Post your sharpest coin!

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

Title. Post your coin with the sharpest features, your ‘FDC/MS’ ones, or just coins with unreal details!

It’s different from the ‘best of type’ thread, since that one includes very worn coins that are the best in their category.

We want razor sharp details here! You can post multiple coins, but let’s limit it to one coin per comment, so that we can appreciate them more!

I’ll start:

Septimius Severus (193-211). AR Denarius, 209 AD. Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG. Laureate bust of Septimius Severus right. Reverse: PM TR P XVII COS III PP. Neptune standing left, right foot on pile of rocks, holding trident. RIC IV 228. AR. 3.41g. 20.50 mm. Superb example, virtually as struck. Lightly toned with underlying luster. About FDC.

[Croatian Coin Collector]

Kushan Gold Dinar of Kanishka the Great from the 2nd century:

Edited December 5, 2024 by Croatian Coin Collector

[Croatian Coin Collector]

Greco-Bactrian Silver Tetradrachm of Eucratides the Great (minted sometime between 170 and 145 BCE):

Edited December 5, 2024 by Croatian Coin Collector

[expat]

Julia Domna

[expat]

Trajan

[-monolith-]

This is my sharpest coin, it was trimmed to be used as a weight so it has pretty sharp edges 🙃

[Croatian Coin Collector]

Roman Empire Silver Denarius of Lucius Verus (minted in Rome in 166):

Edited December 5, 2024 by Croatian Coin Collector

[I_v_a_n]

I am thinking this Lysimachus type stater is the sharpest from my ancients. It has an area of weak struck, but fully lustrous and some details such as Alexanders eyebrow and dolphins smile can tell a lot.

Byzantium mint circa 195 BC.

 

[Phil Anthos]

This one's not bad, the best of my Tarentines...

Taras, Calabria

302-290 BC (Period V - From Alexander the Molossian to Kleonymos) AR Didrachm (20mm, 7.98g) O: Naked warrior in crested helmet on horse prancing right, spearing downward with right hand, shield and two extra spears in left; ΔΑΙ below. R: Taras riding dolphin left, holding trident over shoulder with right hand and shield decorated with hippocamp in left; ΦΙ to left, ΤΑΡΑΣ to right, murex shell below. D'Andrea XXXIX, 848; Vlasto 594; Cote 239; Evans V, B5; Fischer-Bossert 1022a; SNG ANS 991; SNG Cop 845; McGill II, 52; HGC I, 801; HN Italy 935 ex Heidelberger Munzhandlung Vlasto dates this coin to the time of Alexander the Molossian, but I believe it may be safely placed after the King’s death in 331, as the typical Epirote symbols are no longer seen (especially, as Evans points out, the eagle’s head). Alexander, uncle to Alexander the Great, arrived at Taras in 334 as defender, the leader of a mercenary army from Epirus hired to help defend Taras from the indigenous Italian tribes. However he was quickly seen to have something more in the way of conquest in mind. Having ignored the warning of the Oracle at the Temple of Zeus Dodona, Alexander pushed west and fulfilled prophecy, being killed while fighting the Lucanians at Pandosia, near the River Acheron. The murex shell played a very large part in the Tarentine economy, producing a rich purple dye. In fact the early reference books simply describe it as “a purple shell”. Purple cloth from Taras was considered a great luxury throughout the Mediterranean.

[Harry G]

Here are some of mine!

 

Edited December 5, 2024 by Harry G

[Al Kowsky]

Here are a few of my favorites 😊.

[expat]

Severus Alexander

[expat]

Constantine I

[Croatian Coin Collector]

Roman Empire Silver Argenteus of Diocletian (minted in Siscia in 294):

Edited December 6, 2024 by Croatian Coin Collector

[Croatian Coin Collector]

Sassanid Gold Dinar of Shapur I (minted in Ctesiphon sometime between 240 and 270):

Edited December 7, 2024 by Croatian Coin Collector

[panzerman]

Really nice coins! Thanks for sharing!

Here are some of mine/ a little of everything.

[expat]

One more from me

[PeteB]

Domitian. 81-96 AD. AR Denarius (19mm; 3.16 gm; 6h). Struck 92 AD. Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XI, laureate head right. Rev: IMP XXI COS XVI CENS P P P, Minerva advancing right on prow of galley (described by some as the capital of a column), holding spear and shield; owl at feet. RIC II 157; RSC 270. The two enigmatic figures on the side of the prow have not been explained to date. From Dressel, Berlin Medallions (published 1973), p. 14, note 1: Cohen 237 note says, "a standing figure and a seated figure". Gnecchi, Medaglioni I, p. 43, 4 says "two small figures, the one on the left seated and the second one kneeling before the seated figure". As can be seen on many of the more carefully engraved specimens [Dressel continues], the first figure is shown seated right, while the second figure kneels before the first figure, with arms raised in entreaty." Flan crack

[Alegandron]

Hmmmm…. This LABRYS is purdy sharp…

Islands of Troas, Tenedos, 
late 5th-early 4th century BCE. 
AR Obol (8mm, 0.60g, 3h). 
O/ Janiform head, female on l., male on r.
R/ Labrys within incuse square. 
SNG Ashmolean 1235; HGC 6, 387

[Croatian Coin Collector]

Kingdom of Hungary Gold Forint of Matthias Corvinus (minted in Hermannstadt sometime between 1458 and 1490):

Edited December 8, 2024 by Croatian Coin Collector

[panzerman]

1 hour ago, PeteB said:

Domitian. 81-96 AD. AR Denarius (19mm; 3.16 gm; 6h). Struck 92 AD. Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XI, laureate head right. Rev: IMP XXI COS XVI CENS P P P, Minerva advancing right on prow of galley (described by some as the capital of a column), holding spear and shield; owl at feet. RIC II 157; RSC 270. The two enigmatic figures on the side of the prow have not been explained to date. From Dressel, Berlin Medallions (published 1973), p. 14, note 1: Cohen 237 note says, "a standing figure and a seated figure". Gnecchi, Medaglioni I, p. 43, 4 says "two small figures, the one on the left seated and the second one kneeling before the seated figure". As can be seen on many of the more carefully engraved specimens [Dressel continues], the first figure is shown seated right, while the second figure kneels before the first figure, with arms raised in entreaty." Flan crack

Impressive Domitian Denarius supberb! Thanks for sharing beautifull coin

John

[panzerman]

5 minutes ago, Croatian Coin Collector said:

Kingdom of Hungary Gold Forint of Matthias Corvinus (minted in Hermannstadt sometime between 1458 and 1490):

Matthias Corvinus was Hungarian King when Mehmet II invaded Wallachia to rid the World of that creep Vlad Tepes "the Impaler". When Vlad could not hold back Ottoman army, he asked Mattthias to intervene on his side. Of course he wisely refused and Vlad ended up loosing his head.

[El Cazador]

On 12/5/2024 at 11:34 AM, Al Kowsky said:

Here are a few of my favorites 😊.

Severus is indeed fantastic