Finn235 Posted January 3 · Member Posted January 3 (edited) 2024 was a rough year. Thankfully, despite having to take a very long break from purchasing coins while being between jobs, I was still able to add some rather nice coins to the collection, although most are quite a bit cheaper and less impressive than my top coins of previous years. To start - Roman coins. I'm now about 8 years into my mission to obtain one coin for every title (Caesar, Augustus, Divus) for every person even tangentially related to the ruling dynasties of Imperial Rome. There are not many targets that are yet attainable without some serious financial planning, which is probably how my years 2025 and 2026 will look. 10. Drusus Caesar AE As, Posthumous restoration issue by Titus Why Drusus Caesar was never given posthumous honors by his father is something I will never understand... While there are some issues by Tiberius possibly issued after 23, the Restoration issues by Titus are the only definitively posthumous issues of Drusus. 9. Lucius Julius Caesar AR denarius Lucius Julius Caesar was the grandfather of Marcus Antonius, a cousin of the future dictator, and in his own right a major player in the Social War, being awarded a triumph for his victory against the Samnites and spearheading the legislation that granted citizenship to all non-rebellious Italian tribes. He met his untimely demise when he was summarily put to death on orders of Marius in 87 BC, as a perceived political threat. 8. Germanicus and Drusus AE, countermarked by Drusus' half brother Not only is this issue fascinating for being both a unique depiction of Germanicus and Drusus Caesar, nor for being (I think) the unique example of a circular countermark being used to give an existing coin new legends, but the person who countermarked this coin was Gaius Asinius Pollio - the son of Drusus' mother Vipsania Agrippina and her second husband Gaius Asinius Gallus. These coins were his only numismatic legacy. 7. Commodus and Annius Verus AE, upgrade While I already had an example of the type from a few years ago, this was a very welcome upgrade at a price point that would not break the bank. Annius Verus is a particularly tricky member of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty, as aside from a few medallions (5 figure examples, mostly) this seems to be the only likely depiction of the younger brother of Commodus. 6. Juba II with Cleopatra Selene AR denarius A member of the ancient royal line of Numidia, he was married to Cleopatra Selene II, the daughter of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra VII. As such, this made him technically a member of the extended Julio-Claudian dynasty, as the pair were the half-sister and brother in law of Antonia, and Claudius' aunt and uncle. Juba died in 23 AD and was succeeded by his son Ptolemy, whose Daughter Drusilla married into the royal family of Emesa, potentially making the pair on this coin the ancestors of the later Severan dynasty! 5. Aquilia Severa AE tetradrachm, dating to her second marriage to Elagabalus This is a distinction that probably only I care about, but nevertheless it was an exciting find for me! Aquilia Severa was Elagabalus' favorite wife and a Vestal Virgin up until the couple were married. Their first marriage was a scandal and ended when Elagabalus was forced to divorce her sometime around early/mid 221. Following his marriage to Annia Faustina (which lasted, at a minimum, from early July until late September 221 as Annia had tetradrachms dated to both RY 4 and RY 5 of Elagabalus, as well as coins minted for the Actian games of September 221) Elagabalus returned to Aquilia Severa, and the two were married until his assassination in March 222. Unfortunately, there is nothing on the imperial issues of Aquilia Severa to distinguish between her first and second marriage to Elagabalus, but the existence of both RY 4 and RY 5 tetradrachms of both Aquilia and Annia, we can be certain that RY 4 issues date to their first marriage, and RY 5 to their second. 4. A possible lifetime issue of Antonia? This one is a bit of a stretch, but ever since learning that there was approximately a month and a half between the accession of Caligula and the death of Antonia, I have been on the hunt for potential candidates for a lifetime issue of Antonia. This one from Macedon presents her quite simply as "Antonia Augusta" and is, in my mind, one of the top contenders. Plus, I just loved the portrait and the patina color, and having a very weak Caligula side made it extremely affordable! 3. Annia Faustina AE "quadrans" This one is technically an upgrade and not a new add, but I simply adore both the portrait, the reverse, and that the entire legend is quite legible and engraved in Latin rather than Greek - there are only two issues from Antioch in Pisidia that use Latin - otherwise, her imperial issues are 5-figure coins! 2. Lucius Verus as "Caesar" - a title he never held! I only recently became aware that scholarly research has identified that a scarce handful of Greek cities did, in fact, issue coins for Lucius Verus prior to 161, when his name was Lucius Aelius Commodus. This issue from Mysia in Pergamum is one of the larger of such issues, and has been reassigned from Commodus to Lucius Verus on account of the magistrate issuing for Antoninus Pius. And, just because the universe likes to toy with me, after dropping $200 on this one in January, I found this one in February in a group lot for $0.80 per coin. I couldn't part with it in a large lot nor is there any interest in a rare coin in such horrid shape (the consignor of this lot stripped some ~110 coins down to bare, bright metal with acid or electrolysis) so it stuck in my collection. 1. Vaballathus as Augustus The only proper new emperor for the year, I have been trying for a Vaballathus as Augustus for probably 6+ years but always struck out. Coins of Vabalathus as client king are quite common and inexpensive, as they span several years of the Palmyrene Empire's expansion while keeping up the facade of amicable relations with Rome. Sometime in late 271 or early 272, the young Vabalathus was pressured by his mother Zenobia to directly challenge Aurelian and make his claim to the imperial purple, ostensibly aspiring to defeat Aurelian and usurp the entire empire. Aurelian responded swiftly, using diplomacy and intimidation to entice the cities between him and Palmyra to surrender, and razing those who resisted. The armies of Vaballathus were defeated by the end of 272, and Vaballathus either died en route to Rome, or else was allowed to retire to obscurity. Edited January 3 by Finn235 18 1 2 Quote
seth77 Posted January 3 · Member Posted January 3 This top is a goldmine for further research into obscure aspects of provincial numismatics. 2 1 Quote
ambr0zie Posted January 3 · Member Posted January 3 What a great bunch of rarities and interesting coins. I am especially intrigued by Lucius Verus as Augustus, Commodus & Annius Verus and the Annia Faustina with the shewolf. 1 1 Quote
shibbity Posted January 3 · Member Posted January 3 A lot of really cool coins! I like the Juba II, I'm beginning to think I should go for one of his coins. Also, that Germanicus+Drusus countermarked one is really interesting, it's basically a completely new coin that was stamped on it! 1 1 Quote
Qcumbor Posted January 4 · Supporter Posted January 4 Very interesting stuff. The Germanicus/Drusus is spectacular. Acquilia severa, Antonia and Annia Faustina are stunners ! Q 1 Quote
panzerman Posted January 5 · Member Posted January 5 I agree with Q I picked exact same ones! Thanks for sharing! John Quote
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