Smackdown #5 The Severans

It's interesting the way the tally worked out. Martin's Geta actually received more Gold votes than Doug's Legionary. However, Doug's coin received enough Silver votes to push it past Martin's by that one vote. It's also interesting to note what others think about the coins posted. For me it's hard to separate the "pretty" coins from those I know to be rare and maybe not so pretty. Both of Doug's coins are rare I do believe, as are Martin's coins. Doug's Caracalla and Martin's Severus received only a few votes each. It was a tough choice for me to pick only three.

Rarity has very little to do with appeal.

My Severus is quite possibly the only known example with these extremely rare legends. It is also in nice condition but it doesn't appeal to non-specialists. I have no problem with that. If others found my collecting areas more appealing I doubt that I would continue to be able to collect them. As it is I am able to purchase previously unknown types or combinations of coins that I am interested in at prices I can afford. Long may that continue.

Martin

A seperate category for so-so coins would be nice, but it almost goes against the point of seeing the all stars come out to play. If whoever wins these things occassionally throws us noob collectors a bone that would be awesome...most interestingly deformed coin, most bronze disease on one side, uncleaned coin that had the most potential before the stonehanded collector ruined the darn thing (I am a strong strong candidate for that one).

Some may recall that I posted a countdown of my top 25 favorite coins not long ago. About half of my coins were Severans but the two I showed here were not among them. I selected the Legionary as a high grade coin that I thought this group might like. It is the second most common Septimius Legionary but a nice example. Had I posted any of my 5 favorite legionaries, none would have made 3rd place. Such are the facts of differing opinions. I thought the Caracalla would go over better but I was wrong. It was posted while I was in a haze having intended another coin for the second spot but I know it would have done no better.

If you want to make entries of those with fewer coins compete more strongly, only ask each player to post one coin.

I am currently in Illinois and have wifi tonight but do not know if I will tomorrow or the next week until I get home. I'll ask someone else to moderate. I do have a topic I'd use but may not be here at the right time to do the work so someone else need to do this one. I'll play if I see the posts at the right times.

Today my brother-in law took us to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. It had been at least thirty years since I was in Chicago and I hope it will be at least that long before I go again. I was one block from Harlan Berk's store but could not have stopped because I was with a family group and the area must have had half the people in Chicago on the roads downtown. I have not bought anything worth having from Berk for years. When he hired Curtis Clay, the good deals on sleepers in Severans stopped dead. I do better shopping from dealers that are not expert enough to know the great from the magnificent.

OK, I'll bite--how about 'mythological figures'. It could be animals or people--from Roman or Greek mythology?