ANCIENT: Two New Denarii

Picked up these two only because they were very cheap. I was attracted to the Vespasian due to the reverse & apparently its pretty scarce.

I never wanted the child portraits of Caracalla or Geta but it was too cheap to pass up so I bought the caracalla anyways.

Both have been worn to a shine so they are terrible to take pics of with my iphone.


Caracalla (198 - 217 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS - Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
R: SEVERI PII AVGFIL - Caracalla standing left, holding Victory on globe and spear; seated captive to left.
Rome 199 - 200 A.D.
2.9g
18mm
RIC 45d, C 590


Vespasian (69 - 79 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, Laureate head right.
R: COS VII, Bull standing right.
Rome 76 A.D.
3g
19mm
RIC 96, C 118

 

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I find quite a few Vespasian's with bulls. Its funny, since his kid Domitian was the only emperor to ever make a rhino coin struck in Rome. Seems like the family liked to identify with certain animal traits.

 

I think its cause of the COS VII, I am just going with the lack of finding others and what flavian collectors on Forvm had to say about it to me when I asked.

 

Kinda like our lil buddy steve, eh?

Worn coins? yes. Nice enough? Yes. These are circulated coins which have a certain appeal all to themselves. Love the Vespasian. I haven't seen many with a bull. I wonder how scarce it might be.

 

Vespasian

Titus

 

I like the Vespasian a lot, but both are cool additions!

 

The bull was an important symbol to the cult of Mithras. Vespasian took the title Pontifex Maximus in 71, and a number of types that followed suit are distinctly religious. That's not livestock on the coins. But the bull may have a double meaning - it may also refer to earlier Republic and Julio-Claudian types. There's a class of coins RIC identifies as restoration types - a return to "real" money after the debasements of Nero.

 

TIBERIUS AE As
Tiberius – Caesar 8-14 AD
Tiberius – Augustus 14-37 AD
Clunia, Spain
Diameter: 28 MM
Weight: 13.9 GRAMS
Obverse: TI CAESAR AVG F AVGVSTVS IMP, laureate head right, countermark of bull rushing right on Tiberius' neck
Reverse: L IVL RVF T CALD CON T POMP LON P IVL NEP IIII VIR, Bull facing left, CLVNIA above, countermark of eagle's head on bull




.... sure, maybe my coin isn't is pretty as yours, but it's still gotta bull on 'er!!

=> wow, those are two great new additions, Mat!! (congrats)

 

cool denari, you can tell they've got some miles on the odometer..but that's not really much of a negative in my book....especially if the price is right.

 

More wear, more history!

 

LOL, Randy. Good one.

Steve, is that obverse countermark a bull? Looks like a boar to me.

 

Hmmm, it certainly could be a boar ... if I squint my eyes, it also kinda looks a bit like a rhino?

TIF, I am merely goin' with the seller's description (yah, the artist seemed to be a bit of a Picasso-type, rather than a Rembrandt-type of guy!!)



Regardless, the bull on the reverse was my bull-offering to this particular thread

 

Bit of a rub, very nice finds, i kind of a bull kind of guy away..nice pick ups...

 

I don't know if I mentioned this on Forvm or not, but your Vespasian denarius is actually a common enough type. No bull!
Either way, it's a very decent example of the type.

 

Common or not, it's a great design. I used to own a small cattle farm so I can appreciate the artistry.

 

Am I the only one that thinks the countermark on steve's bull makes it look pregnant?

 

I guess it's like looking at clouds. I see a baby bottle pointing up and to the right, nipple and all.

 

Looks like a pig fetus to me.

A case report! Alert the veterinary journals.