This one is a few months old, picked it up thinking it was Mamaea thanks to bad photos, it arrived and turned out to be Herennia Etruscilla. Either way it's a nice Sestertius. Herennia Etruscilla (249 - 253 A.D.) Æ Sestertius O: HERENNIA ETRVSCILLA AVG, diademed and draped bust right. R: PVDICITIA AVG, Pudicitia seated left, hand raised to pull veil from face & holding scepter, SC in ex. Rome Mint 28mm 16.6g RIC IV 136b (Trajan Decius); Hunter 16; Cohen 22.
I hope it was a nice surprise for you. I think HE sestertii are much more scarce than Mamaea. And it's a decent coin to boot.
Matt - nice coin! I am a Republican collector and when I saw your post, I'm thinking small and silver, but no it is big and bronze.
I think it's a very attractive sestertius and I'd be happy to own it. Of course, I have a huge weakness for the 'big bronzes'. Since I seem to be up this AM before anyone else....the consensus is four denarii equal a sestertius @rzage It seems I am still missing that Lady and only have her brothers and 'Messius Decius'
A denarius of Herennia Etrucilla would be worth a hundred times her sestertii but all of them you will see are the Slavey fakes. I'm not sure there are any real ones. There are real denarii of Decius so hers are possible. I suspect Slavey's copy was from the aureus and he just made some silver ones, too. Now, I realize that folks here meant to say antoninianus which is the common silver coin of Decius and his family but there are very rare denarii this late (last common ones are Gordian III). My sestertius is a junker; Mats new one is very nice. I also tack on a common antoninianus showing the crescent under the bust denoting the double denomination. I seem to have lost the individual images of my Slavey group so I'll just refer anyone wishing to see that fake to the bottom row of the group on my page: http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/fake.html High rollers among you will want her double sestertius. They are striking coins and CNG sold a VF for a bargain $17,500 a while back.
i always like to see a sexy green lady! thick, green, and awesome...just the way i like 'em! H. E. is pretty high on my list now by the way.
So many coins I need !!!!! First I came down with Bust Halfitis . and now I have a bad case of Ancientitis .
No denarius here ... => but I do have a Herennia Etruscilla AR "Antoninianus" version ... ... they look pretty good together, eh? Wow Mat => congrats on that sweet OP-score ... hey, a chick-coin!! You're back, my chick-collecting champ!! (atta-boy)
My Decius semis weighs 2.70g; my Decius double sestertius weighs 32.51g but nicest ones are over 40g..
Interesting how the denominations diverged from the Republic... Yup, inflation... I just got my Aes Grave Triens (280-276 BCE) in today (4 Unicia -Libral Standard)... Or, 3 to an As... It is well over 95g and 42mm... LOL now that is a pig of bronze carry in your pocket!
Most of us don't get much experience with AE before the Sextantal series where an as weighs about 40g. Fractions bigger than that will draw attention. Last year I saw a dealer tray with several cast AES including a quadrans that was larger than the triens next to it. That just seemed so wrong but the quadrans was full liberal and the triens was reduced so all was correct.
I'd be happy to find either. Cool addition Mat. Closest I have to one is Otacilia Severa AE As. MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG, diademed draped bust right / CONCORDIA AVGG, S C in ex, Concordia seated left, holding patera & double cornucopiae. Cohen 11. RIC 203b sear5 #9178
