Just for its condition

[Valentinian]

I like Constantinian-period coins and already had this type, but sometimes they are too good-looking and inexpensive to pass up. I bought it just for its condition. 


19.67-18.8 mm. 3.85 grams.
Licinius, 308-324. 
RIC VII Antioch 27 struck 317-320.
Licinius bust left with mappa, globe, and scepter.
IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG
Jupiter standing left, holding Victory on globe with wreath crowning him, long scepter in right, captive crouching left with hands tied behind his back.
Δ in right field. SMANB (the "B" is weak).

Look at the detail on the head of Jupiter and his excellent beard. Look at the detail on the captive, down to winkles in his trousers. The coin lacks wear and has light silvering. Pro-rated shipping included, it cost me $35. I am not a condition-junkie, but I can appreciate a coin in good condition. I'm glad I bid enough to win it, even though I had the type already. 

Show us something you bought "just for its condition".

 
 

[Orange Julius]

Great coin with amazing detail! That captive is great. I love everything about him. I bought this one recently for similar reasons. I have probably 15 of this type and probably 4 or 5 from Antioch but it was too nice to pass up for the $22 it cost.

[CPK]

Wow, those are both beautiful coins @Valentinian and @Orange Julius!

[-monolith-]

The quality of strike and patina on this coin of Hieron II was to good to pass up. These coins are either heavily worn or heavily tooled:

Province, City - Reign:  Sicily, Syracuse - Hieron II

Denomination: AE Litra (Punic War Issue)

Mint:  Syracuse (275 – 215 BC)

Obverse: Head of Poseidon left, wearing tainia, border of dots

 Reverse: Ornamented trident flanked by two dolphins swimming downwards; IEPΩ-NOΣ across field; Θ Φ flanking base

 References: BMCG 2. 218. 609; SNG Cop 850; HGC 2, 1550

Edited Saturday at 10:03 PM by -monolith-

[Kali]

Love the reverse details on it. Great find.

[Amarmur]

I bought this Trajan As with Victory on reverse just because I love the condition. It's a very common type just in great shape. It was issued near the beginning of Trajan's reign. You can appreciate all the details in victory and Trajan's Nerva like portrait. 

[Victor_Clark]

 

I bought this one because of the sharp reverse

 

 

Constantine I
A.D. 323-4
18x19mm 3.6g
CONSTANTINVS AVG; laureate head right.
SARMATIA DEVICTA; Victory advancing r., holding trophy, palm branch, spurning captive std. on ground to right.
In ex. STR crescent
RIC VII Trier 435

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Great examples all!  Well, I guess the lazy pick would be the Justin II, in my current thread.  I probably have some other examples but I'd have to think about it.

[Postvmvs]

I already had the type, but I bought this example just for its condition:

Postumus, 260-269AD antoninianus
Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: IOVI STATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding thunderbolt and sceptre.
AGK 38a

[hotwheelsearl]

I have a obverse with decent silver. It seems like this particular type tends to have higher silvering quality than others.

[AncientCoinnoisseur]

Just recently I bought a Septimius Severus with Neptune reverse for 110€ hammer just because it looked brand new! Neptune is notorious for always being very worn:

Septimius Severus (193-211). AR Denarius, 209 AD. Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG. Laureate bust of Septimius Severus right. Reverse: PM TR P XVII COS III PP. Neptune standing left, right foot on pile of rocks, holding trident. RIC IV 228. AR. 3.41g. 20.50 mm. Superb example, virtually as struck. Lightly toned with underlying luster. About FDC.

 

Fun fact: it was probably inspired by this Demetrios with Poseidon reverse.

Edited Sunday at 08:19 PM by AncientCoinnoisseur

[Qcumbor]

Beautiful coin @Valentinian

I bought that one, just because I found the reverse tremendous : I already had the type, from another mint, but that reverse had me mesmerized !

 

Q

[Al Kowsky]

I bought this coin November 15, 2023, at a CNG auction, the second time it was sold by CNG. It's from the Michel Prieur collection, #401, & pictured in his book, one of 5 examples known & also pictured in RPV VIII, unassigned ID: 29170.

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/29170

[Heliodromus]

Not quite "just for its condition", given that it was an upgrade of something that I had and would collect anyway, but I recently bought this one based on condition as an upgrade for a measly EUR 24 at auction!

The style of Sol is fairly awful as is normal for this issue, but it's close to mint state made from crispy fresh dies, and has some die prep filing marks  visible.

 

[Al Kowsky]

I won the argenteus pictured below at a CNG auction. Diocletian began issuing these high grade silver coins in AD 294 as a replacement for the silver denarius that no longer circulated. Most of these argentei were hoarded & very few circulated, so mint state examples are common. However, finding argentei that were struck from fresh dies is a real challenge 😉.

[expat]

I picked this up fairly cheaply at auction. Not for the reverse, which is either weakly struck or an overused die. The obverse portrait is what compelled me to purchase.

Otacilia Severa AR Antoninianus. Rome 247. M OTACIL SEVERA AVG, diademed, draped bust right on crescent / CONCORDIA AVGG, Concordia seated left with patera and double cornucopiae. RIC 119b, RSC 9. Sear5 #9160
23 mm, 3,51 g

[expat]

This was a spontaneous decision due to the centering and lovely obverse and reverse.

RPC Volume: IX №: 1701
Reign: Trajan Decius Persons: Trajan Decius (Augustus)
City: Antioch  Region: Syria Province: Syria Coele
Denomination: Tetradrachm Average weight: 11.69 g. Issue: Group 3, officina 2
Obverse: ΑΥΤ Κ Γ ΜΕ ΚΥ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ΔΕΚΙΟϹ ϹΕΒ; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Decius, right, seen from rear; below bust: •• (Officina 2)
Reverse: ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞΟΥϹΙΑϹ, S C; eagle standing on palm, left, spreading wings, holding wreath in beak
Reference: Prieur 578, McAlee 1126b.

26mm, 11.48g.

[Al Kowsky]

5 hours ago, expat said:

This was a spontaneous decision due to the centering and lovely obverse and reverse.

RPC Volume: IX №: 1701
Reign: Trajan Decius Persons: Trajan Decius (Augustus)
City: Antioch  Region: Syria Province: Syria Coele
Denomination: Tetradrachm Average weight: 11.69 g. Issue: Group 3, officina 2
Obverse: ΑΥΤ Κ Γ ΜΕ ΚΥ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟϹ ΔΕΚΙΟϹ ϹΕΒ; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Decius, right, seen from rear; below bust: •• (Officina 2)
Reverse: ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞΟΥϹΙΑϹ, S C; eagle standing on palm, left, spreading wings, holding wreath in beak
Reference: Prieur 578, McAlee 1126b.

26mm, 11.48g.

I scored a nice example of that issue from a CNG auction about 4 years ago ☺️.

SYRIA, Antioch. Trajan Decius, AD 249-251. Billon Tetradrachm: 13.03 gm, 27 mm, 6 h. McAlee 1126b, Prieur 578, RPC IX 1701.