A couple of new acquisitions for my Antonine women collection. They both feature Ceres and her attributes. Ceres has three main attributes: corn ears, which symbolize her role as the goddess of agriculture, a torch with which she searches after her daughter Proserpina in the underworld, and a cista mystica, in which the sacred utensils connected with her cult were carried in procession.* Alternatively, the cista (the Latin word for a cylindrical basket) may simply be a reference to agriculture, such baskets being used to carry grain. Post your coins with Ceres, bronzes of Antonine women, or anything you feel is relevant. Faustina I, AD 138-141. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 25.61 g, 33 mm. Rome, AD 150-161. Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: AVGVSTA S C, Ceres standing left, holding corn ears and long torch. Refs: RIC 1116; BMCRE 1509-11; Cohen 79; RCV 4614; Strack 1286. Notes: A similar design (RIC 1117) depicts the goddess holding corn ears and a short torch. Lucilla, AD 164-169. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 20.36 g, 31 mm. Rome, AD 166-169. Obv: LVCILLA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: CERES S C, Ceres, veiled and draped, seated right on cista, holding corn-ears in right hand and short torch in left hand. Refs: RIC 1728; BMCRE 1194-96; Cohen 2; RCV 5496; MIR 24. ~~~ *White, KD. Farm Equipment of the Roman World. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1975, p. 64. This is a fascinating book. It is the companion volume to White's earlier (1967) Agricultural Implements of the Roman World. This volume deals with equipment and instruments used in processing and storage of agricultural produce as opposed to cultivation.
Very nice RC, I love the Lucilla sestertius especially. Nice patina and overall eye appeal, and well rendered overall. I also like the slightly wonky obverse legend.
very kool RC....i'm gussing this is Ceres...and also guessing she's holding winged Victory(?)... but i can convince meself of anything..for a minute
Vesta! Like this one: Faustina Senior, AD 138-141. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.57 g, 32.0 mm. Rome, AD 147-161. Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: AVGVSTA S C, Vesta veiled, standing left, holding palladium and scepter. Refs: RIC 1124; BMCRE 1519; RCV 4617. Middle bronze: As or dupondius, 10.37 g, 25.4 mm, 5 h. RIC 1179; BMCRE 1582; RCV --.
@Roman Collector - nice coins - Lucilla in particular. While I have some Ceres, I will share this coin, recently purchased, with her Greek counterpart: Demeter with the attributes of torch and grain. It is certain that your posts of similar coins have influenced my interest in this coin. The bewildering number of variations in these coins and die sharing between cities and numbers minted make these interesting to me. I have had a hard time finding others like this one from Odessos. Much easier to find this Demeter reverse combined with "Gordian III and Serapis" or "Gordian alone" on the obverse. The stephane on Demeter looks crown-like. Moesia Inferior, Odessos, Gordian III and Tranquillina (238-244), Ae Obv: AYT K M ANT ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC AVΓ CE / TRANKVΛ-ΛEINA, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Gordian right vis-a-vis diademed and draped bust of Tranquillina left Rev: OΔHCCEITΩN, Demeter standing facing, head left, holding grain ears and long torch, E in field left. Ref: (edit to add reference to AMNG 2381) This coin also is an obverse die match with this one from ACSearch with different reverse.
Those are both lovely, RC. This reminded me of a similar Faustina I (RIC 1118 - I think) that I posted a while back - a puzzler: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/faustina-i-sestertius-or-dupondius.317204/ It is awfully light for a sestertius (13.70 grams), and awfully big for a dupondius (32 mm). It is very thin. You helped me out back then and that's the attribution I'm going with (thanks again, by the way). Faustina I Æ Sestertius (Struck on dupondius flan?) 3rd Phase, part 2: wedding of Faustina II to M. Aurelius (c. 145-150 A.D.) Rome Mint [DIVA] FAVSTINA, draped bust right / AVGV[ST]A S-C, Ceres standing left with short torch and corn ears. RIC 1118; Cohen 88. (13.70 grams / 32 mm)
FAUSTINA Sr AE As OBVERSE: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right REVERSE: AVGVSTA S-C, Ceres standing left holding torch & corn-ears Struck at Rome, 148-161AD 13.5g, 27mm RIC 1171
Only have a Trajan Sestertius with Ceres: Rome, 107 AD 32 mm, 24.04 g Ref.: RIC II 479; Sear 3228 var; Cohen 369; Ob.: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P Laureate head right Rev.: SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI S-C Ceres draped, standing left, holding corn-ears in right and long torch in left hand, modius at feet
