Neromyfavorite68's top 10 of 2024

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Here I go, joining the Top 10 lists. I'm a budget collector, so my Top 10 is pretty grotty compared to some of these lists, but there's some respectable coins in here. Some of these aren't necessarily my 'favorites' of the year, but it's arguably the best 10 list. The budget Leo solidus was booted for the Aurelian sestertius.  It's fairly rare that I buy gold coins, so a budget Leo and Zeno, respectively, had to do.  ONe usually doesn't encounter them that grotty, so the solidi could have been found outside of the empire's borders.

I did better about generally avoiding decrepit coins, and going for toned/patinated, nice coins.  The Otho was an opportunity buy, as was the Galba.  The slight environmental damage made them quite affordable.

Admittedly, I love the toning on the Rullus (and the picture is pretty true to the coin).

OTHO AR silver tetradrachm. Antioch. AYTOKPATWP M OQWN KAICAP CEBACTOC, laureate head right. Reverse - ETOVC A below eagle standing left on branch with wreath in its beak, palm branch before. RPC 4199/4200. 27mm, 10.0g.

(me) Probably shipwreck coin.

2.

Roman Republic. P. Servilius Rullus. AR Denarius (21mm, 3.86 gram) Rome 100 BC
Bust of Minerva l., wearing Corinthian helmet; RVLLI upwards behind
Victory in biga r., holding palm branch; P below; P SERVILI M F in ex.
Crawford 328/1; minor scratches, otherwise good very fine and nicely toned with a touch of iridescence
From an old collection, purchased May 1963.

(me) from a central European collection.

 

3.

Ardashir III - 628-630 - AR Drachm - 35mm, 4.03g. WH (Veh-Ardashir) mint - Year 2 Gobl type I-1

(me) nice golden-toned hoard patina.

4.

Catalog: RIC 189, 773, BMC 226, Cohen 286, Kampmann 24.71.
Weight: 3.47 g
Denarius 94/95 AD, Rome. IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XIIII. Head with laurel wreath facing right// IMP XXII COS XVII CENS P P P. Minverva standing with spear facing left. Provenance: From a private collection in the Lower Rhine region. RIC 189, 773, BMC 226, Cohen 286, Kampmann 24.71. 3.47 g.

(me) from an old Rhine-area collection. The old toning is what really makes the coin special.

5.

MAGNUS MAXIMUS AR silver siliqua. Augusta Treverorum (Trier) mint. D N MAG MAX-IMVS P F AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. Reverse - VIRTVS ROMANORVM, Roma enthroned facing, head left, holding globe & spear, TRPS in exergue. RIC 84b of Trier. RSC 20a. Very scarce. 18mm, 2.0g.

 

Unlike a majority of Magnus Maximus' siliquae, this example is not struck on a short/clipped flan. Nice as such

(me) Nicely toned, and my second nicest Maximus siliqua)

6.

GALBA AR silver tetradrachm. Antioch, 68-69 AD. AUTOKRATwR GALBAC KAICAR CEBACTOC, bare head right. Reverse - ETOUC B, Eagle standing facing on opposed laurel branches, head left, wreath in beak, palm in left field. Prieur 100; RPC 4198. 28mm, 10.0g.

(me) like the Otho, likely a shipwreck coin. From the same group.

7.

Catalog: RIC 116; RSC 69; BMC 276
Material: Silver
Weight: 2.65 g
Diameter: 19.00 mm
Mintage: 1
Avs: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P
Laurel bust of the emperor facing right
Rvs: COS V P P SPQR OPTIMO PRINC
Roma seated facing left, holding "Victoria" in her right hand and staff in her left.

(me nice old cabinet toning)

8.

Zeno second reign AV20 Solidus. Constantinople 

 

Obv: Helmeted, diademed and cuirassed bust of Zeno facing, holding spear over his right shoulder and with shield, ornamented with a horseman spearing a fallen foe, over his left. D N ZENO PERP AVG.

 

Rev: Victory standing left, holding long jeweled cross in her right hand, to right, star. VICTORIA AVGGG Δ, CONOB, 

 

RIC 910.  4.22g.  AD 476-491. 

9.

Nicephoros III EL Histamenon Nomisma 32mm

 

1078-1081AD.  SB1883.  4.34g.

10.

Aurelian. 270-275 AD. AE Sestertius (8.22g, 27mm). Rome mint. Struck 275 AD. Obv.: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: CONCORDIA AVG, Aurelian and Severina clasping hands; in field above them, radiate head of Sol. RIC 80 (As); MIR 145d0; BN 299-300 (As). Few deposits, nice VF.

(me) nice variegated olive patina.

[JAZ Numismatics]

Great set of eclectic coins! You say you're a budget collector, but my experience is this: I've collected cheap coins and I've collected expensive coins, and I never got more satisfaction out of collecting an expensive coin than a cheap one. It's all in the hunt and appreciation.

Edited December 14, 2024 by JAZ Numismatics

[shanxi]

Beautiful coins; what a wonderful rainbow patina on the P. Servilius Rullus.

[Ryro]

Great year full of coins! Man, I love that Aurelian portrait on your #10, the toning and portrait of Minerva on your #2, and the Otho has a great portrait. What makes it a shipwreck coin?

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

A decent number of similar era Antioch tet's had come up for sale from a reputable dealer.  Some had some low weights (a really corroded Otho was only 7 or 8 g), When I asked the dealer, he replied that these were likely sea finds, accounting for the leaching of the weight and the surfaces.  This particular Otho one was one of the nicest Othos of the lot, in my opinion.

[CPK]

Great list! I love the toning on that Servilius Rullus denarius. And that Aurelian sestertius/as is a type I'd love to add to my collection someday. Well done!

[John Conduitt]

You have a really nice range of coins there. You must be doing something right to get Otho, Galba, Magnus Maximus and a solidus on a budget. The Ardashir III looks great - Sassanian coins are difficult to get with such a good strike.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

The Ardashir III was from Zurqieh,and it was in stock for a long time.  This generally means that nobody was willing to pay the price, but I didn't consider the price to be outrageous.  I also really loved the portrait, and it was a lot better than his other ones, in my opinion, although it wasn't teh most expensive. 

Seven out of the list's ten were under $300, with 200-something being the most common.  The Zeno was (barely) the most expensive of the lot.

[robinjojo]

Nice group for 2024! 

My votes are for Galba, Otho and Ardashir III.

[JayAg47]

I really like the Otho tetradrachm, which just looks like Nero, but Galba had his own bust, who by the way came before Otho! 

[MrMonkeySwag96]

#2 because I had my eye on that coin when Gert Boersema first listed it on Vcoins

[panzerman]

Very nice selection....

I picked the #1 coin Otho as my fav. second the Ardashir III AR Drachm/ third the Trajan.

John

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Hrefn had the same question about one of his (nicer) solidi.  I wonder if the very similar accretions on my budget Zeno solidus could have come from being underwater?  That might account for it being banged up, moving about a bit in the sand.

[singig]

I voted for the lovely republican denarius , but also for Otho and Trajan. Congratulations !

[Qcumbor]

Some nice coins out there : terrific style on the Otho tetradrachm, fantastic patina on the Aurelian sestertius

Q