Featured Sometimes You Can't Resist a Great Portrait

I recently stumbled across this coin quite by accident, courtesy of Mr. Google. As soon as I saw the fantastic portrait I knew I had to 'add to basket'.



Vespasian
Æ Sestertius, 24.02g
Rome mint, 71 AD
Obv: IMP CAES VESPAS AVG P M TR P P P COS III; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: SALVS AVGVSTA; S C in exergue; Salus std. l. with patera and sceptre
RIC 245 (C2). BMC 574. BNC 533.
Acquired from Golden Rule Enterprises Coins, February 2020.

A fairly common sestertius Salus type from the great bronze issue of 71. According to Mattingly in BMCRE II this Salus type may perhaps represents 'the salvation conferred by the imperial system', presumably after the upheavals of the Civil War. Salus here symbolises the health and welfare of the Roman state, not the person of the emperor himself.

The die engraves working on Vespasian's early bronze issues were an extremely talented bunch. They were likely the same engravers that had produced many of the suberb dies recently under Nero and Galba. Some of Vespasian's best numismatic portraits come from this early period of the reign. C. H. V. Sutherland in his masterful Roman Coins waxes eloquently over them: 'Vespasian's aes, however, and not merely the sestertii, developed a full magnificence of portraiture. Again the heads were large, even massive, and normally in high relief, giving a strong impression of the purely profile view of sculpture in the round. And, because of the larger scale which this aes permitted, a wealth of detail could be achieved: close-cut hair, finely wrinkled brow, a minutely rendered profile eye, and all the jowls and neck-folds of an old man. The beauty of the work lay in its realism, strong in authority and yet delicate in its execution; and it was the technical delicacy to strength of conception that Vespasian's coinage clearly excelled over that of Galba.'

I think this coin exhibits exactly what Sutherland was talking about.

Please post your superb portraits!

NB: Interestingly, the coin arrived wrapped up in a most peculiar box.

 

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That's a great Vespasian bronze portrait! Here's my own Vespasian sestertius, with a slightly less substantial but still attractive portrait:

My favorite Parthian portrait that I currently own is probably the facing bust of Artabanos II on this tetradrachm:

And the Sellwood type 38 drachms of Phraates III have always appealed to me. My avatar portrait is one, but unfortunately I no longer own that specific coin. Here's a S.38 that I do still own:

 

Your spot on David fantastic portrait, this is my best portrait of Vespasian .
Vespasian Dupondius Rome 73 AD, Felicitas Pvblica, 26mm, 12.74gm, RIC 581.

 

That is a pretty nice addition! I also like the portrait.

This is my favorite portrait coin, I can't see it enough.


Domitian Caesar 69-81
AR Denarius
Struck 80-81
3,08g/19mm
CAESAR DIVI F DOMITIANVS COS VII
laureate head right.
PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS
lighted & garlanded altar.
Ric 266 (Titus)

 

Lovely coin... You asked for superb portraits... but in coins, as in life, beauty is always in the eye of the beholder....

 

+1! That's a wonderful portrait!

 

I really like this portrait of Titus

ROMAN IMPERIAL, Titus. Denomination: AR denarius, minted: Rome, Italy; 80 AD
Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M Head of Titus, laureate, right
Rev: TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P Curule chair; wreath, above
Weight: 2.98g; Ø:1.7mm. Catalogue: RIC II 108. Provenance: Ex Feddema Numismatics Drachten; acq.: 09-2019

And this one of Philip I "the Arab", with Anonna looking like she's about to puke:

ROMAN IMPERIAL, Philip I ('the Arab'). Denomination: AR Antonianus, minted: Rome, Italy; 244-247 AD
Obv: IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG: Bust of Philip the Arab, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right
Rev: ANNONA AVGG: Annona, draped, standing left, holding corn-ears in right hand over prow and cornucopiae in left hand
Weight: 3.75g; Ø:2.1mm. Catalogue: RIC IV 29. Provenance: Ex private collection; acq.: 05-2019

 

I`m a sucker for a good portrait and some lovely examples already (Cant wait to get my first Vespasian).
Here is a rather trim and mean looking Probus from me (Abundatia rev):-

 

D.A., That is a handsome portrait of Vespasian ! Here a few of my favorite portrait coins .

 

That portrait of Hadrian is sensational !

 

WOW!....Some lovely portraits...
Looked through mine but after seeing some of these I'll pass....
@lordmarcovan ....Beautiful Hadrian!
@Al Kowsky ....OOOH I like that Sept Sev Tet!

 

Oh portraits <3
Lovely to see all the great coins here. The portraits are what I look for when buying Roman imperial coins.
I’m quite fond of this Claudius portrait, although it probably is a more favorable face than you would have seen in reality:

 

Such a shame you had to let that one go. The beauty is enough to make one weep.

 

This Nerva I just recently acquired has the best (and maybe most honest portrait) I've seen.



Nerva (Augustus)
Coin: Silver Denarius
IMP NERVA CAES AVG PM TR POT II - Laureate head right
COS III PATER PATRIAE - Priestly implements-implements of the augurate and pontificate: simpulum (ladle), aspergillum (sprinkler), ewer (jug) and lituus (augural wand).
Mint: Rome (97 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 2.88g / 17mm / 6h
References:
RIC II 34
RSC 51
BMCRE III 56
BnF III 41
SRCV II 3023
Provenances:
Gert Boersema
Ex col. Frans Pouwel, Netherlands
Acquisition/Sale: Gert Boersema VCoins $0.00 11/19
Notes: Nov 29, 19 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection

 

That is a very nice Nerva portrait... I also have one that I am fond of:

 

Here is one which I consider superb for the era.

Licinius I, nice helmeted type...also reminds me of Russell Crowe's helmet in Gladiator, and Licinius has a similar beard.

Interesting box, too. I used to smoke that brand (until I quit smoking).

Rome

AE3, 318-319 AD. 19mm 3.1 grams

IMP LI-CINIVS AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust right

ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated right, shield on lap inscribed X/V. P-R across fields.

Mintmark: RQ

Reference: RIC VII Rome 151; Cohen 150; Sear 15354.