Whats Your Favorite Ancient Thats Costs 50-200$?

OK here is my current favourite, hence my avatar. But I have to warn you that my favourite changes almost daily. It is one of the commoner types of Greek tetradrachm, so you can get a decent condition, nice big silver coin for your cash. It's main appeal is that I find it so attractive. I love it's beautiful, somewhat chaotic, design and I always look out for ancient coins with a snake...and this one has plenty!

SNAKES!

MYSIA, PERGAMON. AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm. c.92-88BC. 28mm, 12.67g.

Obv. Cista Mystica with serpent all within ivy wreath.
Rev. Bow case with serpents; Pergamon monogram to left. Î"Η and monogram above, serpent entwined staff to right.

Ref. SNG France 1732-3; Kleiner, Pergamon 31; Pinder 106.

This one will not grab the attention of those mainly interested in aesthetics, but I think the coin merits at least some points in its rarity and history.

Roman era coinage greatly overshadow the coins of what came after Rome's fall in the west, so naturally coinage of the post-Roman barbarian kingdoms aren't as well known or collected (although there are enough specialists to keep the prices on post-Roman rarities relatively high). I happen to be a passionate collector (when my budget allows, that is) of this kind of coinage, a big reason being the very interesting history behind them. My favorite of these coin-issuing entities is the Ostrogothic Kingdom (of Italy), from 493 (17 years after the Western Roman Empire's fall) to 552 AD. My particular example is a half-follis, struck under the authority of King Theodoric the Great and incorporating Roman themes into the design. Like all other Ostrogothic coinage, it is a very rare coin, especially in this shape.

More info on my thread here: https://goccf.com/t/185539

Municipal Coinage of Rome, Ostrogothic Kingdom
AE Half-Follis (20 nummi)
Obv: IMVIC-TA ROMA, Roma helmeted, facing right
Rev: She-wolf standing left, suckling Romulus and Remus, two stars above, XX in ex
Mint: Rome (struck 493-526 AD)
Ref: BMC 30

I love Republican Rome coins so here's my favorite in that range from that era:



A Republican Rome denarius minted in Rome in 84 BC. 3.961g, 20.7mm,

Obverse: diademed and cloaked bust of Apollo (possibly Vejovius) left, from behind, brandishing thunderbolt

Reverse: Minerva in quadriga right, holding spear and shield, C•LICINIVS•L•F / MACER in ex

I love coins with non-standard obverses, and for Republican Denarii this is a great example.

Here's another nice Republican Denarius in that price range. On this one it isn't so much the specific design I like (although I do like it), but the detail on it is amazing. It goes to show the quality you can get in the range you mentioned. Of course you can get even better looking Imperial Roman coins for less money, but those tend to have smelly real people on them instead of idealized entities :D



A Roman Republic Denarius minted in Rome between 111-110 BC. 3.811 g, 17.6 mm

Obverse: helmeted head of Roma right, circular symbol or device behind

Reverse: Victory in a triga right, AP•CL•T•MAL•Q•VR (MAL and VR in monogram) in ex

Also note this one has the relatively rare "triga" (three horses) as opposed to the more common quadriga (four horses.)

This is a difficult question! I have many from that price range-- most of my collection so far consists of coins in the ~$15-$200 range. I love them all. Admittedly though, many coins in my collection came from large mixed lots so the price is low due to quantity (and quality is not high). More recently I've moved to acquiring fewer coins of higher quality and/or rarity.

Instead of showing one favorite or recommendation, I've somewhat randomly selected fifteen of my coins which are in that price range. Images are not to relative scale.



Left to right, top to bottom:

1. SICILY, Syracuse. AE tetras, 14mm. 390 BC
2. THRACE, Chersonesos. AR hemidrachm, 13mm, 400-350 BC
3. EUBOIA, Histiaia. AR tetrobol, 13mm. 340-330 BC
4. ARGOLIS, Argos. AR hemidrachm, 13mm. 330-270 BC
5. SELEUKID KINGS, Seleukos I. AR tetradrachm in the style of Alexander the Great, 27 mm. 295-291 BC
6. IONIA, Klazomenai. AR diobol, 9mm. 499-494 BC
7. PTOLEMAIC KINGDOM OF EGYPT, Ptolemy II. AE obol, 22 mm. 285-246 BC
8. KINGDOM OF PERSIS, Unknown king, possibly Vadfradad (Autophradates) II. AR hemidrachm. Mid-second century BC
9. ROMAN REPUBLIC, moneyer L. Postumius. AR denarius. 131 BC
10. PHOENICIA, Arados. Trajan. AE 22mm. 116/7 AD
11. THRACE, Pautalia. Caracalla. AE 29mm, 198-217 AD
12. MOESIA INFERIOR, Marcianopolis. Macrinus, with Diadumenian. AE 27mm. 217/8 AD
13. EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius billion tetradrachm, 24 mm. 138/9 AD
14. EGYPT, Alexandria. Claudius II Gothicus potin tetradrachm. 268 AD
15. ROMAN IMPERIAL, Trajan. AR denarius, 18 mm. 101-102 AD

For some reason I left out a slew of my favorite Ptolemaic bronzes. Those certainly give a lot of bang for the buck. I love the type and have a dozen or more. Unless you're shooting for super quality or gargantuan size (>40mm) you will be able to find scores of examples in your desired price range. Here's an example of a 42mm from Ptolemy VI although it did cost more than your desired price. I must've misfiled my other pictures of similar examples from your price range.



Edited to add: of the pictured coins, only two were "blind" purchases from large mixed lots (the Trajan denarius and the Postumius denarius, which cost ~$15 each).

This is a tough one....



VasuDeva of Zabulistan Turko-Hephthalite
Hunnic Afghanistan ca.685 AD
AR Drachm Senmerv Crown Type. Tri-lingual.
Nezak (Nspk) Huns Kingdom of Zabul
Vakhu (Vasu)-Deva, Sub-ruler of Shahi Tigin
Circa 720-738 AD
Ref. Göbl Hunnen Em. 244
31.8 mm x 3.28g.
Die position=12h
Obverse: Bust of Vasu Deva right in Persian style. Bull head above crown ; 'thunderbolt' countermark, Gold plug countermark. Brahmi legend in field. Cursive Bactrian Greek Legend around.
Reverse: Zoroastrian fire altar and attendants. Pahlavi legend in fields, Cursive Bactrian Greek Legend around.
Note: Holed. Gold Plugged in antiquity.

Nicer and clearer than a similar coin a paid a little more for.

Really, the amount you pay for a coin is less dependent on what the coin is/condition and more dependent on how patient you're willing to be to get it.