Anyone want to share their sestercii?

Helloooo everyone!

I was watching a documentary on the Roman Empire on Netflix (unimaginatively called “Roman Empire”) and it documents the lives of 3 different Emperors:

1). Commodus
2). Julius Caesar
3). Caligula

Today I watched the “Caligula” episodes and something caught my ear.

One of the university history professors was explaining how extravagantly Caligula was living, and how the Imperial Treasury was going broke because of it, so Caligula reinstated his predecessor Tiberius’ “Treason Trials” and targeted rich Senators so he could confiscate their wealth.

The professor states that Caligula spent 3 billion sestercii during the first year of his reign.

Apparently a Sesterce was worth 1/4 of a denarius, so Caligula spent 750 million denarii in one year.

Anyway I think that was a crazy fact and I’m curious to see if anyone has cool sestercii to look at?

Thanks!

 

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I have only two of them!
Vespasian with Pax (goddess of peace) to signify stability after the tumultuous year of 69 AD.


Trajan- REGNA ADSIGNATA: Trajan, seated on platform flanked by a prefect and a soldier, addressing the three kings standing before him, and assigning them kingdoms. Minted around 116 AD, this coin represents the peak of Roman hegemony!

 

Nice ones! How big are they? Like what’s the closest American sized coin to them? Quarter? Half Dollar?

Also what metals are they made of?

I’m guessing if they are 1/4 of a denarius and the denarius was tiny they must be made of base metals (iron, copper, bronze, brass etc.,) rather than gold/silver. Usually base metals coins are larger everywhere.

 

Half dollar size.



Here's the sestertius and catalog info:


Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 24.87 g, 32.5 mm, 11 h.
Rome, AD 161-165.
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, draped bust of Faustina II, right, with a double strand of pearls in the hair (Beckmann portrait type 7).
Rev: LAETITIA S C, Laetitia standing facing, head left, holding wreath in right hand and vertical scepter in left hand.
Refs: RIC 1654; BMCRE 924-27; Cohen 149; RCV 5279; MIR 21.

 

Thanks! Awesome bigger designs.

Is that one Faustina the Younger (wife of Marcus Aurelius) or Faustina the Elder?

 

Younger. Faustina the Elder has a bun on the top of her head:

 

Vespasian- 22.6g,
Trajan- 20.8g
Both orichalcum (brass)

 

These here are mostly Sestertii (assorted chronologically by emperors and empresses):

 

NERO CLAUDIUS DRUSUS
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP - Bare head left
REVERSE: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TRP IMP Exe: SC - Claudius seated left, holding branch; weapons on floor
Rome 41BC-2 AD
28.6g, 36mm
RIC 93

HADRIAN
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P, laureate bust right, draped far shoulder
REVERSE: HILARITAS P R S-C, COS III in ex, Hilaritas standing facing holding palm & cornucopia, two small children flanking her
Struck at Rome, 128-134AD
25.30g, 35mm
RIC 970

ANTONIUS PIUS
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: IDIVVS ANTONINVS, bare head right
REVERSE: CONSECRATIO, four tiered funeral pyre surmounted by Antoninus in a quadriga, SC in ex.
Struck at Rome 161 AD
25g, 31mm
RIC 1266 (Marcus Aurelius), BMC 880 (Marcus Aurelius), C 354

FAUSTINA Sr
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right
REVERSE: AETERNITAS S-C, Aeternitas seated left holding phoenix & scepter
Struck at Rome, 147 AD
24.53g, 34 mm
RIC 1103A

FAUSTINA Sr
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right
REVERSE: AVGVSTA. Cybele, wearing polos, seated left, holding drum in right hand and branch in left arm. SC in exergue
Struck at Rome, 141-161 AD
24.1g, 30mm
RIC 1123

MARCUS AURELIUS
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head right
REVERSE: IVVENTAS S C, Juventas, wearing a long robe, standing left, holding a patera, sprinkling incense on a candelabrum
Struck at Rome, 140 AD
12.4g, 27mm
RIC 1232, C 393, S4831

MAXIMINUS I
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG - Laureate, draped bust right.
REVERSE: SALVS AVGVSTI - Salus seated left, feeding snake on altar
Struck at Rome, 235-236 AD March - January
20.7g, 29.5mm
RIC 85

 

Some sesterces here



24 g 33 mm RIC 143
Obverse IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII
Type: Head of Titus, laureate, right; Portrait: Titus
Reverse
Legend: FELICIT PVBLIC S C
Type: Felicitas standing left, holding sceptre and cornucopiae
Deity: Felicitas
From Date: AD 80
To Date: AD 81





RIC IV Severus Alexander 618

Severus Alexander AE Sestertius. AD 231. IMP SEV ALEXANDER AVG, laureate head right, slight drapery on far shoulder / VICTORIA AVGVSTI, Victory winged standing left, holding wreath and palm. S-C across lower fields. Cohen 569.




Antoninus Pius AD 138-161. Rome
Sestertius Æ
32 mm., 24,77 g.
RIC III Antoninus Pius 840
Date Range: AD 147 - AD 148
Obverse Legend: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XI
Type: Head of Antoninus Pius, laureate, right
Reverse Legend: ANNONA AVG COS IIII
Type: Annona standing left, holding grain stalks over modius with grain stalks left and anchor




Maximinus I Thrax AD 235-238. Rome
Sestertius Æ
30 mm., 19,25 g.
RIC IV Maximinus Thrax 64
Date Range: AD 235 - AD 236
Obverse Legend: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG
Type: Bust of Maximinus I, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right
Reverse Legend: SALVS AVGVSTI S C
Type: Salus, draped, seated left, feeding out of patera in right hand snake coiled round altar



Philip II, as Caesar AD 244-246. Rome
Sestertius Æ
30 mm, 14,16 g
RIC IV Philip I 255
Date Range: AD 244 - AD 246
Obverse Legend: M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES
Type: Bust of Philip II, bare-headed, draped, right
Portrait: Philip II
Reverse Legend: PRINCIPI IVVENTVT S C
Type: Philip II, in military attire, standing right, holding transverse spear in right hand and globe in left hand


I also have this Otacilia Severa provincial from Cilicia - sestertius sized (30 mm) but quite light (12.2 g)

 

1. 
   
   
   RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 112, 50-54AD (36mm, 28.2gm)
   
   Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right
   Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
   Reverse depiction: Civic Oak Wreath.
   Inscription in four lines:
   EX SC
   P P
   OB CIVES
   SERVATOS
   (within wreath)
   
   
   
   BMCRE, Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 157, Plate 35-7 42-43AD (38mm, 28.9gm) reverse inscription same as No. 157 except legend ends in IMP
   
   
   
   BMCRE, Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 157, Plate 35-7 42-43AD (38mm, 28.9gm)
   
   It was a real coincidence that I found both of the above coins- one of the joys of collecting Ancient coins!
   
   
   RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 99 41-50 AD, (36mm, 25.3gm)
   
   Obverse depiction: Claudius, bare neck laureate bust, facing right.
   
   Inscription clockwise from bottom: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP
   
   Reverse depiction: Personification of Spes holding flower in right hand and demurely raising skirt with left hand.
   Inscription clockwise from bottom: SPES AVGVSTA - S C (exergue)
   
   
   
   RIC 1, (second edition) Gaius/Caligula, Dupondius, No. 56
   
   Obverse depiction: Radiate bust of Augustus.
   Obverse Inscription: DIVVS AVGVSTVS, S. C (left and right)
   
   Reverse depiction: monument of Caligula seated on a curule chair holding an olive branch in right hand.
   Inscription: CONSENSV SENAT ET EQ ORDIN P Q R
   Note: This legend is unique.
   
   The translation is:
   “By consensus of the senate, the equestrian order, and the Roman people”
   
   
   
   CLAUDIUS SESTERTIUS, TITUS RESTORATION ISSUE, 80-81 AD (34.5mm, 23.12 gm) BMCRE Volume II, Rome, Titus No. 297 (pl. 56.1)
   1. RIC Volume II (1962 Edition), Rome, Titus, No. 234
      RIC Volume II, Part 1 (second edition), Titus, No. 472 (Sear No. 2601)
      
      Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right
      Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP
      Reverse depiction: Personification of Spes holding flower
      in right hand and demurely raising skirt with left hand
      Inscription: IMP T VESP AVG REST - S C (left and right)
      
      Clickable links:
      
      Sear Roman Coins and their Values (RCV 2000 Edition) Number 2601 (via Wildwinds Claudius)
      
      Sale: CNG, Triton XII, Lot: 555 (5 January 2009) - this coin
   
   James

 

Share my humble Sestertius of Faustina (Diva)

Nearly 32 mm









And the new Romulus & Remus (Macrinus)

 

I can't come close to what Julius Germanicus has posted, but I have enjoyed Sestertii -- and Medallions and other large Roman bronzes for thirty years or more. Here is a nice subset from my own collection -- the first forty Caesars.

 

The sestertius was originally a small silver denomination issued very infrequently by the Republic as worth two (II) and a half (S) "pounds" of bronze (Aes). The As was originally a full pound of copper, but quickly fell from ~275-350 grams to under 50 by the end of the Second Punic War. The As then slid down in weight to 8-13g by the start of the Imperial period. The denarius was retariffed from 10 asses to 16 as a result of this inflation, but the name of the sestertius stuck.



Some assorted imperial sestertii

Tiberius and Germanicus Gemellus - grandsons of Tiberius - Germanicus died in infancy, but Tiberius Gemellus survived to be considered a candidate for the throne - until he was forced into "suicide" by Caligula


Antoninus Pius


Septimius Severus


Severus Alexander


Gordian III as Caesar


Philip I "The Arab" special issue for Rome's 1000th birthday


Trebonianus Gallus


Gallienus, the last true sestertii (bearing SC for Sentatvs Consvlto) were issued shortly after the capture of Valerian in 260


The last coin that could be called a sestertius was issued by Aurelian, 270-275

 

When collecting sestertii, be aware as their popularity has led many to be heavily reworked.

This Hadrian I believe has been heavily tooled - in particular his hair details re-engraved


This Caracalla I think has been heavily smoothed down to the bare metal, then re-patinated

 

First-century Sestercii were about Morgan-dollar size. By the 260's they had shrunk to the size of a US quarter-dollar or smaller. They were supposed to be brass (a lighter-color copper), but most were just copper.

 

Some Sestercii are made of Orichalcum, once believed to be a rare metal which was unique and found only in Atlantis. Modern techniques point out that this is another alloy.

 

John Write makes a good point. Sestertii declined a lot between the big ones of the 1st century and the latest ones in the third. There was a nice portrait sestertius of Caligula in Julius Germanicus' tray shot. My Caligula is his special issue for the dedication of the temple of the Divine Augustus. It is less popular today because he looks less crazy as Pietas and we all prefer our bad boys to be bad.

 

Here is a group of early sestercii, Crawford 44/7, RCV 46, RSC 4: