My Best and Greatest Coin of the Year

Steve had asked earlier in this thread what the figures on the roof of the temple are. The question (thanks Steve!) actually had me pondering about the figures on the pediment, and I could not find a description of the reverse in any of my references that answered the question. Luckily, I keep all my auction catalogues in a box and dug out the Gemini IX which had a listing for the type.

Curtis Clay's description in full: "Apart from being simplified to show only four columns instead of six, the temple on the cistophori differs in some details from its depiction on two sestertius reverse dies of Vespasian's reign, as described by Colin Kraay in Appendix E of his unpublished Oxford dissertation. For example Jupiter holds a patera in his right hand on the cistophori, but a thunderbolt on the sestertii. Minerva holds the Palladium in her right hand on the cistophori, but rests her right hand on a shield on the sestertii. The sculptures in the pediment are quite different: two anguiped monsters holding a facing bust on a base on the cistophori, but on the sestertii a central group of one seated and two standing figures, with groups of two Titans forging arms at an anvil to both left and right. Finally the cistophori shows bigas at the bottom corners of the pediment roof, where the sestertii have large eagles instead. It is difficult to decide whether these differences represent actual sculptural changes made in Titus' reconstruction of the temple, or are merely inventions of Titus' type designer without basis in reality."

Hold on to you old auction catalogues!

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Now that it's described, I can see the anguiped creatures holding a facing bust, but I'm having a difficult time accepting the objects on the corners of the pediment roof as bigas. They look like pairs of standing figures.

 

I assumed they are facing like the center quadriga, but it is hard to make out.

 

I keep telling myself I need an Imperial cistophorus, but one has never come along to really grab me. Yours does... especially that remarkable temple reverse. The anguipeds were actually the first thing I noticed on them... a coin with anguipeds is another one I've been wanting, so basically your coin makes me incredibly jealous!

 

The die engraver working on that reverse must've put in some serious overtime - lots of fine details, like the anguipeds. When Domitian assumed the purple, he too issued cistophori with this reverse type. They tend to be relatively cheaper.

 

@vespasian70 Congratulations for your fantastic capture! It is a gorgeous coin both for its portrayal as well as its uniqueness!

 

Awesome, awesome coin, congrats.

 

Truly a great acquisition V70 and cool write-up!

 

Damn, that's pretty sweet!
Congrats man!