is excellent in person, the surfaces truly are as struck. It's a beautiful coin. 

On 1/3/2024 at 9:43 PM, Hrefn said:

As my father-in-law sometimes said, “Not a dog in the bunch.”  Any one of them would be a highlight of a collection.  If forced to choose, I would select the tetradrachm of Noricum.  The strange and unfamiliar bust, the idiosyncratic horse, the exaggerated prancing, and the utterly mysterious reverse inscription in a forgotten alphabet all constitute an intriguing glimpse of a nearly-forgotten past.  You cannot surpass the boys in Syracuse for pure engraving expertise, but this coin from Noricum embodies curiosity and mystery, and insight into the past is one of the main draws of ancient coins for me. 

I REALLY enjoy celtic coinage. Especially the better styled pieces. They don't tend to get as much love as the Greek but they are really fascinating and artistic also. 

20 hours ago, JeandAcre said:

Nope, for 1 and 2, I'm having to say,

Woof, Woof.

Syracusan tetradrachms (or the other kind) are The First Reason Why Greek coins are what they are.  The jaw-dropping state of yours eloquently compensates for the house deposit you'd have to make on a dekadrachm, in any condition. 

The Hannibal half shekel, with the amazing hyperspecificity of historical context (right, and there's the elephant) is on the same level.  With the history bumping the esthetics off to one side.  Just for a minute.

Then there has to be #7, the iconic drachm of Thessaly.  Here's a coin I need for evidence that the Hellenic ethos persisted this late into the 4th c. BCE.  Just, you want some?  you got it.

And #8.  I've never once seen a Celtic coin, from either side of Europe, that so magnificently combines 'imitation' (of a presumed Greek prototype) with such a resonantly fully realized assertion of the inimitable Celtic esthetic.  These people aren't imitating; they're riffing.  I have to think they knew exactly what they were doing.  In the process, I have to be reminded of what Charlie Parker did with Broadway standards.  

Well described and put! I really enjoyed reading your feedback and specificity of those types and why you liked them and I must say I agree! 

8 hours ago, AncientJoe said:

An excellent year for you, @Kazuma78! It's tough to pick a favorite but I'd say #1 and #3, especially knowing how long you've waited for an example of the Agathokles. Looking forward to what you find in 2024!

Thanks Joe! I'd love to catch up with you soon and see what you were able to add this year. Your additions are always spectacular and stunning. 

6 hours ago, Limes said:

My wife asked what I was crying about. I stopped reading/looking after yiur coin no. 1. Can't handle this. 

But on a serious note, next level coins, beyond amazing. I voted for the Agathokles Tetradrachm, the Hannibal half shekel and the Larissa drachm. 

Thanks! 

[Shea19]

Wow!  Impossible to pick a favorite from this group, but I guess I’d have to go with #3, that Poseidon reverse is incredible.