New addition, of the highest rarity!

[Michael Stolt]

For the first time, in a good while, I have added a coin that is not of Lucilla, to the collection.

Earlier today, I had an insanely intense bid war for this drachm at Künker, where I emerged victorious. 😌

I have decided to fully focus on the entire silver coinage of Edessa and Carrhae, so this was a must to bid home, as I might not get another chance to acquire the type in my lifetime.

Not in RPC, cited by Mionnet, it is the second known of this type, the other specimen has not been seen for 300 years, when it was catalogued by Jean-Foy Vaillant. There could be a slight possibility that this is the very same coin that Vaillant catalogued for his patron, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, French Minister of State under King Louis XIV, but difficult to confirm or not, without finding the other specimen or a plate.

Faustina Junior. AR Drachm (2.95 g). Carrhae, Mesopotamia ca. AD 163-169. ΦΑYϹΤΙΝΑ ϹЄΒΑϹΤΗ; Draped bust of Faustina right, wearing stephane / ΥΠΕΡ ΝΙΚΗϹ ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝ; Fecunditas standing left, between two children reaching up, holding two infants in her arms. BMC -; Mionnet V, p. 638 no. 229; RPC online -.

Ex Hauck & Aufhäuser 14, München 1998, lot 355.

Edited October 31, 2024 by Michael Stolt

[CPK]

Wow! Heartiest congratulations on such a fantastic acquisition! 🤩

Hope you weren't fighting @Roman Collector for it. 😜

I myself had hopes of acquiring a coin or two from that auction, but not a chance, prices were way too strong for me.

[Michael Stolt]

18 minutes ago, CPK said:

Wow! Heartiest congratulations on such a fantastic acquisition! 🤩

Hope you weren't fighting @Roman Collector for it. 😜

I myself had hopes of acquiring a coin or two from that auction, but not a chance, prices were way too strong for me.

Thank you! 😊 Prices were indeed very strong today, I had to go up against one of the deeper pockets, that had bid home multiple lots already, but thankfully he gave up right below my intended max 🥳 Dr. W truly had excellent taste, this and the past auctions have had so many great and insanely rare coins. I wonder what his 3rd century part of the collection looks like, I assume it will be auctioned by Künker early next year.

[panzerman]

Congratulations on you Künker win/ it will have a nice home in your collection.😍

 

John

[Michael Stolt]

On 11/1/2024 at 12:36 AM, panzerman said:

Congratulations on you Künker win/ it will have a nice home in your collection.😍

 

John

Thank you! 🙂 I'm surprised, and of course very glad that I have been able to add quite a few of these rarities to the collection over the past year. 

Edited November 2, 2024 by Michael Stolt

[Roman Collector]

That's a really lovely coin and one that I have coveted for quite a while because I like the coins related to Faustina's pregnancies. You and deep pockets guy bid it beyond what I could muster. I'm glad you were able to win it for your collection.

[El Cazador]

5 hours ago, Michael Stolt said:

For the first time, in a good while, I have added a coin that is not of Lucilla, to the collection.

Earlier today, I had an insanely intense bid war for this drachm at Künker, where I emerged victorious. 😌

I have decided to fully focus on the entire silver coinage of Edessa and Carrhae, so this was a must to bid home, as I might not get another chance to acquire the type in my lifetime.

Not in RPC, cited by Mionnet, it is the second known of this type, the other specimen has not been seen for 300 years, when it was catalogued by Jean-Foy Vaillant. There could be a slight possibility that this is the very same coin that Vaillant catalogued for his patron, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, French Minister of State under King Louis XIV, but difficult to confirm or not, without finding the other specimen or a plate.

Faustina Junior. AR Drachm (2.95 g). Carrhae, Mesopotamia ca. AD 163-169. ΦΑYϹΤΙΝΑ ϹЄΒΑϹΤΗ; Draped bust of Faustina right, wearing stephane / ΥΠΕΡ ΝΙΚΗϹ ΡΩΜΑΙΩΝ; Fecunditas standing left, between two children reaching up, holding two infants in her arms. BMC -; Mionnet V, p. 638 no. 229; RPC online -.

Ex Hauck & Aufhäuser 14, München 1998, lot 355.

$7,000 is probably a record, no?

[Coinmaster]

Congratulations!

Can you tell a bit more about how, when and why you got to collect this specific coin series? Is it now complete?

Enjoy your new acquisition!

[Michael Stolt]

4 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

That's a really lovely coin and one that I have coveted for quite a while because I like the coins related to Faustina's pregnancies. You and deep pockets guy bid it beyond what I could muster. I'm glad you were able to win it for your collection.

Thank you! I will eat a lot of cheap noodles in the coming months, to balance out my now non existent economy after this 🤣 I do know that you are very much attached to Faustina, so, sorry for stepping into your territory (promise I wont touch any coins of Faustina outside of Edessa and Carrhae 😅). 

[Michael Stolt]

4 hours ago, El Cazador said:

$7,000 is probably a record, no?

To my knowledge it is a record, I was also the current record holder already, for a Lucilla that hammered nearly $5.000 earlier this year. It is two records I would of course rather not have 😆

[Michael Stolt]

29 minutes ago, Coinmaster said:

Congratulations!

Can you tell a bit more about how, when and why you got to collect this specific coin series? Is it now complete?

Enjoy your new acquisition!

Ever since I parted with my Roman Republican collection, I have had a difficult time to find a focal point that really drives me, I thought I had found it with the coinage of Lucilla alone, but after having picked up a few drachms of her from Edessa, I started to read more about this series of drachms from Mesopotamia, and I got hooked. Very little research has been done on the coinage, and there remains so many unanswered questions. I am far from complete, as the series has about 40 different types, spread across the mint at Edessa, and the one at Carrhae. 

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Congratulations on the win!