Numismatic Gladiator X - the championship round! (All past champions from NG1-NG9 face off!)
lordmarcovan
Posts: 43,673 ✭✭✭✭✭
WELCOME TO NUMISMATIC GLADIATOR X!
To see how the earlier competitions went, click here.
This is a special "Numismatic Gladiator" contest, with nine contestants instead of just two!
All of our contestants in this round were champions in one of the previous nine rounds.
Which one will claim the special "eagle" trophy for this, the Numismatic Gladiator X championship round?
1. All contestants agreed to purchase a single coin from the assigned category.
2. The coin had to cost no more than $10.00 US.
3. In order to avoid any contestant having an advantage, contestants agreed to buy their coins from one of two approved retail venues*
(*in this case, eBay Buy-It-Now or VCoins).
4. Shipping was not included in the $10.00 limit.
5. You can now vote on which coin you like best without knowing which coin belongs to whom. That will be revealed at the end.
6. The person whose coin receives the most votes gets bragging rights and a sigline trophy.
(And the cool coin they purchased, obviously.)
This cointest will run until midnight Eastern on Wednesday, September 21, 2016.
Vote for whichever coin appeals to you most.
This need not be the one that is most monetarily valuable. Catalog and/or retail value should be weighed into the decision, of course, but this cointest is about overall desirability - eye appeal, history, design, etc. It is much more about collecting fun than "investment" value.
The coins are presented here in chronological order, in similar sized images (though note that the actual coins themselves may differ widely in physical size).
Here are the past "Numismatic Gladiator" champions from rounds 1 through 9, in alphabetical order by username:
~ Aethelred (winner of NG1)
~ CoinCast (winner of NG9)
~ dadams (winner of NG3)
~ Jackthecat1 (winner of NG5)
~ LochNESS (winner of NG8)
~lordmarcovan (winner of NG4)
~ PatAR (winner of NG6)
~ Swampboy (winner of NG2)
~ TavernTreasures (winner of NG7)
And now... the items our gladiators bought... which do YOU like the best, for the money?
ITEM A: Ancient Judaean bronze prutah of Herod Agrippa I, ca. 41-44 AD, @ $10.00 from Zurqieh Co. LLC via VCoins store
ITEM B: Ancient Roman silvered bronze AE3 of Constantine I, ca. 328-329 AD, Nicomedia mint, @ $8.50 from eBay
ITEM C: Ancient Roman bronze AE3/centenionalis of Constantine I, ca. 330-337 AD, Antioch mint, @ $9.99 from eBay
ITEM D: Great Britain: copper medal featuring Caroline, Queen Consort of George IV, ca. 1820-1821, @ $6.00 from eBay
ITEM E: USA: elongated Indian Head cent commemorating the Pan-American Exposition of 1901, with Armour Canned Meats advertisement, @ $9.00 from eBay
ITEM F: France: silver “Sower” type 1-franc coin, 1917, Gem BU, @ $7.95 from eBay
ITEM G: US Treasury “Victory Liberty Loan” medal from World War I, ca. 1919, struck from metal from captured German cannons, @ $7.50 from eBay
ITEM H: Reunion: aluminum 2-franc coin, 1948, BU, @ $2.49 from eBay
ITEM I: Iceland: copper-nickel 50-kronur coin featuring the Parliament Building in Reykjavik, 1978, @ $2.25 from eBay
*** FINAL POLL RESULTS ***
Which item do you like best, for the money? (Total Votes: 43)
ITEM A: Ancient Judaean bronze prutah of Herod Agrippa I, ca. 41-44 AD, @ $10.00
1 votes 2.33 (%)
ITEM B: Ancient Roman silvered bronze AE3 of Constantine I, ca. 328-329 AD, Nicomedia mint, @ $8.50
10 votes 23.26 (%)
ITEM C: Ancient Roman bronze AE3/centenionalis of Constantine I, ca. 330-337 AD, Antioch mint, @ $9.99
4 votes 9.30 (%)
ITEM
Great Britain: copper medal featuring Caroline, Queen Consort of George IV, ca. 1820-1821, @ $6.00
7 votes 16.28 (%)
ITEM E: USA: elongated Indian Head cent commemorating the Pan-American Exposition of 1901, with Armour Canned Meats advertisement, @ $9.00
6 votes 13.95 (%)
ITEM F: France: silver “Sower” type 1-franc coin, 1917, Gem BU, @ $7.95
5 votes 11.63 (%)
ITEM G: US Treasury “Victory Liberty Loan” medal from World War I, ca. 1919, struck from metal from captured German cannons, @ $7.50
5 votes 11.63 (%)
ITEM H: Reunion: aluminum 2-franc coin, 1948, BU, @ $2.49
3 votes 6.98 (%)
ITEM I: Iceland: copper-nickel 50-kronur coin featuring the Parliament Building in Reykjavik, 1978, @ $2.25
2 votes 4.65 (%)
I could not decide because I liked two or more items equally
0 votes 0.00 (%)
I could not decide because I disliked all of the items
0 votes 0.00 (%)
I'm totally neutral on this
0 votes 0.00 (%)
To see how the earlier competitions went, click here.
This is a special "Numismatic Gladiator" contest, with nine contestants instead of just two!
All of our contestants in this round were champions in one of the previous nine rounds.
Which one will claim the special "eagle" trophy for this, the Numismatic Gladiator X championship round?
1. All contestants agreed to purchase a single coin from the assigned category.
2. The coin had to cost no more than $10.00 US.
3. In order to avoid any contestant having an advantage, contestants agreed to buy their coins from one of two approved retail venues*
(*in this case, eBay Buy-It-Now or VCoins).
4. Shipping was not included in the $10.00 limit.
5. You can now vote on which coin you like best without knowing which coin belongs to whom. That will be revealed at the end.
6. The person whose coin receives the most votes gets bragging rights and a sigline trophy.
(And the cool coin they purchased, obviously.)
This cointest will run until midnight Eastern on Wednesday, September 21, 2016.
Vote for whichever coin appeals to you most.
This need not be the one that is most monetarily valuable. Catalog and/or retail value should be weighed into the decision, of course, but this cointest is about overall desirability - eye appeal, history, design, etc. It is much more about collecting fun than "investment" value.
The coins are presented here in chronological order, in similar sized images (though note that the actual coins themselves may differ widely in physical size).
Here are the past "Numismatic Gladiator" champions from rounds 1 through 9, in alphabetical order by username:
~ Aethelred (winner of NG1) ~ CoinCast (winner of NG9) ~ dadams (winner of NG3) ~ Jackthecat1 (winner of NG5) ~ LochNESS (winner of NG8) ~lordmarcovan (winner of NG4) ~ PatAR (winner of NG6) ~ Swampboy (winner of NG2) ~ TavernTreasures (winner of NG7)And now... the items our gladiators bought... which do YOU like the best, for the money?
ITEM A: Ancient Judaean bronze prutah of Herod Agrippa I, ca. 41-44 AD, @ $10.00 from Zurqieh Co. LLC via VCoins store
Message from the gladiator who bought Item A:
"I chose this coin because it speaks to my personal heritage (Jewish). Also, when I visited Israel the first time, our tour guide often discussed the rule of Roman client king Herod. I recall him saying how Herod was "crazy, but not stupid" and that much of the infrastructure he build in Israel was actually helpful to the land and still in existence today. But enough about the subject. I love this coin because of its sandy patina. Also, I think at this super low price point, compared to other categories ancients offer the most numismatic interest dollar-for-dollar."
"I chose this coin because it speaks to my personal heritage (Jewish). Also, when I visited Israel the first time, our tour guide often discussed the rule of Roman client king Herod. I recall him saying how Herod was "crazy, but not stupid" and that much of the infrastructure he build in Israel was actually helpful to the land and still in existence today. But enough about the subject. I love this coin because of its sandy patina. Also, I think at this super low price point, compared to other categories ancients offer the most numismatic interest dollar-for-dollar."
ITEM B: Ancient Roman silvered bronze AE3 of Constantine I, ca. 328-329 AD, Nicomedia mint, @ $8.50 from eBay
Message from the gladiator who bought Item B:
"I went way outside the wheelhouse in selecting this coin - my first Ancient.
With a ten dollar limit imposed upon the Gladiators for this challenge I hit a brick wall in US coins, ran across what seemed mostly common material in World, and kept returning to Ancients as the only possible solution to my monetary dilemma.
Knowing nothing, absolutely nothing, about ancient coins I propelled myself into a short, self-instructed, internet crash course. Having reviewed the rudimentary basics I chose this coin of Constantine the Great. I was attracted to this piece initially by price and condition and placed it on the short list of about a half dozen I deemed worthy. The historical background of Constantine I as the first Christian emperor and unifier of the divided Empire solidified my decision."
"I went way outside the wheelhouse in selecting this coin - my first Ancient.
With a ten dollar limit imposed upon the Gladiators for this challenge I hit a brick wall in US coins, ran across what seemed mostly common material in World, and kept returning to Ancients as the only possible solution to my monetary dilemma.
Knowing nothing, absolutely nothing, about ancient coins I propelled myself into a short, self-instructed, internet crash course. Having reviewed the rudimentary basics I chose this coin of Constantine the Great. I was attracted to this piece initially by price and condition and placed it on the short list of about a half dozen I deemed worthy. The historical background of Constantine I as the first Christian emperor and unifier of the divided Empire solidified my decision."
ITEM C: Ancient Roman bronze AE3/centenionalis of Constantine I, ca. 330-337 AD, Antioch mint, @ $9.99 from eBay
Message from the gladiator who bought Item C:
"Bronzes of the late Roman Empire are anything but rare. This centenionalis of Constantine I was struck 330-337 A.D. in Antioch, as indicated by the "SMANB" mintmark (Sacra Moneta Antioch). I liked the portrait engraving, the double strike and the soldiers with shields, spears and standards reverse (GLORIA EXERCITUS).
Although the auction states 307- 337 A.D. I believe these coins went into circulation around 330 so that is the date I included. I stand to be corrected."
"Bronzes of the late Roman Empire are anything but rare. This centenionalis of Constantine I was struck 330-337 A.D. in Antioch, as indicated by the "SMANB" mintmark (Sacra Moneta Antioch). I liked the portrait engraving, the double strike and the soldiers with shields, spears and standards reverse (GLORIA EXERCITUS).
Although the auction states 307- 337 A.D. I believe these coins went into circulation around 330 so that is the date I included. I stand to be corrected."
ITEM D: Great Britain: copper medal featuring Caroline, Queen Consort of George IV, ca. 1820-1821, @ $6.00 from eBay
Message from the gladiator who bought Item
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it is 1821. The old king, George III had ruled for 60 years, during that reign the American Colonies were lost, a revolution in France had threatened to spill over to Britain and for the last decade old George had been completely mad, blind and uncared for in the palace. In 1795 Caroline, the Princess of Brunswick had married George, the young Prince of Wales. The newlyweds took an almost instant dislike to one another and resolved to spend as much time apart as possible. By 1811 it had become clear that the fog of madness would never lift from the Old King’s mind and Prince George was made Regent, He was king in all but name, but his new powers did not include his wife who by now was living abroad with a working class Italian named Bartolomeo Pergami. Then in 1820 King George III died and the Prince of Wales received the title to go with his powers. The new king was hated by the people and as his bitter rival Caroline received their affection in a way that was only rivaled by another Princess named Diana. Despised by her husband, she was named Queen Consort rather than given the full honors her marriage entitled her to. She decided that she would be Queen and attempted to force her way into the Coronation of George IV in 1821, but she was blocked and after several undignified attempts she left. That very night she was seized by abdominal pain which grew worse with each day. In what could have only been seen as a blessing of good timing by George IV, she died three weeks later, an event which of course gave rise to rumors that she had been “gotten out of the way.”
This 26mm copper medal was minted in that brief window between 1820 and 1821 when Britain had a popular Queen Consort who was loved and pitied by the common people."
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it is 1821. The old king, George III had ruled for 60 years, during that reign the American Colonies were lost, a revolution in France had threatened to spill over to Britain and for the last decade old George had been completely mad, blind and uncared for in the palace. In 1795 Caroline, the Princess of Brunswick had married George, the young Prince of Wales. The newlyweds took an almost instant dislike to one another and resolved to spend as much time apart as possible. By 1811 it had become clear that the fog of madness would never lift from the Old King’s mind and Prince George was made Regent, He was king in all but name, but his new powers did not include his wife who by now was living abroad with a working class Italian named Bartolomeo Pergami. Then in 1820 King George III died and the Prince of Wales received the title to go with his powers. The new king was hated by the people and as his bitter rival Caroline received their affection in a way that was only rivaled by another Princess named Diana. Despised by her husband, she was named Queen Consort rather than given the full honors her marriage entitled her to. She decided that she would be Queen and attempted to force her way into the Coronation of George IV in 1821, but she was blocked and after several undignified attempts she left. That very night she was seized by abdominal pain which grew worse with each day. In what could have only been seen as a blessing of good timing by George IV, she died three weeks later, an event which of course gave rise to rumors that she had been “gotten out of the way.”
This 26mm copper medal was minted in that brief window between 1820 and 1821 when Britain had a popular Queen Consort who was loved and pitied by the common people."
ITEM E: USA: elongated Indian Head cent commemorating the Pan-American Exposition of 1901, with Armour Canned Meats advertisement, @ $9.00 from eBay
Message from the gladiator who bought Item E:
" This is an elongated Indian cent (pre-1901) made as a souvenir for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. It was at this exposition that President McKinley was assassinated. This piece shows the Manufacturing and Liberal Arts building and the reverse is an advertisement for Armour's "Dainty Canned Meats". Armour is still around, of course, but in 1901 I'll bet their meats were anything but "dainty", since that was a few years before Upton Sinclair exposed the nastier side of the meatpacking industry in his 1906 book "The Jungle", which led to widespread reforms in federal food safety legislation.”
" This is an elongated Indian cent (pre-1901) made as a souvenir for the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, NY. It was at this exposition that President McKinley was assassinated. This piece shows the Manufacturing and Liberal Arts building and the reverse is an advertisement for Armour's "Dainty Canned Meats". Armour is still around, of course, but in 1901 I'll bet their meats were anything but "dainty", since that was a few years before Upton Sinclair exposed the nastier side of the meatpacking industry in his 1906 book "The Jungle", which led to widespread reforms in federal food safety legislation.”
ITEM F: France: silver “Sower” type 1-franc coin, 1917, Gem BU, @ $7.95 from eBay
Message from the gladiator who bought Item F:
" I chose the 1917 French 1 Franc coin for a variety of reasons:
1) A beautiful, iconic design from the talented sculptor/engraver Oscar Roty.
2) A design believed by many to have been an inspiration for Weinman's Walking Liberty Half Dollar.
3) An almost 100 year old silver coin in excellent condition for less than $10.
4) A coin from a country torn by war, soon to debase its currency.”
" I chose the 1917 French 1 Franc coin for a variety of reasons:
1) A beautiful, iconic design from the talented sculptor/engraver Oscar Roty.
2) A design believed by many to have been an inspiration for Weinman's Walking Liberty Half Dollar.
3) An almost 100 year old silver coin in excellent condition for less than $10.
4) A coin from a country torn by war, soon to debase its currency.”
ITEM G: US Treasury “Victory Liberty Loan” medal from World War I, ca. 1919, struck from metal from captured German cannons, @ $7.50 from eBay
Message from the gladiator who bought Item G:
"Made of metal from German cannons captured by American troops at “The Battle of Chateau Thierry” in WWI France! This medal was made in 1919 and celebrates an Allied Victory in “The War to End All Wars”. The battle was fought on July 18, 1918.
This Numismatic Gladiator Challenge was very tough due to the $10 limitation. I found several candidates, but was not really sold on any of them, until I hit upon this item. I just had to pull the trigger on this “US Treasury” issued medal for its COOLNESS factor alone.
The “Victory Liberty Loan Act” was signed into law on March 3, 1919 and these medals were issued soon afterward (while the war was still in progress). The war ended with the signing of the Versailles Treaty on November 11, 1919. The funds from the sale of Liberty bonds (bought by US citizens) were actually interest bearing loans to the government. This money was used in part to pay the cost of bringing our victorious troops home and to offset the cost of the overall demobilization effort.
The Treasury awarded these medals to all Liberty Loan workers throughout the US. It is holed (as issued) and is almost as large as a US half dollar. The obverse depicts an eagle clutching three arrows and an olive branch with the US Treasury building in the background. The reverse has a blank area where the recipients could have their names engraved. This example actually has a name there!
An April 19, 1919 news article reads in part: “Several German cannon captured by American troops at Chateau Thierry, have been melted, the metal rolled into sheets, and the medals are now being made.”
I could not find any info on where the minting took place. I was hoping the US Mint made these medals.
So here it goes! My “Heavily Armed” entry for Numismatic Gladiator X. I hope you like it!”
"Made of metal from German cannons captured by American troops at “The Battle of Chateau Thierry” in WWI France! This medal was made in 1919 and celebrates an Allied Victory in “The War to End All Wars”. The battle was fought on July 18, 1918.
This Numismatic Gladiator Challenge was very tough due to the $10 limitation. I found several candidates, but was not really sold on any of them, until I hit upon this item. I just had to pull the trigger on this “US Treasury” issued medal for its COOLNESS factor alone.
The “Victory Liberty Loan Act” was signed into law on March 3, 1919 and these medals were issued soon afterward (while the war was still in progress). The war ended with the signing of the Versailles Treaty on November 11, 1919. The funds from the sale of Liberty bonds (bought by US citizens) were actually interest bearing loans to the government. This money was used in part to pay the cost of bringing our victorious troops home and to offset the cost of the overall demobilization effort.
The Treasury awarded these medals to all Liberty Loan workers throughout the US. It is holed (as issued) and is almost as large as a US half dollar. The obverse depicts an eagle clutching three arrows and an olive branch with the US Treasury building in the background. The reverse has a blank area where the recipients could have their names engraved. This example actually has a name there!
An April 19, 1919 news article reads in part: “Several German cannon captured by American troops at Chateau Thierry, have been melted, the metal rolled into sheets, and the medals are now being made.”
I could not find any info on where the minting took place. I was hoping the US Mint made these medals.
So here it goes! My “Heavily Armed” entry for Numismatic Gladiator X. I hope you like it!”
ITEM H: Reunion: aluminum 2-franc coin, 1948, BU, @ $2.49 from eBay
Message from the gladiator who bought Item H:
”Reunion is a small island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It has been claimed and occupied by the French for most of its recorded history. After briefly being under the Vichy Regime in WWII the Free French forces liberated it in 1942.
This Reunion 2 franc coin (Al 2.2g 27mm) depicts the allegorical Marianne of France on obverse with wings upon her head symbolizing freedom of thought. This design element and its symbolism mimic the winged liberty (aka “Mercury”) dime of USA (1916-1945). In the background are merchant ships symbolic of the sea trade that passed through Reunion. The reverse is dominated by sugar cane plants which remain the major economic resource of the island to this day.
Both the 1 franc and 2 franc coins were initially issued in 1948. They were issued in aluminum, but a limited number were also produced in Copper-Nickel. There is also a rare mule using the obverse of French Equatorial Africa (additional words UNION FRANCAISE in the legend). 2015 Krause lists that mule only for the 1 franc, but it is known to exist for the 2 franc as well.”
”Reunion is a small island east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It has been claimed and occupied by the French for most of its recorded history. After briefly being under the Vichy Regime in WWII the Free French forces liberated it in 1942.
This Reunion 2 franc coin (Al 2.2g 27mm) depicts the allegorical Marianne of France on obverse with wings upon her head symbolizing freedom of thought. This design element and its symbolism mimic the winged liberty (aka “Mercury”) dime of USA (1916-1945). In the background are merchant ships symbolic of the sea trade that passed through Reunion. The reverse is dominated by sugar cane plants which remain the major economic resource of the island to this day.
Both the 1 franc and 2 franc coins were initially issued in 1948. They were issued in aluminum, but a limited number were also produced in Copper-Nickel. There is also a rare mule using the obverse of French Equatorial Africa (additional words UNION FRANCAISE in the legend). 2015 Krause lists that mule only for the 1 franc, but it is known to exist for the 2 franc as well.”
ITEM I: Iceland: copper-nickel 50-kronur coin featuring the Parliament Building in Reykjavik, 1978, @ $2.25 from eBay
Message from the gladiator who bought Item I:
” I bought this coin not so much because it is rare, but because of the building on the obverse of the coin and my love of Iceland. The National Parliament of Iceland is called the Alþingi which is one, if not, the oldest elected legal systems that is still running. The first meetings were held in 930 in the Þingvellir, which means Parliament Plains. The building on the coin was constructed there on these plains in 1880. Though the country has begun to outgrow the building it remains the first stop for many tourists and is a landmark in, what I think, is a fascinating little country.”
” I bought this coin not so much because it is rare, but because of the building on the obverse of the coin and my love of Iceland. The National Parliament of Iceland is called the Alþingi which is one, if not, the oldest elected legal systems that is still running. The first meetings were held in 930 in the Þingvellir, which means Parliament Plains. The building on the coin was constructed there on these plains in 1880. Though the country has begun to outgrow the building it remains the first stop for many tourists and is a landmark in, what I think, is a fascinating little country.”
*** FINAL POLL RESULTS ***
Which item do you like best, for the money? (Total Votes: 43)
ITEM A: Ancient Judaean bronze prutah of Herod Agrippa I, ca. 41-44 AD, @ $10.00
1 votes 2.33 (%)
ITEM B: Ancient Roman silvered bronze AE3 of Constantine I, ca. 328-329 AD, Nicomedia mint, @ $8.50
10 votes 23.26 (%)
ITEM C: Ancient Roman bronze AE3/centenionalis of Constantine I, ca. 330-337 AD, Antioch mint, @ $9.99
4 votes 9.30 (%)
ITEM
Great Britain: copper medal featuring Caroline, Queen Consort of George IV, ca. 1820-1821, @ $6.007 votes 16.28 (%)
ITEM E: USA: elongated Indian Head cent commemorating the Pan-American Exposition of 1901, with Armour Canned Meats advertisement, @ $9.00
6 votes 13.95 (%)
ITEM F: France: silver “Sower” type 1-franc coin, 1917, Gem BU, @ $7.95
5 votes 11.63 (%)
ITEM G: US Treasury “Victory Liberty Loan” medal from World War I, ca. 1919, struck from metal from captured German cannons, @ $7.50
5 votes 11.63 (%)
ITEM H: Reunion: aluminum 2-franc coin, 1948, BU, @ $2.49
3 votes 6.98 (%)
ITEM I: Iceland: copper-nickel 50-kronur coin featuring the Parliament Building in Reykjavik, 1978, @ $2.25
2 votes 4.65 (%)
I could not decide because I liked two or more items equally
0 votes 0.00 (%)
I could not decide because I disliked all of the items
0 votes 0.00 (%)
I'm totally neutral on this
0 votes 0.00 (%)
0
Comments
OK, so that only took all weekend to post. There was a phrase the forum software didn't like. It was the "SMANB" mintmark on the Roman coin (Item C), which it accepts in quotes, but when I tried to post that gladiator's blurb verbatim, the forum kept "Error 113-ing" me incessantly and saying the post "did not pass validation".
It took me forever to isolate that little glitch in all that code, and I still am mystified by why the forum is so frightened of "SMANB" (without quotes).
Not to mention it kept throwing out 2-3 captchas per edit (I still had to contend with those the entire time I came up with the draft for this thread).
So anyway, I think I've got all the hyperlinks and stuff working, but let me know if I flubbed anything.
As to the purchases here, I think you'll agree that it's a very interesting mix, and practically everybody got lots of bang for their ten bucks!
I was hoping for a bracket type contest to narrow things down a bit...will there be a run-off between the top three, or is it winner takes all?
Great picks!
Good gravy, I could vote for any of them, but I refuse to not choose one. Either by history, design elements, or just a cool backstory these are ALL great options!
I was hoping for a bracket type contest to narrow things down a bit...will there be a run-off between the top three, or is it winner takes all?
Great picks!
The bracket thing could've been interesting, though it might've overcomplicated things.
But to quote the Highlander movie, "there can be only one".
WNC Coins, LLC
1987-C Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803
wnccoins.com
Edited to add that ALL forum members should show appreciation to LordM and all the participants for their hard work by voting in this one.
ITEM C: Ancient Roman bronze AE3/centenionalis of Constantine I, ca. 330-337 AD, Antioch mint, @ $9.99 from eBay
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I went with option D for the historic background but it was a very tough choice. My second one else would have been the Victory medal.
8 Reales Madness Collection
It has been great fun for me.
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
high quality - low pricing as Ilya Zlobin tells us every time on Trusted Coins
This is the best one ever. You should do the same thing for NG XX.
Edited to add that ALL forum members should show appreciation to LordM and all the participants for their hard work by voting in this one.
Thanks. Like the rest of our gladiators would no doubt say, this is a labor of love, and proving that it's not "all about money" and that a collector can still have loads of fun with inexpensive coins has been a joy.
I don't know about my codirector Aethelred (I'm pretty sure he's on board), but doing one of these "championship rounds" with the eagle trophy every ten contests is the plan, assuming the interest and enthusiasm for these proves sustainable. So yes, unless things change, NG20 will be the next championship round. For symmetry, note how Aethelred and I will be again facing off in ancients for NG11, starting the cycle anew.
I just voted, but will wait a few posts to share my thought processes behind that, and about all the items on an individual basis.
I will say a huge thanks to Lord M, earning once again his lordly title. I can only imagine how much time and mental energy went into organizing and posting these ten gladiatorial matches. And thanks to our co-director, Aethelred for the same.
WOW thank you so much to my fellow gladiators for coming prepared to battle! There are some incredibly interesting entries. I've already added some to my "want list." Just wow and thanks is what I'm feeling today
Amat Colligendo Focum
Top 10 • FOR SALE
Item E , the elongate from the 1901 Expo is really impressive. It's not easy to find any from that Expo in such nice condition.
+1
For me there were 3 entries that seemed head and shoulders above the others: D, E and G. Not an easy choice amongst them, but in the end felt the same as your comment on E. And as an advertising piece it seems to be an exceedingly nice find for the money and so nudged out the others.
DPOTD-3
'Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery'
CU #3245 B.N.A. #428
Don
Choice Numismatics www.ChoiceCoin.com
CN eBay
All of my collection is in a safe deposit box!
Honors to all my fellow contestants for such wonderfully surprising and interesting selections.
After reviewing them I find myself voting for a competitor's entry!
What's not to like here? A nearly 2,000 year old coin from the Holy Land with biblical associations and great patina, for ten bucks? I'm surprised it hasn't gotten more love so far. Ancient Judaean coins are relatively crude and a bit esoteric, making them the realm of specialists, but at this price point the appeal should be fairly universal. I suppose what's making it less appreciated here so far is the fact that it's up against so many other good choices.
This is a nice example. Sure, a common emperor, but an extremely historic one, and these "campgates" are popular. If that's really trace silvering on there (as it certainly appears to be), this was a great pickup for eight and a half bucks. The thin silver wash on these seldom survived the centuries intact. I've seen coins like this listed on sites like VCoins for $25+. And reading about how this was the very first ancient coin purchase for this gladiator, and how he did his homework and pulled off such a nice bargain (never mind the less than optimal pictures), I had to give this one my vote.
Here's another nice Constantine the Great with the sort of earthen patina I like. A great buy at the price, in my opinion. It also appears to perhaps have a tiny bit sharper detail than the campgate above, but I had to go with the latter for the reasons previously mentioned. (Plus I like the campgate reverse a tiny bit more than the "soldiers and standards".)
PS- click here for comparison if you want to see what good bargains the above two Constantine I coins were. Note the strong similarity to Item C, and then note that it's offered at essentially 10x the price! And the item linked to is for sale by a reputable dealer not known for crazy pricing- except maybe this time.)
This is a nice historical medal. I like it just fine for the money, but am a little surprised it has such a solid lead as of this posting. Which isn't to say it's undeserving of votes, of course. It has an appealing design and an interesting backstory. To be unnecessarily nitpicky, the spots and deposits downgraded it a tiny bit in my opinion (but that is rather unfair if one takes the six-dollar pricetag into account).
Like the Constantine I "campgate" (Item B above), this is an item I've seen for sale in the $20-25 range. I prefer elongates to have a bit more visible detail of the host coin, especially a date, but the fact that this one is two-sided accounts for the lack of such host coin detail. It looks pretty nice, though, and the historical tie-ins to the McKinley assassination and the Armour Meats advertisement made it doubly (or triply) appealing.
This is a common coin, but this particular example is gorgeous, and it is, as the buyer mentioned, a classic and iconic design. Perhaps against my usual inclinations, this was high on my list of favorites; wavering in the range of second or third. At the price, I liked it very much, and would have happily given it my vote had there not been so many other interesting choices. And I'll put my money where my mouth is and say I'd happily purchase that if the buyer chose not to keep it.
This one's got very cool history behind it and is not bad looking from a design standpoint, either. Very appealing. It struggled against the French franc for #2 or #3 in my estimation (since I was not going to vote for my own selection). This gladiator bought a second one of these on an iron or steel planchet, which hopefully he'll share with us once the contest is over.
Here's a drop-dead gorgeous example of a drop-dead gorgeous design. I've always liked the small detail of the the merchant ships on the obverse of these. Yes, it's modern aluminum, which has yet to really come into its own in terms of popularity and still doesn't get much respect, but coins like this at a dirt-cheap price like this could change that over time. For two and a half bucks, if I had seen that thing in a pick bin with its luster glinting, there's a pretty good chance I'd have scooped it up. As Andres mentioned, "high quality, low price" is a very nice combination.
This is our most modern and our least expensive selection. In terms of the competition, it lacks a few of the "sexier" elements like rarity, bullion, age, or intricate design, but it's certainly not bad at all. And with the buyer's description of his regard for Iceland, I can understand the purchase. I actually enjoyed looking at some of the pictures and reading a bit on the Wikipedia pages when I linked those up in his blurb. Iceland certainly is an interesting country, and if I were suddenly independently wealthy with the money and freedom to travel, I would enjoy visiting it. (As long as they didn't make me eat fish.)
I recently just started posting over there, so I put my item up for a drawing to "get acquainted" and "break the ice" a little, though I know a lot of CU members also frequent that site and are already familiar to me, though some post under different usernames there.
That drawing over there coincides with the end of this contest here, so IF you can find it and have the login credentials to post over there, I welcome your entry in the giveaway drawing.
(Obviously I won't link it up here and blow my cover, however.)
Every single one has something I find appealing, though the Reunion one would be a dupe. I find the concept of 'modern aluminum' that is pushing 50+ years old in such fabulous condition astonishing. I'll confess to voting for the Caroline piece, but as the mother of Charlotte who is one of my tragically favorite obstetrical stories, well, there was no chance I could vote for any other.
_____________________
edited to add: I guessed correctly on where you were posting, but I TOTALLY did not pick the right entry as yours.
Maybe that could be a follow up contest...see who can guess which entry belongs to which gladiator.
Stop voting with your hearts, and to quote my favorite movie (as good as it gets), think white and get serious!
myEbay
DPOTD 3
This just became more interesting!
Cutoff date is midnight Eastern tomorrow night (Wed/Thurs), 9/21.
If we still have a tie then, I suppose I'll just call the results as soon as a tiebreaker vote comes in for one or the other of the top contenders.
(Cathy/Stork already guessed where to find it. But she was surprised at which of the NG10 selections turned out to be mine.)
I still can't believe Item A hasn't gotten at least a tiny bit more love.
Who bought Item B, which came up from behind to win the competition!
Congratulations, dadams! Here is the "eagle" trophy! Wear it with pride!
And thank you to all of our other champions for competing in this round. It was a lot of fun!
I was also very happy to see an ancient coin take the title, too often ancients are overlooked and it is good to see them get their due.
WNC Coins, LLC
1987-C Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803
wnccoins.com
You won fair and square and I love your entry!
"Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working" Pablo Picasso
Cheers!
Congratulations, dadams! Here is the "eagle" trophy! Wear it with pride!
I am absolutely shocked !!!!!
When LordM announced NG10 and the $10.00 stipulation I had immediately thought to myself there was no way I would win. Come on, look at the competition - every one of these competitors are hardcore coin guys with what I can only imagine are years of experience, and well, I've seen some of their items posted in multiple threads and watched all the previous NG competitions - no way, no chance, no how.
As VCoins was one of the authorized venues to purchase my selection I had decided to shun eBay, my old standard, and venture someplace unfamiliar. I was surprised at the number of ancients at VCoins and so I looked at most listings priced at ten bucks or less and marked only a few items that really caught my eye. I killed a couple days looking here with no luck and moved to eBay to see what was there.
As a US Type collector I began my search in US Coins, but as quickly recalled from the US Coin challenge in NG3, ten bucks ain't gonna buy much - I had a 25 limit in NG3 and even then it was darned tuff to find something appealing.
World coins next - decent stuff, but nothing great to me.
Ancients!! I looked through pages and pages of ancients at VCoins and perhaps this is what finally steered me back that way. Again, at eBay I marked a few I found with enough detail to be, at least to me, eye appealing.
I think I've got my coins narrowed down to a dozen now, so which one?
I'm totally flummoxed. Ancients are coins right? So why are all these listing in another language? This isn't any coin terminology I'm familiar with.
Æ AR Æ3 Æ12 diadem exergue follis officina ?! This is like Greek to me
Buy the book before the coin they say, but I had none . . . .
There is a wealth of information online and these two sites were probably the most helpful to me in learning about what I was about to buy:
FORVM ANCIENT COINS
Tesorillo.com (Identifying Late Roman Bronze Coins)
Of course there was Wikipedia and others as well. All in all I think I now have a beginners understanding of the basics of Roman Coinage. As an aside, it took me longer to figure out what RIC stood for than the decipherment of Mint Marks in exergue.
Constantine I Silvered Æ3 Follis. Nicomedia, Officina 1 AD 328-9.
Obv: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG - Pearl-diademed head right.
Rev: PROVIDEN-TIAE AVGG - Campgate with six stone layers, no door, two turrets and a star above.
SMNA in exergue. 2.58g, 17.5mm. Remnant silvering.
RIC VII NICOMEDIA 153
Rob & Michael - I want to sincerely thank you both for the efforts you have put into the NG contests. I know it is time consuming and mostly rewardless, but both of your passions for teaching have not gone unnoticed - most certainly not by me. I think that what I wrote above is the essence of your work.
I learned much and am continuing to learn. LordM suggested to me The History of Rome podcast series by Mike Duncan and I have completed up through Podcast#33 and am hooked.
Twelve Caesars . . . . darkside . . . .
-Doug
I was in a similar mindset as yourself, it seems. My first Vcoins purchase, and my first ancients purchase (although I did acquire one in a barter, once). I had a gut feeling that an ancient would win this competition (if you couldn't tell from my write-up). And they did indeed "have their day" -- just not mine
Thanks, Lord M for the sympathy but I don't mind that my coin got only one vote (not me, at least... I voted for #G). I like my coin. Don't vote with our hearts? Shame on you, Dmitri my friend. I only buy coins which pull on my heartstrings. Otherwise what is the point? Of course one still needs to think with their head before engaging the wallet, but please ... always vote with your heart.
I definitely could have written a better description, but I really don't think it would've made a difference. I bought it because I like it. The good news, again, is that an ancient took the prize. At least I was on the right train of thought with "ancients" as my category. Who knows, perhaps if I had not delayed my hunting until the very last moment, if I had gone to browse Vcoins sooner, I may have ended up buying the Constantine instead. It is lovely, and has a very similar "castle" look (yes, I know it's a campgate) as the coin I chose for (and winner of) NGVIII.
So if I haven't said it right yet, allow me to try one last time. I am totally thrilled for you, sir. I could not be happier with the outcome and I think you made all the right decisions for the right reasons. If my coin had won, in my opinion it would not have been correct. This was your time to shine and I congratulate you!
Amat Colligendo Focum
Top 10 • FOR SALE
Dadams- you deserved this win for the homework you did. The fact that you also scored a great bargain didn't hurt either, of course.