Secret Saturnalia 2024

[Curtisimo]

It’s that time of year again everyone. Saturnalia! We are starting a little later than last year due to me being unable to be on the forum as much lately but we should still have plenty of time. If you live outside the US or are willing to ship internationally I encourage you to enter as soon as you can so you’ll have more time to allow for international shipping. I’ll make the first round of pairings in about a week and then the rest after the deadline for entry.

Also, please help me keep this thread relevant with a periodic "bump" so that everyone who might want to participate will get a chance to.

Rules

• You must post your gift to NumisForums (preferably to this thread). I really don’t want to be a grinch, but not acknowledging your gift really hurts the enjoyment of the giver so please only enter if you can take the time to follow this rule. I keep note of the folks who fail to post their gifts from previous years and I’ll decide on a case by case basis if those members will be able to participate this year.

Guidelines and Instructions

• Send me a private message with your name and address
• After a number of people have sent PMs I will begin pairing everyone up and I will respond to your message with the name and address of the person you will be sending a gift to.
• The pairings will be random and anonymous.
• The cutoff date for entry will be Nov. 30, 2024.
• Saturnalia officially starts on Dec. 17 so try to get your gift out in a timely manner, especially if you are shipping internationally.
• If you are willing to ship internationally please let me know in your PM.
• In the past the typical gift has been around $100 or less. Great gifts come at all price points. Generally speaking, choosing something that you would be happy to receive as a gift is a good guide.
• Everyone who enters will get a gift.  If you haven't received a gift by Christmas please send me a message.

Io Saturnalia everyone!

[Ryro]

Io Saturnalia!!!

Thanks for carrying the torch for another year @Curtisimo. You truly are GREAT! Sorry you've been unable to participate lately. You've been missed greatly (so sorry for the unintentional rhyme).

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Thanks for all your efforts! PM sent.

[Qcumbor]

I'm in as usual, and very excited about it !

Thanks @Curtisimo for your input and efforts. 

Q

 

Edit to add : PM sent to @Curtisimo the great(ish) 🙂 

Edited November 9 by Qcumbor

[Curtisimo]

The messages are starting to roll in! Thanks for the kind words everyone.

@Ryro, that Marcus Aurelius meme gets me every time. 🤣

As a reminder to the board, please help me keep this thread bumped so everyone can see it. It amazes me how fast threads drop to page 2 these days! 🙂 

[CPK]

That time of year again! 🥳 Thanks for organizing, @Curtisimo!

PM sent. 😉 

[expat]

Thanks for finding time to organise this for another year, @Curtisimo Pm sent😊

[TIF]

Thanks for taking this on again, @Curtisimo 🥰.  I'm in.

[bcuda]

My favorite time of the year, you can count me in.

[Furryfrog02]

Can't participate this year but am looking forward to seeing everyone's posts. Saturnalia is the best 🙂

[porphyrogenita]

I'm excited, I haven't been on here for Saturnalia before! Sent you a PM :))

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I've only done it twice, but have had positive experiences both times. The first one was nice.  The second one was beyond nice.

I'm currently looking through dealer listings, and bookmarking different choices. 

[kirispupis]

Bumping up this thread. Can't wait to learn who my giftee is!

[Curtisimo]

Thanks to everyone for the help with bumping. Happy to see a healthy number of folks have sent me PMs already. I’ll make the first pairing at the end of the week, likely Friday evening. I’ll respond to all messages at that time. Then I’ll make one final pairing for anyone who enters afterwards on Dec. 1st.

Io Saturnalia everyone!

[kirispupis]

Here's a Secret Saturnalia gift from last year. It's an interesting piece, even though I don't focus on Roman coins, because I could find no other examples with star/Γ and XXI. I still need to better understand what that means.

Maximianus
Antioch 285-295 CE
Radiate 21mm, 3.75g, 12h
Radiate and cuirassed bust r.
R/ Jupiter standing r., holding sceptre and globe, facing Hercules standing l., holding Victory, club and lion's skin; star/Γ//XXI.
RIC V 622. VF

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I really lucked out with mine.  I had been looking to start a toehold in collecting the empresses, and my Saturn picked a splendid example. I'm also interested in Persia, so the nice siglos was a generous addition.

[CPK]

Here are a few past Secret Saturnalia highlights. 🙂

From a couple years past, this awesome Antiochus VII tetradrachm, thanks to @Nerosmyfavorite68! As an aside, this coin has been publicly displayed a few times as part of my presentations about the Dead Sea Scrolls (related history/location.) with much appreciation. (And is scheduled for another early next year!)

ANTIOCHUS VII EUERGETES, 138-129 BC
AR Tetradrachm (27.80mm, 12.70g, 12h)
Struck 136/5 BC. Tyre mint
Obverse: Diademed head of Antiochus VII right
Reverse: ANTIOXOY BAΣIΛEΩΣ, eagle standing left on prow, palm branch behind, club to lower left, monograms in fields
References: HGC 9 1074, SNG Spaer 2021
Darkly toned with some edge chips.

 

Last year, one of a few lovely provincial AE's from Syria - this one from the time of Trebonianus Gallus - exact identity of my benefactor unknown (but you know who you are; thank you!)

SYRIA, ANTIOCH
Time of Trebonianus Gallus
AE Octassarion (29.45mm, 15.83g, 11h)
Struck AD 251-3
Obverse: ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Γ ΟΥΙΒ ΤΡΕΒ ΓΑΛΛΟϹ ϹΕΒ, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Trebonianus Gallus right, seen from rear
Reverse: ΑΝΤΙΟΧΕΩΝ ΜΗΤΡΟ ΚΟΛΩΝ, portable shrine with four columns enclosing statue of Tyche seated facing, with river god Orontes facing, at her feet; above, ram running right; carry-bars at the base of the shrine; Δ Ε above the temple, S C in exergue
References: RPC IX 1851

An interesting type depicting a portable shrine with Corinthian style columns.

 

And finally, also from last year, a gift from the late Terrence Cheesman (aka @kapphnwn), who liked to give a Secret Saturnalia gift without receiving one in return. I happened to be the recipient last year, receiving two coins and a nice friendly card. I didn't know him personally but much appreciated his contributions on the Forum. He passed away shortly after sending me the coins. May he rest in peace.

THEODOSIUS I, AD 379-395
AE2 (23.84mm, 5.48g, 11h)
Struck AD 283-6. Syria, Antioch mint
Obverse: D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG, helmeted, pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of Theodosius I right, holding shield and spear
Reverse: GLORIA RO-MANORVM, Theodosius, helmeted and in military attire, standing left on galley, head right, with right hand raised; Victory seated at helm; wreath in left field, ANTΓ in exergue
References: RIC IX 40d, subtype 2; RCV 20484
Well-struck with a particularly artistic and detailed reverse scene.

[Qcumbor]

Good idea to show what we got the previous years. It will stimulate people who are hesitating to participate, tell to other participants that we can appreciate items all over the place (that's my thinking), and give ideas of what to gift people with. Some Saturnalia gifts I recieved the previous years :

 

Lot of fun and very thoughtful gifts from people I will probably never meet in real life !!

Q

[Curtisimo]

Thank you to @Restitutorfor pinning this topic!

Just a reminder to anyone who is on the fence and wants to get in on the first set of pairings you have until tomorrow afternoon to send me a PM. Otherwise you’ll be in on our second and final group of pairings on Dec. 1.

Io Saturnalia.

[Qcumbor]

Yeah!

I'm happy to be in the first pairing since my sendings have to travel quite a bit from France 😀

Q

[Curtisimo]

The first round of pairings are now complete. Please send me a message or comment below if you sent me a message but didn’t receive a message from me in return yet.

For anyone that sees this and still wants to join you are still welcome to do so. The final pairing won’t be until Dec. 1st so plenty of time.

 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

The addition of a pin to this thread really helped.

There's also the 'What is your collection focus' thread, which also helps us hash out ideas. It certainly helped solidify an idea for the one which I'm sending out.

 

[expat]

My selection for my designated receiver is ordered, paid for and waiting to be dispatched. Should be in plenty of time.

[Qcumbor]

My Secret Santa gift is on its way to the recipient. Instead of sending from here, I ordered something and made sure the dealer will send it directly to my giftee. A real opportunity to keep my identity secret for once 🙂 

Q

[Ryro]

This is my favorite part, looking up old posts reading what they are into, and getting to pick out coins that'll surprise and maybe thrill my giftee. It's kind of like stalking, but hopefully this time won't end in handcuffs😉