Maxentius - Unususal reverse.

Recently, I purchased this Maxentius, with Dioscuri AND 'She Wolf' reverse.
Not an 'excellent' example, but quite adequate for me.


MAXENTIUS 309 A.D. Ostia Mint AE 26.1 mm., 6.13 gm.

Obv: IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG, laureate head right.
Rev: AETERNITAS AVG N, the Dioscuri Castor and Pollux, each with a
star above the cap, naked but for chlamys hanging from
shoulder, standing facing each other, each leaning on sceptre
and holding horse's bridle; she-wolf with twins between them.

Mintmark MOSTA.
RIC VI, Ostia 16; Cohen 10



Please show your examples of this reverse.

 

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Very cool coin !!!

That is a terrific reverse of Maxentius that has not yet found its way 'home' to me.

Whenever I show my 'suckling wolf' example, invariably it's this one; Troas, Tyche:

 

Topcat7, very interesting coin/ reverse is really distinct!
Mikey, your reverse is awesome...I have a AV 2 Doppie from Parma with same reverse.

 

Very interesting @Topcat7

 

Nice=> that's a sweet Op-addition (congrats, Topcat)

Sucklin' Twins, eh?

Anonymous Roman Republic AE As
169-158 BC


Philip I AR Antoninianus
248 AD


Troas Alexandria
mid 3rd century BC



Maxentius AE Follis
307 AD



Constantine I Commemorative
332-333 AD

 

Hmmmm? ... interesting ... my first example is a definite outlier, eh?

=> 169 BC

... and then my next example is 248 "AD"

Curious? => what is the earliest sighting of these sweet Sucklin' Twins?

 

double twin reverse...that's pretty cool TC!

that's a good question!

here's the oldest one i found with just a quick search...

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1495724

 

Here is mine but it is an earlier coin, a denarius of Domitian.

 

SEXTUS POMPEIUS FOSTLUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS POMPEIA
AR Denarius OBVERSE: Head of "Minerva or Pallas" (personification of Rome) with winged helmet, earrings and necklace, looking to the right.
Below the chin, it is the "X" (although its value then was 16 aces) and behind the bust is a small jar
REVERSE: FOSTuLVS left and Sextus. Pompeius. to the right of the field. She-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus.
Behind Ruminal fig tree is represented with three birds in their branches. On the left, the pastor Faustulus figure in an attitude of admiration for the wonder he sees. ROMA in ex
Struck at Rome 137 BC
3.63g, 19.5mm
Cr235/1a; Syd 461; Pompeia 1

 

Wow chrsmat => thanks for the sleuthing, coin-bro!! (I appreciate your coin-efforts)

=> apparently "270 BC" was chrsmat's findings ...



Hmmm? ... 270 BC, eh

*rats* ... that's 100 years prior to my cool Sucklin' winner (169 BC)

... but again, thanks for shining a light (you rock)

 

Well done TC, I hadn't seen this reverse before I bid on one a few weeks ago but lost. I am on the look out for another.

 

I am away on very weak Internet so had to make a small version of this to post here. The type comes with and without the wolf/twins.

 

@Topcat7, that really is an interesting reverse-- congrats on the find

And Steve-O, your Maxentius follis is fantastic!

 

Nice one bud!

 

Very cool coin Topcat7! Had not seen this type. These are the only Castor and Polux from me.


Syria, Coele-Syria. Chalkis ad Libanon. 1st century BC. Æ 21mm.
Obv: Helmeted and draped bust of Athena right.
Rev: The Dioskouroi standing vis-à-vis, each holding spear; monograms around.
SNG Copenhagen -; BMC -; SNG München -; Lingren III 1232.(sold)



Lydia, Philadelphia. Caligula AE18. Dioscuri
Obv: ΓAIOΣ KAIΣAΡ, bare head right, star behind
Rev: ΦIΛAΔEΛΦEΩN ..., laureate and jugate busts of the Dioscuri right.

Older references identify imperial family members on the reverse but RPC identifies them as Dioscuri. RPC notes, "That the jugate busts probably do not represent Germanicus and Agrippina I, Germanicus and Agrippina as Apollo and Artemis, or Apollo and Artemis (see BMC; Imhoof-Blumer, LS, pp. 116-117; Trillmich, Familienpropaganda der Kaiser und Claudius, pp. 130-131) since the further figure can sometimes be seen to be laureate (e.g. 2023/1 = BMC 53). It must therefore be male, and the two interpreted as the Dioscuri, who had previously appeared on the coinage of Philadelphia." The Dioscuri are also found on the imperial coinage of Caligula. In addition, since the magistrate named on the reverse is a priest, religious symbolism would be appropriate. The facial features of the reverse busts do, however, resemble members of the family of Caligula. Perhaps the they are Nero and Drusus Caesars as the brothers Castor and Pollux.
-FORVM ANCIENT COINS

 

@dougsmit Great example of this coin, Doug.
Now that is what I wanted to see. If my coin was in better condition (less wear) it would look like yours.
Your 'reverse' legend is the same as mine "AETE-RNITAS . . . " with the break after the second 'E', but there are some that have the break after the 'T', (see Wildwinds RIC VI.Ostia 16A), therefore I believe my example to be '16B'(?)

 

In this case, Wildwinds is using an A/B distinction in their entries to indicate that the two examples are from different officina (ie., MOSTA and MOSTB); it doesn't actually have anything to do with the legend breaks.

RIC doesn't make any such distinction, and RIC 16 Ostia covers four officina (A, B, Γ, Δ) and four recorded legend break varieties:
AETE-RNITAS-AVG N
AETE-RNITAS A-VG N
AET-ERNITAS-AVG N
AET-ERNITAS A-VG N

Version with wolf and twins:


Version without:

 

Do you read this as a gamma? I am away from home and my RIC so I can't look it up. Below is a Q. Both are without wolves.

I suspect there are two series since MOSTS is commonly seen. Not having RIC with me is such a stress. Who has one of the rare Maxentius coins with the large wolf/twins and no Dioscuri? I always wanted one but they tend to sell over my head.
https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=282673

 

There are two series of the wolf-less version, the earlier RIC 14 (R3) struck by workshops A and Γ, and the later common RIC 35 (P, S, T, Q). MOSTS and even MOSTT are very common, MOSTQ and MOSTP seem quite abit less so.

The version with the wolf has just one issue, RIC 16.

I see T, so RIC 35, along with my and your wolf-less ones from workshop Q.

 

I don't have your cool Dioscuri with wolf and twins. What I have is a very tiny 8mm imitative wolf and twins. The seller described it as a "barbarous imitation" of Helena / Wolf and Twins. (The portrait could also be Fausta.) I don't think there ever was an official Roman coin with that combination. There weren't any Roman coins quite this small.