Parthicus Presents: What am I even collecting in 2024?

Parthicus · December 28, 2024

As I look back on what I added to my collection in 2024, I am feeling like my collection has less focus than ever... but I'm not sure that's a bad thing. There are just too many interesting side quests and obscure sub-sub-themes that call out to me. Sure, I did add a few nice Parthian coins to the collection, like this tetradrachm of Vologases III with full year and month date visible:

In the Islamic section, I added one type I've been seeking for a while, a large multiple dirham of the Samanids:

And some other nice Islamic coins, like this AE of the Ilkhan ruler Abu Sa'id with a realistic zebu on reverse:

Or this Ayyubid dirham of al-Adil Abu Baker I:

But then I also found myself somehow owning some coins that don't seem to fit my collection, like this Axumite bronze of King Ioel:

Or this Roman denarius of the notorious Elagabalus, showing him as a priest on reverse, and with obverse portrait featuring a "horn" above his head. (Look it up, that's not a horn...)

I even bought this modern large silver coin of the Bolivian president Melgarejo from 1865:

So, what is my collecting focus? My collection seems to be turning into a group of loosely-related sub themes, mainly Persia from ancient to medieval Islamic times (plus adjacent areas), but also whatever other coins I decide I like at the moment. Which isn't such a bad theme, really. So I end the year, still enjoying my collection, having fun talking online with my coin-friends, and with optimism for 2025.