Featured Spes, Goddess of Hope: New Sub-group?

I actually have the same Titus as your OP coin, @Justin Lee .



Titus, as Caesar, Lugdunum, 77-78, AE As (28mm, 8.51g), Laureate head right, globe at point of bust / Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising hem of skirt. RIC II 1273 (Vespasian).

 

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I have an Antoninianus, Saloninus with Spes:
Colonia Agrippinensis, 258 - 259 AD; Struck under the authority of Valerianus and Gallienus
21 mm, 3.66 g;
RIC V Saloninus 13; RSC 93; Sear 3082A; RCV 10774;

Ob.: SALON VALERIANVS CAES Bust of Saloninus, radiate, draped, right
Rev.: SPES PVBLICA Spes, draped, walking right, holding flower in right hand and raising robe with left hand

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and also a Fausta like the one posted by Alegandron, but from Siscia, 326 AD;
17 x 18 mm, 2.75 g;

RIC VII Siscia 205; Cohen 15 (3f.); LRBC.730; Sear 16570;

Ob.: FLAV MAX - FAVSTA AVG Bust of Fausta, waved hair, mantled, right
Rev.: SPES REI P-VBLICAE, Spes, veiled, draped, standing front, head left, holding two children in her arms; mintmark •ΔSIS•

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The statue is in unbelievable condition. I searched and found an image of it on line at French wikipedia, but it didn't say where it is and whether it is ancient. If it is ancient, the flower is not original. No such delicate feature would survive intact. Many genuine ancient statues have major restorations (think how many you have seen that a missing arms or heads or torsos or noses). A good fraction of ancient statues of emperors have had the noses restored and the restorers have used coin profiles to do it. That statue is too good to be true.

Does anyone know more about that statue of Spes?

 

That's a cool collecting theme, @Justin Lee. Can Spes's Greek counterpart Elpis join the party?


ANTONINUS PIUS
Billon Tetradrachm. 13.81g, 24mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 11 = AD 147/8. Dattari-Savio pl. 111, 8160 (this coin illustrated); Emmett 1383.11; RPC Online IV temp #13607 (this coin cited). O: Laureate bust right. R: L ENDEKATOV, Elpis standing left, lifting hem of skirt and holding flower.
Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1981.511); ex Giovanni Dattari Collection

 

Forgot completely that I have a denarius of Severus Alexander with Spes:
Rome 232 AD
18 x 20 mm, 3.02 g
RIC IV Severus Alexander 254d; BMC.202.897-900, RSC 546;

Ob.: IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Severus Alexander to r.
Rev.: SPES PVBLICA, Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising hem of skirt.

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Here's on a little off-center but in good shape of Severus Alexander.

 

@Orange Julius your pictures are always awesome! a delight to see your pictures and those of so many others that have mastered the art.

And I thought mines were getting a bit better, no way maybe I should finally let it go and give up

 

@cmezner Haha, thank you! I just have the appearance of ok photos but they are just iPhone photos. They’re nowhere near the photos taken by those who use a real camera. I have a lot of improving to do!

The three keys for getting for getting ok photos out of a phone are; focus, stability and light.

Focus: With a phone you want to be close but not too close you loose focus. Pay close attention to how your phone autofocuses.

Stability: use a book, or in my case here a beer can to stabilize your hand holding your phone. A shaky hand leads to a blurry image quickly with coins.

Light: I need to work on this as I only use a single desk lamp... but get a lot of light on the coin, but from the right angles. Straight-on light leads to glare. Have the light coming from an angle to the nose and eyes side of the portrait.

These 3 things improves quick phone-shot images hugely!

 

@Orange Julius I am using an iPhone too; thank you so much, will try to follow your advice, but maybe a beer to stabilize my hand is not a good idea, as I would not resist the temptation and drink it

 

Some more not already covered here:-

Tacitus:-

Obv:– IMP C M CL TACITVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– SPES PVBLICA, Spes advancing left, holding flower & lifting hem of dress
Minted in Lugdunum (B | * / _) Emission 5 Officina 3. March to April 286 A.D.
Reference(s) – Cohen 139. Bastien 99 (15 examples cited). RIC 60 Bust type C



Probus, Billon tetradrachm

Obv:– A K M AVP PROBOC CEB, Laureate cuirassed bust right
Rev:– Elpis (Spes) standing left, holding flower and raising skirt.
Minted in Alexandria, Egypt. Year 2. (B over L in left field)
Reference:– Milne 4531. Emmett 3987(2) R1. Curtis 1881. BMC 2417.

 

Antoninus pius RIC 703 var

 

I got this SPES in a batch of uncleaneds. Is it worth anything?

J/K. It’s a photo of a British Museum coin.

I’ve often wondered, what exactly is the public hope here? The fact that Constantine has defeated Licinius? The relatively new religion of Christianity he is fostering in the Empire and especially at Constantinople? All of the above?

This is my holy grail coin. Maybe a retirement gift to myself in the distant future. Alas, these are routinely faked.

 

I love all the variety of Spes (and Elpis!) that you all have posted here!!

 

Congratulations, @Justin Lee , for becoming the author of a featured article!

 

Thanks! This one actually snuck up on me lol especially as this post started last winter.

 

The Constantine coin is a stunner and very rare.
SPES _ PVBLIC
A
really funny abbreviation! but they all have it.

Frans

 

Like the drapery on wonderful ancient statuary.