Show Us Your Top 10 Coins/Artifacts Of 2020.

@palouche, a very nice idea for a thread. I've haven't been super-active with the auctions this year, but this is one of my faves that I did pick up:

Here is a Denar from the German Bishopric of Speyer that dates to between 1067 and 1073 AD. I have it attributed as Dannenberg 841. Interestingly, Speyer is one of Germany's oldest cities, dating well back into Roman times. According to Wikipedia, it was a military camp just before the BC/AD switch and Ptolemy called it "Noviomagus" on his world map in 150 AD. Not too many cities have celebrated their 2000th anniversary!

I haven't made it to this part of Germany yet, but perhaps at some point I'll be able to visit.

Nice coin Spence!...Checked out Speyer on Wiki and it looks beautiful there. Wow what an impressive Cathedral, hope you get to visit there in the future...Thanks for sharing!..
Paul

Well, it seems we're doing this as a pile-on this year, rather than as individual threads. Works for me...keeps it consolidated.

I suppose that 2020 was the year I darn near gave up coin collecting. My single coin pickup this year was way back in January. It was a van't Haaff plate coin, from the collection of a recently deceased collector who - based on his last name - was, in all likelihood, a relative who I did not know. I wrote about it here.

I had intended to return to some vigorous coin collecting this year, after detouring last year to satisfy my thirst for ancient weapons, but it just didn't happen. Not only did I not collect coins this year but, in fact, I sold off quite a few coins to help fund my antiquities purchases. I will continue to sell coins from my Parthian collection through 2021 and beyond. (I will be holding onto, and occasionally adding to the Vologases III "tiara type tets" that I like so much, however...and I will continue to occasionally purchase Elymaeans that pique my interest.)

But, my 2020 was focused on beefing up my Bronze Weaponry of Western Asia collection, and on starting a collection of ancient pottery. Both of these collecting areas are fraught with challenges, not the least of which is the ridiculous number of fakes on the market - including, I suspect, through what are supposed to be respectable platforms. I am proceeding with purchases very, very carefully, and am particularly seeking material with solid provenance.


10.
Tie for the tenth spot:

AE Dagger/Short Sword
Possibly NW Iran
1200-800 BC
44.2cm (17.4")

I added a number of blades to the collection this year. This one stands out due to its length. I believe it's the third longest in my collection at this point. (See what I did there?)




AE Spear Butt (Counterpoise)
Western Asia (likely NW Iran)
Early first millennium BC
18.1cm (7.13")
Ex-Private UK Collection

I picked up three spear butts this year and like them all. They're all in typically rough shape, but this one may be the nicest of the bunch. (There's an obvious joke I could be making here, but I'm striving to rise above my childish inclinations...it's been a real battle)




9.
Bowl
Cypriot
Cypro-Geometric III, Early Iron Age
c. 850 - 700 BC
15.8 cm (w) x 38 mm (h)
(6 3/16" x 1 1/2")
Ex-private collection, Kent, UK. Acquired 1960's - 1980's; underside of base has an export license reference number from the Cyprus Museum in Nicosia.

I'm really fond of this one despite the breakage and repair.




8.
Bucchero Ware Chalice
Etruscan/Etruria (Central Italy)
c. 7th - 6th century BC
12.7 cm (w) x 89 mm (h)
(5" x 3.5")
Ex-Wesley Laws Collection

An impressive example of Etruscan pottery from an important collection.




7.
Tripod Bowl
NW Iran
c. 2000 - 1500 BC
11.43 cm (w) x 10.8 cm (h)
(4.5" x 4.25")
Ex-Marcel Gibrat Collection

From an important collection, and from the same period and location as most of my weapons.




6.
Guttos
Greek
c. 5th - 4th century BC
12 cm (l) x 60 mm (h)
(4 3/4" x 2 3/8")

Generally, I like the rougher surfaces and the occasionally quirky forms of some of the Iranian ceramics. But this Greek piece spoke to me.



5.
Pitcher
Central or NW Iran
c. 1000 BC
11.18 cm (w) x 12.7 cm (h)
(4.4"x 5")
Ex-Marcel Gibrat Collection

Good provenance, quirky form, patterning still visible...what's not to like?




4.
AE Spearhead (Dealer's picture; item is en route)
Western Asia (likely NW Iran, and quite possibly Marlik...It is a nice match to figure 130, Plate X, in Ezat O. Negahban's Weapons from Marlik)
1200-800 BC
31cm (12.2")

This piece fills a gap. I've wanted an ancient Iranian socketed spearhead of this type since I started collecting weaponry from Western Asia, but the prices have been off-putting. Prior to this purchase, I only owned one socketed spearhead, and that one is of an entirely different form.




3.
Jug
NW Iran
12th - 10th century BC
13.97 cm (w) x 15.24 cm (h)
(5 1/2" x 6")
Ex-Arthur M. Sackler collection.

From an extremely important collection (same as the next one). This one has held up well through the millennia.




2.
Footed Cup or Bowl
Parthian
Mid third century BC to early third century AD
13.34 cm (w) x 11.43 cm (h)
(5.25" x 4.5")
Ex-Arthur M. Sackler collection.

Trifecta (or, if hockey's your game, a hat trick): Parthian, ex-Sackler, AND published (in Trudy S. Kawami's Ancient Iranian Ceramics from the Arthur M. Sackler Collections). Thus, high on my list this year.




1.
Vessel/Pot
(Likely NW Iran, based on similarity to vessels excavated at Tepe Giyan, Godin Tepe, and Tepe Sialk in NW Iran)
c. 1000 BC
24.1 cm (w) x 20.32 cm (h)
(9 ½" x 8")
Ex-Marcel Gibrat Collection

This is the largest and, when seen in person, perhaps the most impressive of my pottery pieces. It comes from an important collection. My fave pickup of the year.

Thanks, Paul.

Yep, "patina" for the weapons too.




Indeed. #4, the socketed spearhead is from that group. Thanks for the tip.

.....Good...There were some nice pieces, that stone handled dagger!....I also didn't know they had hand grenades back in the 6th century!?

Ron I hope everything settles down for you and your family in the New Year and you can get back into collecting. Did you pick up any of those beautiful Japanese prints this year?

It was a good idea to include artifacts in this thread Paul. Some really lovely coins have already been posted, and it's great to see some of Bob_L's amazing collection of weaponry and pottery too.

Thanks for posting the weapons, and the pottery items Bob. The pottery is so well crafted, and it is amazing that it has survived so well over the centuries. I do like the Bucchero Ware Chalice, and the Guttos, very much.

Jim

(continued)

1488 -- Elecrtorate of Saxony / Margraviate of Meissen / Schneeberg, 1/2 schwertgroschen:





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1483 -- Duchy of Julich-Berg / Mulheim, 1 bausche:

(continued)

1467 -- Electorate of Saxony / Margraviate of Meissen / Freiberg, 1 horngroschen:





All of these should find their way into the "How far back can we go" thread.