My $30 sestertius

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by hotwheelsearl, Oct 24, 2020.

  1. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I bought my first "real" sestertius for a bit over $30. I previously had a large, sestertius-sized Vimanacium Gordie, but that didn't count.

    Here's a legitimate Roman sestertius, of Severus Alexander.

    Although the field surfaces are rather rough, the artistry is pretty high. I'm also a big fan of those Mars reverses.

    IMG_E7525.JPG
    IMG_E7523.JPG
    Ruler: Severus Alexander
    Denomination: AE Sestertius
    Obv: IMP SEV ALE-XANDER AVG
    Rev: VIRTVS-AVGVSTI
    Weight: 19.5g
    Diam: 28.5mm. 3mm thick!
    Mint: ?
    Mintmark: none
    Reference: RIC 635?
    (reverse legend break not found in Wildwinds)

    If you still have your first sestertius, please post it!
     
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  3. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Nice sestertius, hotwheelsearl. I am astonished at what nice big portraits you can get for a low price.

    I think this is my first sestertius - Dec. 2016, so I haven't been at them very long. It took me forever to attribute it because I had no idea what I was doing:

    Julia Mamaea - Sest VENVS VICTRIX Dec 2016 (0).jpg
    Julia Mamaea Æ Sestertius
    228-229 A.D.

    IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA, diademed bust right. / VENVS VICTRIX, S-C, Venus standing left holding helmet & sceptre, shield at her feet.
    RIC 705; Cohen 78; BMC 718

    And just in the mail yesterday - a $20 Hadrian. It was listed as a "provincial" on eBay. For many this isn't "collectable grade" but again, I can't believe what a great ancient portrait you can get on the cheap - and the jaunty Virtus on the reverse is still discernable. Good enough for me!

    Hadrian - Sest VIRTUS Oct 23 2020 (0).jpg
    Hadrian Æ Sestertius
    (124-128 A.D.)
    Rome Mint

    HADRIANVS [A]VGV[STVS], laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder / [COS III], S C across field, Virtus standing left, right foot on helmet, holding parazonium in right hand and inverted spear in left.
    RIC II, 3 741 (old RIC 638).
    (23.01 grams / 32 mm)
     
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  4. Bradley Trotter

    Bradley Trotter Well-Known Member

    I bought my first Sestertius a few months ago for roughly the same price you paid @hotwheelsearl. I personally wouldn't mind finding a nice sestertius of either Trajan or Hadrian as well.

    Obverse:

    Marcus Aurelius, Sesterius 178 AD.JPG

    Reverse:

    Marcus Aurelius, Sesterius 178 AD Reverse.JPG

    Marcus Aurelius
    AE Sestertius
    177 - 178 A.D.
    Obverse: M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXXII, laureate head right
    Reverse: IMP VIIII COS III PP SC, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae
    Rome Mint
    RIC 1230
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2020
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  5. tibor

    tibor Supporter! Supporter

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but that cleaned up rather nicely.
    If so, what is your secret?
     
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  6. singig

    singig Well-Known Member

    nice coin with sharp details ! do you intend to clean it more ?
    this is my first one

    Claudius , AE sestertius. Lyons mint. AD 46-47. RIC 96
    TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP, laureate head right /
    EX SC-OB-CIVES-SERVATOS legend in four lines within oak wreath.
    claudius2 .jpg
     
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  7. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I do intend on cleaning the coin a bit more. There is some encrustation that should be relatively easy to remove with a bit of chemical and elbow grease. Stay tuned...
     
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  8. +VGO.DVCKS

    +VGO.DVCKS Well-Known Member

    @Bradley Trotter, That's Some Of it. Demonstrating Exactly Why there are still some of them in the market, at less than stratospheric prices.
     
  9. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    That's not RIC 635 (MARS VLTOR), but 626 (VIRTVS AVGVSTI). The reverse legend break on your coin is well-described. Here's page 119 of RIC:

    Capture.JPG
    According to Carson (BMCRE6, p. 163), it was issue 9, AD 228. It is BMCRE6 524-26. This, for example, is BMCRE 525:

    canvas.png
     
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  10. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    Thanks so much! I thought that pose looked a lot like Mars.

    thank you again for correcting my mistake!
     
  11. Clavdivs

    Clavdivs Well-Known Member

    Very nice... what accounts for the different photos? Cleaning or just seller VS in hand?

    Trying to recall - I may be wrong .. but I think this Vespasian is my first sestertius. I am a terrible photographer - this coin in much nicer in hand (but ya - rough!). Its very large, hefty and satisfying in-hand....- and I have no desire to upgrade as of yet (with so many targets)!

    upload_2020-10-25_1-28-19.png
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2020
  12. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    The top photo is the in-hand. The bottom photo is just super saturated to show some of the extra details I got from a light cleaning. I should have explained that earlier.


    Nice coin! No better way to start off than with one of those super beefy ones
     
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  13. robinjojo

    robinjojo Well-Known Member

    That's a nice coin for $30. A good acquisition.

    Sometimes a good coin comes out of a lot of sestertii. Earlier this year I purchased a lot of three sestertii from a seller in France, through eBay. The total cost, including shipping was $57.

    One of the coins turned out to be a very decent Faustina Junior sestertius (Juno reverse), not in itself a great rarity - it is quite readily available - but nonetheless a nice coin, a few issues (minor roughness, somewhat off-center, and a patina chip at 12 o'clock on the reverse) for $20, perhaps a bit more as the two other coins have some condition issues.

    D-Camera Faustina Junior sestertius, eBay lot.2,  8-21-20.jpg

    This is the other Faustina Junior sestertius from that lot. As you can see, it is not nearly as nice as the Juno sestertius.
    D-Camera Faustina Junior sestertius, eBay lot.1,  8-21-20.jpg
     
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  14. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Quite a good one as a first and cheap acquisition
    I won't post my first sestertius, everyone here is tired of seeing it, and moreover I didn't purchase it, as it was a gift from my grandfather.

    The first one I bought is the following, that was back in 1988, and it wasn't cheap, as far as I remember.

    [​IMG]
    Crispina, Sestertius - Rome mint, circa AD 180-182
    CRISPINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right
    LAETITIA, Laetitia standing left, holding wreath and rudder, SC in field
    19.86 gr
    Ref : Cohen # 27, RCV # 6007

    Q
     
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  15. Limes

    Limes Well-Known Member

    That's a nice SA sestertius!

    Here's my first sestertius, of Marcus Aurelius. Got it for 50 euro (without ridiculous fees that is).
    21.2.png
     
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  16. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    My first sestertius! It started a lifelong Faustina fascination. I love the smooth black patina on this one!

    [​IMG]
    Faustina Senior, AD 138-141.
    Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.57 g, 32.0 mm.
    Rome, AD 145-147.
    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 1519-20; Cohen 110 = 122 corr.; Strack 1294; RCV 4617.
    Notes: Cohen 122 (Wiczay): "Concordia? standing l., holding statue and wand," (La Concorde? debout à gauche, tenant une statuette et une baguette) is almost certainly a badly described specimen of this type.
     
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  17. ambr0zie

    ambr0zie Dacian Taraboste

    My first Sestertius is ... 6 days old (give or take 1940 years)
    Bought my first lot of ancient coins, it arrived this Monday.
    Of course, not the best condition, but I'm very glad I was able to identify it without issues.

    Obverse IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII
    Type: Head of Titus, laureate, right; Portrait: Titus

    Reverse FELICIT PVBLIC S C
    Type: Felicitas standing left, holding sceptre and cornucopiae


    From Date: AD 80
    To Date: AD 81
    RIC 143
    ts.JPG
     
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  18. Spaniard

    Spaniard Well-Known Member

    Nice big bronzes!.....This was my first Sestertius from early last year...
    Antoninus Pius. Æ Sestertius (33mm, 26.75 g.) Struck 159/160 AD.
    Obverse..ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXIII, laureate head right
    Rev. PIETATI AVG COS IIII SC, Pietas standing left holding globe, Faustina Junior as Pietas standing left, between Faustina Minima, Lucilla & holding baby Fadilla.
    RIC III 1031
    AP SESTERTIUS BLACK.jpg
     
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  19. Shea19

    Shea19 Well-Known Member

    Here’s my first sestertius, a Gordian III... probably cost around the same as yours. Big bronzes can be a lot of fun to collect on a budget...hope this is the first of many for you.

    19B5D26D-FD54-4FAD-87FA-79C0F47BA192.jpeg
     
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