"Someone Standing There" on the Reverse? It's the Emperor!

Most Roman Imperial coins show an emperor or an empress, but they usually do so on the obverse. Yet some also depict the ruler once more again on the reverse. For me, these coins are premium items that stick out among the not-so-spectacular "someone standing there" types showing allegorical figures or deities.

Recently, I picked up two more Severan denarii showing the current emperor on the reverse when I bid on a number of items from an old German collection that was dispersed. I'll take this opportunity to show them both.

Septimius Severus is clearly identifiable by his impressive beard on this coin:

Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 202–210 AD, Rome mint. Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: VOTA SVSCEPTA XX; Septimius Severus, veiled, togate, standing l., sacrificing out of patera in r. hand over altar. 20mm, 3.76g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 308.

And here is Geta as "Prince of the Youth" in military attire, with trophy and holding the attributes of Providence. The same type exists for Caracalla, too:

Geta, Roman Empire, denarius, 200–202 AD, Rome mint. Obv: P SEPT GETA CAES PONT; bust of Geta, bare-headed, draped, r. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENTUTIS; Geta, holding baton and sceptre, standing l. next to trophy r. 18mm, 3.40g. Ref: RIC IV Geta 18.

Please show your coins, Severan or not, with an image of the emperor on the reverse!

 

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I quite like the laureate Septimus! I’ll see if I can find an example in my own group later today

 

Here is one of Gallienus playing with a little dolly:


Gallienus, Antioch mint. 13th emission, AD 266. Antoninianus 4.07g, 21mm
Rev: IVBENTVS AVG; emperor standing left, holding Victory and spear; VIIC.
Ref: RIC V 615
acquired from Sam Sloat coins, NYINC coin show, Jan 2018

I have no clue how the spear-bearer plays-with-dolls figure on the reverse was identified as his lordship Gallienus. Is it just because of the "AVG" on the reverse?

 

Interesting theme for a thread.

This one fits the bill:


Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.27 g, 31.4 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 158/9.
Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXII, laureate head, right.
Rev: VOTA SVSCEPTA DEC III S C, Antoninus, veiled, standing l., sacrificing from patera over tripod-altar and holding roll by side; COS IIII in ex.
Refs: RIC 1010; BMCRE 2068-2069; Cohen 1124; Strack 1171; RCV 4262.

 

Here's one I've posted recently, an ADVENTVS coin with a reverse showing Hadrian being greeted by Roma upon his return to Rome. You can sort of see that Hadrian has mildly bushy hair and a little beard:



Here's a Gordian III with a reverse showing the young emperor on a horse:



And here are a couple of examples of the common later Roman reverse theme of Jupiter handing Victory on a globe to the emperor. In both cases, Jupiter stands left holding a long scepter, and the emperor stands right.

Carus:


Diocletian:



Edited to add: I forgot this one, with a reverse showing a horned Elagabalus standing left, sacrificing from a patera over a lit tripod altar:

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
REVERSE: FVNDATOR PACIS, Septimius, togate and veiled, standing left holding olive branch
Struck at Rome, 202-210 AD
3.3g, 18mm,
RIC 265, RSC 205, BMC 330

 

Cool theme for a thread, I like it. Here is my favorite "emperor on reverse" coin, with Commodus sacrificing in front of a bust of Serapis.


Commodus, Alexandria, BI Tetradrachm,(24.2mm., 10.19g), circa 183-185 (RY 24 of Marcus Aurelius), Laureate head of Commodus right/ Rev. Commodus, in priestly attire, standing left before bust of Serapis set on low cippus, sacrificing and dropping incense over lighted altar, L-K-Δ. RPC Online 16005 (this coin), Dattari-Savio Pl. 207, 9553 (this coin)
From the Dattari Collection

 

@Orielensis.....Really like the reverse on the Septimius Severus!
Here's Geta being attacked by a HUGE python!

 

here's Constantine as Prince of Youth--



Constantine I
A.D. 310- 312
21x22mm 4.3g
CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right.
PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS; Prince standing facing head left, in military dress with spread cloak, holding globe, left reverse spear; ✶ in right field.
In ex. PLN
RIC VI London 222 var (cloak spread); LMCC 7.07.003

and Constantine on horseback--



Constantine I
A.D. 311- 312
22x23mm 4.4gm
CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right.
SPES REIPVBL; Emperor riding left, r. raised, l. holding up spear, on horse pawing seated captive to left, ✶ in right field.
in ex. PLN
RIC VI London 241; LMCC 7.08.014

 

Septimius Severus


Caracalla

Geta

Elagabalus

Severus Alexander (as Romulus)

Probus

 

Hadrian:





Postumus:





Gratian:




Magnus Maximus:

 

Great coins @Orielensis, congratulations on the win. Out of curiosity, was the collection identified? Or simply "from an old Bavarian/German/Hanseatische collection/collector"?

Good question, I wonder that too. What led to the reverse to be identified as emperor? Is it the same for other coins as well (except for obvious give-aways, like the beard). See e.g. my coin of Commodus

@maridvnvm, that Probus is an absolute beauty, amazing! It has most of the silvering still intact, I presume?

To add some of mine:

On a horse:

Seated:

Obvious beard-match:

 

Is Diocletian wearing a sombrero

 

The younger brother of the coin presented by @Roman Collector


RIC III Antoninus Pius 1020
From Date: AD 158 To Date: AD 159
Legend: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXII
Type: Head of Antoninus Pius, radiate, right
Legend: VOTA SVSCEPTA DEC III COS IIII S C
Type: Antoninus Pius, standing left, sacrificing with patera over tripod, left arm at side

 

I agree that the aversion to 'someone standing there' is less when the 'someone' is really recognizable by facial features. Certainly it helps when the person in question has a distinctive face (or beard). My Septimius is different in attire but the face is not easily mistaken for others.


Caracalla and Geta are harder to separate in appearance. We assume that each appears on the reverse of his own coins but this is hardly a certainty.

Is this harsh faced reverse Caracalla or a soldier?


Is there anything about this figure that proves it is Caracalla?


Is there anything about this figure that proves it is (or is not) Geta?


Thank go to Septimius for that beard!

This was until recently my coin. The face is 99% likely to be Antoninus Pius but I decided to sell the coin since I had other Pius bronzes that were not just standing there. Perhaps I am too hard on the standers???

 

Fun thread with lots of interesting coins.

Do I win the prize? Lousiest-looking coin, but the most emperors - three of 'em standing on the reverse (Arcadius, Honorius, Theodosius II).

My apologies for the lousy photo - I just got this in a batch and am still working on some photos...



Arcadius (?) Æ 16
(395-401 A.D.)
Unknown Mint (off flan)
D N AR?[CADI-VS P F AVG] pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right, star behind / [GLORI-A ROMA]-NORVM, Arcadius, Honorius, Theodosius II standing. Mintmark off flan.
Nicomedia RIC X 62
(1.50 grams / 12 x 16 mm)

Attribution Note:
Not sure of obverse inscription; "AR" for Arcadius possibly there, but could be Arcadius, Honorius or Theodosius II.

Mintmark off flan; six locations possible for this issue.

 

As promised:
Imperial Rome
Plautilla, r. 202-205 A.D. (202 A.D.)
Rome Mint, AR Denarius, 18.82 mm x 3.15 grams
Obv.: PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE. Draped bust right, hair coiled in vertical ridges and fastened in bun on back
Rev.: CONCORDIAE AETERNAE. Caracalla standing left, clasping hands with Plautilla standing right
Ref.: SRCV 7069, RIC IV-1 Caracalla 361, p. 269

to Doug’s point, I think Plautilla’s hair is a pretty good visual identifier here