Happy Birthday Mark Antony

My guess is that she was a stunner, or talked a good game.
Many of the Roman women on coins look like their men, but not all.

 

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There is a very convincing theory that the Imperial women's portraits are just their husbands in drag! It explains why Cleo looks so much like Antony.

 

I thought she looked just like a 31 year old Liz Taylor? Oh well, what do I know.

 

I would think that a Roman Emperor would have had his pick of the most beautifull women in the Empire. It still happens today, the Sultan of Brunei had a beauty pageant, he picked the winner as his wife. In the vast Roman Empire, there was a lot of candidates

 

I found the only known photo of Cleopatra. She's not bad looking for her age.

 

Marc Antony:

Combo-Pack...


RImp Marc Antony & Octavian AR Quinarius 1.58g Military Mint Gaul 39BCE Concordia r Hands clasped caduceus Cr-529-4b Sear 1575 Syd-1195


RImp Antony-Octavian AR Denarius 41 BCE 3.65g 18.7mm Italian mint star Craw 528-2a Sear 1507


RImp Marc Antony Legio XVI AR Den 18mm 3.4g Mil mint 32-31 BCE Praetorian Galley Aquila 2 Stds Cr 544-31 RSC 48


RImp Marc Antony 43 BCE AR Quinarius 13mm 1.67g Lugdunum Winged bust Victory-probly Fulvia Lion DVNI LVGV Cr 489-5 Syd 1160


RImp Lepidus Mark Antony 43 BC AR quinarius 13.9m 1.82g Military mint TransAl Gaul pontificate Cr 489-3 Syd 1158a RSC 3 RARE


RImp Marc Antony AR Quinarius Concordia Clasped Hands Caduceus Cr 529-4b

 

Here's a few scarcer ones...



III VIR R P C
Diademed and veiled head of Concordia right

M ANTON C CAESAR
Two hands clasped round caduceus

Mint moving with Octavian in Gaul
39 BC

1.57g

Crawford 529/4b. Sydenham 1195. Sear, Imperators 304

From a very old collection
Museum number 175 on obverse.
Could use some more cleaning but I don't want to loose the number.



ANT AVG III VIR R P C
Galley right mast with banners at prow
Rev.
CHORTIS SPECVLATORVM
Three standards each decorated with two wreaths and model of prow

Patrae mint 32-31BC

SEAR 1484

ex-Arcade coins

"Speculator, derived from specula, a prospect that is to say a view from the summit of a place, whence anything may be seen advantageously at a distance. - Thus a cohort of this description (Speculatorum Cohors) was established by M. Anthony, that they, from an elevated part of his ships, might explore and act as sentries or watchmen. There were other acceptations of the word, such as spies and even executioners."



M ANTONIVS M F M N AVGVR IMP TERT around (MP and RT ligatured)
Mark Antony, veiled and wearing the priestly robes of an Augur, standing right, holding lituus in right hand.

III VIR R P C COS DESIG ITER ET TERT
Radiate head of Sol right

Athens
Summer 38 BC

3.92g
Crawford 533/2, Sear Imperators 267

Ex-ANE, Ex-Seaby with original ticket.

Antony's third Imperatorial acclimation resulted from Ventidius' victory at Gindarus. Antony's depiction in priestly robes of an augur emphasizes the importance which he placed on the possession of this religious office. The word AVGVR features prominently on most of Antony's remaining coinage right down to Actium. No doubt this was to stress his adherence to Republican traditions. Sol is symbolic of the East and shows Antony's personal concern for eastern affairs after the distraction caused by his extended stay in Italy starting in the second half of 40 BC and running almost the whole of the following year

 

My two denarii of Antony:

 

Bing, your legionary denarii are never a bore! In other words they never get old

 

Your collection is NEVER a bore! I really like your Legio's and am looking forward to you getting them ALL! Congrats on your recent snare, and good luck in your chase! Very cool!


RImp Marc Antony 32-31 BCE AR Legio X Equestris - Caesar Denarius B bankers mark Eagle Galley Standards

 

Great coins everyone! Looking over the pictures here prompts a question in my head: can anybody shed any light on the very distinctive portrait style frequently used? The large, slightly caricature-ish heads are immediately recognisable, and at the same time I don't think I've seen the like anywhere outside of Antony's emissions. Can the style be traced backwards or forwards into other issues at all?

 

Most of Antony's issues are military mints traveling with him on campaign, hence the crude style. There are some links to Octavian's coins of the period. See the notes from this type:



Bare head of a bearded Mark Antony right

C VIBVS VARVS
Fortuna standing left holding Victory and cornucopiae

Rome 42 BC

3.25g

Rough but much better in hand!

Sear 1466, RRC 494/32

ex-Londinium

Fortuna holding Victory shows the confidence the Triumvirs had in defeating the Ruplicans, namely Brutus and Cassius. Varus also struck this type for Octavian. It is interesting to note that on the evidence of stylistic similarity it is possible that the die-engraver responsible for the triumviral portraits was later transferred from the Capitoline mint to Antony's military mint outside the city.

The fact that Antony is again shown bearded is in reference to his mourning for Caesar's death. Only after Caesar was avenged would Antony be shown as a typical clean shaven Roman.

 

Very informative, thank you!

 

The duties of the speculatores were not limited simply to scouting, exploring or sentry duty, they were used for undercover activities such as spying, arresting political figures, guarding detainees and executing the condemned. The Gospel of St. Mark 6:27 indicates that it was a speculator who was sent to the prison with an execution order for John the Baptist.

And lets not forget the frumentarii. Under Domitian they developed into what we might see today as "state security', re., KGB.

However, @Jay GT4 is correct. Organizing the specuatores into their own cohort was an innovation begun by Marcus Antonius and perfected under Octavian/Augustus.

 

There are a lot of things Antony started that Octavian took credit for and expanded! Currency reform is one of them!