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My Roman and Greek Gold
SmEagle1795
Posts: 2,199 ✭✭✭✭✭
Due to the unbridled enjoyment I get out of damaging lordmarcovan's retinas, here is my current dark side gold collection. To say my collection has changed a lot over the last few years would be a major understatement. My username is due to my love of early US gold, but after accomplishing most of my goals there, I wanted to go earlier and immediately started down my journey to the dark side. I still have my main US collection, but except for a few specific pieces I'm looking for, I don't expect to grow it moving forward.
My darkside journey started with a 1794 8 escudo but that wasn't enough... I then started moving back through the centuries to a 1602 Sword and Sceptre, then an English noble, then some late Byzantine coins, and then a solidus of Valentinian. I was still undecided on my collecting direction, focusing still on US coins as they felt "safer". Then at an ANA show, I saw an Alexander the Great Stater and was hooked on ancient gold, with a grip that was not going to let up.
Since then, I've been narrowing my focus, looking for pieces that have an inherent rarity, are visually diverse, and are of a high grade without problems. I've been getting everything slabbed by NGC - I know they aren't as popular in the non-US markets yet but they provide a fantastic service for validating the authenticity and assessing any damage. In particular with ancient gold, edge issues are very hard/impossible to infer from pictures and NGC gives me a great deal of additional confidence. So far every coin I've sent in has graded problem free and I'm crossing my fingers that this continues with my latest shipment to the slab factory!
Long term, my goal is to complete a set of The Twelve Caesars and the "Five Good Emperors" in gold. This is ambitious and will take a considerable amount of time to complete, but the enjoyment I've gotten out of the quest so far has been well worth it.
Without further delay, here are the images. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Antoninus Pius (Calico 1650). Ex. Biaggi, the Calico plate coin, in Mint State. The reverse type is interpreted as showing Pius as the refounder of Rome and of Roman morality, following in the footsteps of Augustus who had also wanted the name Romulus. I have a disproportionate number of Antoninus Pius aurei in my collection because I seem drawn to him as an emperor. He is definitely atypical as Roman emperors go, but I like that about him. He made some major improvements to this world, in particular creating the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" and many humanitarian efforts.
Another Antoninus Pius, now in an NGC Ch AU 5/5 - 4/5 Fine Style holder, Calico 1590.
Yet another Antoninus Pius, not yet holdered.
Hadrian (Calico 1226), also a Calico plate coin for the type, not yet holdered
Domitian, in an NGC Ch VF* 5/5 4/5 holder. The luster on the obverse is impressive, and it's largely due to the way this coin was incorrectly produced. The obverse die is normally the bottom die, creating a convexity to the flan. However, this coin's obverse is concave, made by the obverse die being on the top, showing that this particular pairing had both dies interchanged.
Nero, from Lugdunum, in an NGC AU holder. The reverse is of Roma standing right, placing left foot on a pile of enemy arms before her, and inscribing the shield which she balances on her left knee. This reverse type and the contemporary “Virtus” type which was introduced alongside it in 61AD, might actually depict a pair of statues of Roma Victrix erected by the Senate (EX S C) in commemoration of two victories of Nero’s armies in Britain and Armenia.
Nero, from the Boscoreale horde in an NGC XF holder. While considerably less expensive than the previous coin and with a flan flaw on the reverse, I prefer this one due to the wonderful toning and it being from the Boscoreale horde.
Arsinoe II Octadrachm, in an NGC Ch XF 5/5 - 5/5 holder. If you ever have an opportunity to feel one of these in hand, I highly recommend it. They are stunning coins - almost a full ounce of gold from 200BC.
Ptolemy IV Octadrachm, not yet holdered, but one of the best I've seen. These usually have a large amount of die rust but this example is of a early state as it has very clear surfaces.
Alexander the Great Stater, NGC Ch AU 5/5 - 5/5
And to round out my dark side gold, my Scotland Sword and Sceptre which I cracked out of an NGC VF35 to get a better picture. I had the opportunity to acquire an NGC AU55 but I dramatically preferred this one for its look.
While I'm here, here's a few pieces from my US collection as well. Worst case, it will hopefully show some US collectors that it's okay to like both liteside and darkside material
1808/7 $5 PCGS AU58, BD-1, the R6 variety
1799 $5 NGC AU53, the R6+ variety. I bought this because of the die cracks on the reverse - I've never seen a gold coin with this extensive of die cracks.
Bar cent, NGC AU58, ex Mike Ringo. I looked for a nice bar cent for very long time and missed this one at auction, but found the dealer who bought it and made him a nice offer so here it is!
Pine tree shilling, PCGS VF35 CAC, an R5+ variety with backwards 'N's. I love overdates/misspellings and this one certainly fits well with my others (that I don't have pictures of at the moment, unfortunately)
<< <i>And yeah, it's OK to post it here, 'cause the Darkside is all-inclusive. US coins are merely a subset of the gigantic ocean that is the Mighty Darkside. >>
In that case, here are a few more from both sides
1725 Brazil 20000 Reis, in an NGC AU55 holder. This is a massive coin (almost two ounces of gold) - I believe the largest gold coin minted for circulation up until that point.
1851 $50 Humbert Slug, in a PCGS XF details holder. I didn't mind the details designation as I cracked it out as soon as I received it. This is an incredible coin and truly fun to see.
1907 HR Saint, PCGS AU58 CAC.
Here's the yellow metal in its natural, non-coin form. This is from the Eagle's Nest mine in California, measuring about three inches tall by two inches wide (and about 2cm deep). I spent a long time looking for the "right" crystalline gold and this had everything I was looking for:
Thanks for looking!
My darkside journey started with a 1794 8 escudo but that wasn't enough... I then started moving back through the centuries to a 1602 Sword and Sceptre, then an English noble, then some late Byzantine coins, and then a solidus of Valentinian. I was still undecided on my collecting direction, focusing still on US coins as they felt "safer". Then at an ANA show, I saw an Alexander the Great Stater and was hooked on ancient gold, with a grip that was not going to let up.
Since then, I've been narrowing my focus, looking for pieces that have an inherent rarity, are visually diverse, and are of a high grade without problems. I've been getting everything slabbed by NGC - I know they aren't as popular in the non-US markets yet but they provide a fantastic service for validating the authenticity and assessing any damage. In particular with ancient gold, edge issues are very hard/impossible to infer from pictures and NGC gives me a great deal of additional confidence. So far every coin I've sent in has graded problem free and I'm crossing my fingers that this continues with my latest shipment to the slab factory!
Long term, my goal is to complete a set of The Twelve Caesars and the "Five Good Emperors" in gold. This is ambitious and will take a considerable amount of time to complete, but the enjoyment I've gotten out of the quest so far has been well worth it.
Without further delay, here are the images. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Antoninus Pius (Calico 1650). Ex. Biaggi, the Calico plate coin, in Mint State. The reverse type is interpreted as showing Pius as the refounder of Rome and of Roman morality, following in the footsteps of Augustus who had also wanted the name Romulus. I have a disproportionate number of Antoninus Pius aurei in my collection because I seem drawn to him as an emperor. He is definitely atypical as Roman emperors go, but I like that about him. He made some major improvements to this world, in particular creating the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" and many humanitarian efforts.
Another Antoninus Pius, now in an NGC Ch AU 5/5 - 4/5 Fine Style holder, Calico 1590.
Yet another Antoninus Pius, not yet holdered.
Hadrian (Calico 1226), also a Calico plate coin for the type, not yet holdered
Domitian, in an NGC Ch VF* 5/5 4/5 holder. The luster on the obverse is impressive, and it's largely due to the way this coin was incorrectly produced. The obverse die is normally the bottom die, creating a convexity to the flan. However, this coin's obverse is concave, made by the obverse die being on the top, showing that this particular pairing had both dies interchanged.
Nero, from Lugdunum, in an NGC AU holder. The reverse is of Roma standing right, placing left foot on a pile of enemy arms before her, and inscribing the shield which she balances on her left knee. This reverse type and the contemporary “Virtus” type which was introduced alongside it in 61AD, might actually depict a pair of statues of Roma Victrix erected by the Senate (EX S C) in commemoration of two victories of Nero’s armies in Britain and Armenia.
Nero, from the Boscoreale horde in an NGC XF holder. While considerably less expensive than the previous coin and with a flan flaw on the reverse, I prefer this one due to the wonderful toning and it being from the Boscoreale horde.
Arsinoe II Octadrachm, in an NGC Ch XF 5/5 - 5/5 holder. If you ever have an opportunity to feel one of these in hand, I highly recommend it. They are stunning coins - almost a full ounce of gold from 200BC.
Ptolemy IV Octadrachm, not yet holdered, but one of the best I've seen. These usually have a large amount of die rust but this example is of a early state as it has very clear surfaces.
Alexander the Great Stater, NGC Ch AU 5/5 - 5/5
And to round out my dark side gold, my Scotland Sword and Sceptre which I cracked out of an NGC VF35 to get a better picture. I had the opportunity to acquire an NGC AU55 but I dramatically preferred this one for its look.
While I'm here, here's a few pieces from my US collection as well. Worst case, it will hopefully show some US collectors that it's okay to like both liteside and darkside material
1808/7 $5 PCGS AU58, BD-1, the R6 variety
1799 $5 NGC AU53, the R6+ variety. I bought this because of the die cracks on the reverse - I've never seen a gold coin with this extensive of die cracks.
Bar cent, NGC AU58, ex Mike Ringo. I looked for a nice bar cent for very long time and missed this one at auction, but found the dealer who bought it and made him a nice offer so here it is!
Pine tree shilling, PCGS VF35 CAC, an R5+ variety with backwards 'N's. I love overdates/misspellings and this one certainly fits well with my others (that I don't have pictures of at the moment, unfortunately)
<< <i>And yeah, it's OK to post it here, 'cause the Darkside is all-inclusive. US coins are merely a subset of the gigantic ocean that is the Mighty Darkside. >>
In that case, here are a few more from both sides
1725 Brazil 20000 Reis, in an NGC AU55 holder. This is a massive coin (almost two ounces of gold) - I believe the largest gold coin minted for circulation up until that point.
1851 $50 Humbert Slug, in a PCGS XF details holder. I didn't mind the details designation as I cracked it out as soon as I received it. This is an incredible coin and truly fun to see.
1907 HR Saint, PCGS AU58 CAC.
Here's the yellow metal in its natural, non-coin form. This is from the Eagle's Nest mine in California, measuring about three inches tall by two inches wide (and about 2cm deep). I spent a long time looking for the "right" crystalline gold and this had everything I was looking for:
Thanks for looking!
Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection
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Comments
I had a chance to buy a holey one, once- I really wanted it for my hat- but even holed, they wanted waaaay too much.
Now the rest of y'all can see why I hate SmEagle1795 so badly, eh?
My eyes hurt.
I like the Hadrian Gold, the reverse shows what is called "guide lines", which was part of the die engraving processes. I dont see it that often.
But really there isnt a coin to not like, great start & look forward to seeing future new ones!
I know you've got one in that veritable Smaug's hoard of yours.
And yeah, it's OK to post it here, 'cause the Darkside is all-inclusive. US coins are merely a subset of the gigantic ocean that is the Mighty Darkside.
Oh, and I don't do a smiley-mosaic for just any old thing, but I do believe it is justified on this eyecandy thread.
PS- hey, bronzemat- go ahead and ridicule me for my NGC Ancients slabomania now. There's a new big kid in town, and he's in MY corner. Ha!
My retinas are burning with envy
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
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Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
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More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
<< <i>PS- with a name like "SmEagle1795" and such big guns as those, c'mon, clue us in. Where is the 1795 Small Eagle piece?
I know you've got one in that veritable Smaug's hoard of yours.
Ironically, I'm "between" small eagle gold at the moment. I had a 1795 $5 and $10 and a 1797 $10 Small Eagle (my previous avatar) which I was "combining" as part of a deal for a 1795 $5 of the "S over D" variety, where they misspelled "STATES" as "STATED". Alas, the deal fell through after I had sold all three pieces through a dealer so I found myself with a considerable consigned balance, which allowed me to fuel several ancients, so I suppose it all works out for the best
See the original post for more images!
<< <i>
I like the Hadrian Gold, the reverse shows what is called "guide lines", which was part of the die engraving processes. I dont see it that often.
>>
I didn't know that, but that's very interesting. I'll certainly be doing more research myself on this attribute!
Thanks for all of the compliments, everyone. I definitely enjoy sharing them here!
I love ancients that look like they are fresh off the presses, and gold to boot! Very nice group you have there.
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CoinsAreFun Toned Silver Eagle Proof Album
.
Gallery Mint Museum, Ron Landis& Joe Rust, The beginnings of the Golden Dollar
.
More CoinsAreFun Pictorials NGC
WNC Coins, LLC
1987-C Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803
wnccoins.com
<< <i>
That piece is just plain outrageous. The detail looks like it was minted yesterday. I can't recall the last time I just stared at an ancient like that.
This thread is better than a trip to the museum.
Antoninus Pius was a good guy.
When I had the funds to purchase an aureus, I bought this one:
Antoninus Pius Aureus - Standing with globe
Laureate head right
ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P IMP II
Antoninus wearing toga, standing left, holding globe in right hand
TR POT XIX COS IIII
"Rome rules the world"
Struck: AD 155-156, Rome
Size: 19.5mm
Weight: 7.26gm
Catalog: RIC 256a (laureate head, 256b is bare head)
The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
Coins in Movies
Coins on Television
--Severian the Lame
Unbelievable that it has survived all these centuries in that condition.
Thanks very much for sharing the photos (which, by the way, are amazing themselves!). Being able to see these coins so crisply is almost as good as seeing it in person...
Almost...
I now have to resist getting into ancients...
Many members on this forum that now it cannot fit in my signature. Please ask for entire list.
World Collection
British Collection
German States Collection
Thanks for sharing
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
If you look at those Roman portraits for a few minutes, You almost get to know the person.
Amazing pieces of history...
I have one more Caesar Aureus to get, have 11/12 , then I will attempt to upgrade a couple..
Never ends, does it :-)
LM-ANA3242-CSNS308-MSNS226-ICTA
<< <i>Thanks again, everyone! worldcoinguy, I agree - that Antoninus Pius is my favorite, and is currently my desktop background, phone background, and avatar. The Hadrian is a close second, and bronzemat, your insight into guide lines has led me down a very informative and interesting path of further research/learning. Thanks again! >>
Ha ha! I just saw this thread and I set my desktop also to the Antoninus Pius! Beautiful, as are all the others. Thanks for the fantastic images of fantastic ancient gold.
One can only dream...
Bob
Vietnam Vet 1968-1969
How amazing is this little effort here?
The Calico plate piece is totally mesmerizing.
Thanks for sharing
<< <i>Totally Outstanding !!
If you look at those Roman portraits for a few minutes, You almost get to know the person.
Amazing pieces of history...
I have one more Caesar Aureus to get, have 11/12 , then I will attempt to upgrade a couple..
Never ends, does it :-) >>
Thanks! It definitely doesn't end. I saw the first ten of your Caesars in a post you made a while back - they look great!