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Pillar of the Community
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Ancient collectors like to brag that even after the Renaissance, numismatic art never again reached the zenith it saw during classical antiquity. Let's have a running thread to show off our prettiest and most aesthetically pleasing ancients and medievals! This is not a popularity contest, and no coin is too obscure, humble, or cheap to be here - just show off your favorites! I'll get us started with perhaps my favorite coin, and a good ol' classic - a tetradrachm of Alexander the Great!  While not quite as technically impressive as the silvers from Syracuse, nearly all of Alexander's coins are miniature masterpieces, featuring his idol - the demigod Herakles - in a form sharing an uncanny likeness with himself. This one was a tough selection that I ultimately chose for its expressive eyes and placid facial expression. |
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Pillar of the Community
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7066 Posts |
Nice thread idea, Steve. Talk about an open invitation for folks to show off a bit... Fred Shore wrote that "from the middle of the second century BC to the middle of the first century BC (Parthian coins) exhibit an excellent Greek style, among the finest of Hellenistic portraiture." Four of the coins below are from that period and, I think, serve to illustrate his point. The other two, from just slightly later (late first century BC) show the beginnings of the stylistic shift in Parthian coinage that took place at the time, but they nevertheless maintain a strong aesthetic. I hope there are no objections to my choice of showing a collage of selected obverses rather than individual pics of single coins. The artistry on Parthians is much more evident on the obverse portraits than with the standardized depictions of the reverse archer. Starting across the top row the coins are: 1. Artabanos I, 127-124 BC, drachm 2. Mithradates II, 123-88 BC, tet 3. Sellwood's Unknown King II (attributed as Orodes I by Shore; Artabanos II by Assar), c. 90-77 BC, tet 4. Phraates II, 138-127 BC, tet 5. Phraates IV, 38-2 BC, tet (Sellwood 50.3) 6. Phraates IV, 38-2 BC, tet (Sellwood 51.19-22v)  |
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Excellent selections Bob! I have always had a soft spot for Mithradates II. Not really a "looker" by today's values, but he made some pretty coins! My current example (one of only like 4 Parthians I own)  |
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23731 Posts |
 My Macedonian First Meris. |
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Pillar of the Community
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 What a lovely tet! I had forgotten you bought that one off of Nate. |
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Pillar of the Community
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7066 Posts |
Such a sweet coin, Ron. Great selection for the thread.
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Pillar of the Community
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1120 Posts |
Have yet to really break away from Romans, but you guys are tempting me. Any who - one of my Favorites - Augustus struck under Tiberius Ok strike, but great portrait and old school holder (even though it's an As and not a Dupondius)  Edited by travelcoin
07/10/2018 5:56 pm
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Pillar of the Community
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7066 Posts |
Quote:
but great portrait  That eagle is pretty awesome too. |
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Pillar of the Community
7234 Posts |
Only have a meagre collection of 25 ancients - Started collecting the Gallienus zoo series then branched out just a little. This Licinius I AD 308-324 is my most detailed ancient.   |
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On vacation so I can't even give decent attributions at the moment A few old favorites from old postings ..... Ptolemy II I am thinking it around 45 grams   My favorite Trajan Overstruck on a 'brass' As of the Antioch type approx 7 grams  Closeup of reverse  |
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Pillar of the Community
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FVRIVS are you kidding me with that reverse - WOW - Very Impressive
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Pillar of the Community
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7066 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
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6130 Posts |
This is good  Some of my favorite Romans (I focus primarily on portraits) Caracalla  Marcus Aurelius  Trajan  Quintillus  Macrinus  Antoninus Pius  Crispus  |
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7066 Posts |
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Replies: 204 / Views: 19,287 |
Posted 07/10/2018 3:10 pm
