A new addition for my Adoptive Emperor set (wanted to finish the set with this Emperor).. it's an unusually nice coin for me . COMMODUS AUGUSTUS AE sestertius. 184–185 AD. M COMMODVS ANT-ON AVG PIVS BRIT, laureate head of Commodus right. Reverse - VOTA SVSCEP DECEN P M TR P X IMP VII COS IIII P P, emperor, veiled and togate, sacrificing left from patera over tripod, S—C across field. 33mm, 24.4g. The following references came with the coin: RIC 454a. Cohen 990. BMCRE 564 variant (ANTONINVS in obverse legend). I was looking for a coin of Commodus with the Britannicus legend (if at all possible).. a name he took in 184 after trouble occurred with the violation of the Antonine Wall and Commodus gained the title upon the victory in Britain (although there is a lot more treachery to the whole story).. Also the reverse is interesting - depicting Emperor sacrificing to begin the 'vota suscepta decennalia' festival... celebrated with games every ten years. From Wikipedia: This festival owed its origin to the fact that in 27 BC, Augustus refused the supreme power offered to him for life. Instead, he would only consent to accepting power for ten years; during the festival, he would surrender up all of his authority to the hands of the people, who, filled with joy, and charmed with the goodness of Augustus, immediately delivered it back to him again. The memory was preserved to the last ages of the empire by Decennalia, which was solemnised by subsequent emperors every tenth year of their reign, although they had received the imperium for life, and not for the limited period of ten years. During the festival, the people offered up vows to the emperor, called vota decennalia, for the success and perpetuity of his empire. Roman coinage was specially modified during this time to indicate the undertaking of these vows, such as with the inscription VOTA SUSCEPTA DECENNALIA, or VOTIS X Please post any coins of Commodus..
Here is one of my old Commodus. Forgive me for the dust... M COMMODUS ANTON AVG PIUS TRP VIII IMP VICOSIIII PP Victory standing right, inscribing shield hung on palm RIC 67. 183 AD
Nice example @Clavdivs COMMODUS Ae As OBVERSE: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: TR P VI IMP IIII COS III P P S C, Commodus driving a quadriga to left Struck at Rome, 181 AD 10.52g, 27mm RIC 319
coins of an interesting but often overlooked emperor. He gets lots of bad press.made famous in the movie Gladiator - great movie but lots of half truths.
That's a fine sestertius. I am quite partial to coins also showing the emperor on the reverse. The double strike is interesting, too. Commodus, Roman Empire, denarius, 182 AD, Rome mint. Obv: M COMMOD[VS ANTON]INVS AVG, laureate head of Commodus right. Rev: LIB AVG V TR P VII IMP IIII COS III PP, Liberalitas standing left holding counting board and cornucopiae. 18mm, 2.24g. Ref: RIC III, 36A. (Note that Liberalitas, embodying the emperor's generosity, is holding a counting board, a device used to quickly count the number of coins each citizen would receive as part of the congiarium.)
That's lovely! Here's a denarius: Commodus, AD 177-192. Roman AR denarius, 3.42 g, 18 mm, 12 h. Rome, AD 180. Obv: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: LIB AVG TR P V IMP IIII COS II P P, Liberalitas standing left, holding tessera and cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 10a; Cohen 301; BMC 4; Szaivert 496/4.
Here is my Sestertius: M COMMOD ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT PP / MINER VICT PM TR P X IIII IMP VIII COS V DES VI S C Sestertius, Rome 189 24,3 gr / 31 mm RIC III 544, C 372
All beautiful coins ! Nice thread about this fascinating emperor I also have a sestertius with the Britannicus legend. Just like Bing's coin, the emperor on my type is driving the quadriga, only not to the left, but to the right. The thing that attracted me to buy this coin was the kind of mysterious look on the reverse, with the horses who seemed to fade away in a fog..... Commodus, sestertius 23,05g Obv. M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT Head of Commodus, laureate, right Rev. P M TR P XI IMP VII COS V P P S C Commodus, standing in triumphal quadriga moving left, holding eagle-tipped sceptre. RIC 464
I really appreciate that general information on the VOTA SVSCEP DECEN, Clavdivs - I recently got a sestertius that is just like - or similar to - yours and I hadn't dug that far into its background. Unlike yours, mine is quite worn, so I was unable to make an exact attribution - if I was doing my homework right, mine could be either RIC 441c (VIIII) or 454a (X), based on the TR power number - which I can't read! That's what I get for bottom-feeding ($14) but I am pretty happy with it: Commodus Æ Sestertius (184 A.D.) Rome Mint M COMMODVS ANTON AV[G PIVS BRIT], laureate head right / VOTA SVS[CEP DECEN P M TR P VIIII (or X) IMP VII] around, [COS IIII] P P below, S-[C], Commodus togate stdg. left, sacrificing at tripod. RIC 441c (VIIII) or 454a (X) (21.03 grams / 29 mm)
@Marsyas Mike really nice coin at a great price. I have many coins at similar grade - I really enjoy them and the detective work involved in attributing them (I am a novice at this - but getting better).
A very nice, hefty coin! I bought a Commodus denarius in the last Leu auction that I was pretty pleased with, but it was one of the coins that was stolen from their office. Still, I'm happy with the as I've had for eons:
Here's my Commodus billon Tetradrachm of Alexandria, Roman Egypt. Reverse: Zeus seated holding thunderbolt
