Taking a chance posting this now. only just nabbed it. Ebay seller is a favourite of mine so fingers crossed it arrives. Wanted Capricorns for a long time. This seems to fit the bill. Silver posthumous denarius of Vespasian, emperor 69-79 CE. Rome mint, 80-81 CE. This was one of several coins issued by Titus in memory of his deceased father. Size and weight: 19mm, 3.1g. Obverse: DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS • (anticlockwise) Laureate head right. Reverse: No legend. S C on a circular shield supported by two capricorns back to back. Globe below. Reference: Sear RCV (I) 2569; RIC II (part I) 357. Post your Capricorns, Vespasians or Titus coins, whatever......
I like everything about this coin, except that, as a type, the SC on the reverse shield wears off far too quickly!
Nice job, @Pishpash ! Great looking Vespasianus Denarius. I have nary a capricorn, as you requested. How about Titus with some pigs? RI Titus 79-81 CE AR Denarius Sow piglets
Nice coin! I just won a capricorn as well. Epiphanes & Kallinikos Kingdom of Commagene, Ca. 72 AE18 Tetrachalkon (8.79g) Ob: The brothers on horseback Rev: Capricorn with star above and anchor below, all in wreath This coin represents the last gasp of Commagene, a splinter state of the Seleukid Empire that lasted until the above coin's emperor, Vespasian, incorporated it into the Roman Empire. The two princely brothers depicted on this coin put up one day of resistance before surrendering to Roman might.
I love it, and I am a Virgo. As people go for the "12 Caesars", is this the beginning of a "12 Signs of the Zodiac" collection? Has anyone done that?
The idea is at least 1,875 years old . Here's a page from Emmett's book showing the "zodiac series" of Antoninus Pius: Even in low grade (which most are) they can be pricey. Alexandria isn't the only city that issued coins with prominent zodiac symbols or even the entire zodiac wheel. Great new coin, @Pishpash! I have no capricorns to share but here are some A-Pi zodiac coins. EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius year 8, 144/5 CE AE drachm, 33 mm, 22.9 gm, Zodiac series, "Venus in Taurus" Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right Rev: bull butting left; above, diademed and draped bust of Aphrodite left; star before her; L H (date) in exergue Ref: Emmett 1450.8 EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius year 8, 144/5 CE AE drachm, 32 mm, 22.43 gm, Zodiac series, Helios in Leo Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right Rev: Helios (Sun) in Leo: Lion leaping right; above, radiate and draped bust of Helios and six-pointed star; [L H below] Ref: Köln 1495-6; Dattari (Savio) 2968; K&G 35.278; Emmett 1530.8 Ex Thomas Bentley Cederlind
Coin arrived this morning, nicer in hand than the photo. Very pleased. Seller is moremoth who is also a member of forvmancientcoins. Highly recommended, never had a problem with him.
Nice pickup! Are you a Capricorn yourself? I am. Not that that means anything. I love the type, and will take any excuse offered to post mine again. Roman Empire: silver denarius of Vespasian, struck by Titus ca. 80-81 AD Obverse: DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS, laureate head of Vespasian right. Reverse: Two capricorns supporting shield inscribed S C, celestial globe below. Issuing authority: Titus, Roman emperor (79-81 AD). Composition, diameter, weight: Silver, 19.3 mm, 3.541 g, die axis 180 degrees. Grade, certification: NGC AU; Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, cert. #4280918-004. Purchased raw. Reference attribution: RIC II-1 Titus 357; RSC II 497; BMCRE II 129; BnF III 101; SRCV I 2569 (per Forum Ancient Coins). Provenance: Forum Ancient Coins, 27 November 2015*. Prior provenance to Jeff Michniak Collection. Notes: This is a posthumous Vespasian commemorative, struck by Titus after Vespasian's consecration with the title "Divus". Vespasian had foreseen this deification, and famously quipped on his deathbed, "Vae, puto deus fio." ("Dear me, I think I'm becoming a god".) Forum Ancient Coins called this coin “the nicest example of this type handled by Forum to date”. An only marginally nicer example brought 1,300 CHF (approx. $1,340 USD) around the time I bought this one for less than a third as much. Additional images:
Most, like mine have the very high relief SC worn off. LM's coin is really special. Titus also has a nice single Capricorn type. Like the LM's specimen, the globe here had cross hatching which is usually worn away by the time I can consider buying one.
TITUS Fouree Denarius OBVERSE: CAES VESPAS AVG TR P COS III, Laureate head right REVERSE: Foreparts of two capricorns springing in opposing directions, supporting round shield inscribed S C; globe below Struck at Rome, 80/1AD 3.06g, 18mm RIC II 357 (Titus); RSC 497
Here is mine...the large shield variety. Titus 80-81 For Divus Vespasianus. 3,10 g. Obv: Head laureate r; DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS Rev: Capricorns 2 back to back supporting shield inscribed SC, below globe RIC 357 Cohen 497 BMC 129 RSC 497 Ex-Paul Schürer (1890-1976); Ex-Fritz Reusing (1874-1956) Purchased from Manfred Olding Munzenhandlung June 4, 2019