Recent Pickup: Lucilla and Crispina denarii. Venus on reverse.

Happy Friday! I recently picked up a Lucilla and Crispina denarii. Both have Venus on the reverse side, but are of different styles. I remember reading somewhere that Lucilla did not come along well with Crispina, probably due to political power struggle. However, 1,800 years later, I imagine they can be together, in denarius format, talking about Venus...




Crispina AR Denarius.
2.92g, 19mm. 180-182 AD
Obv: CRISPINA AVGVSTA; Draped bust, right.
Rev: VENUS; Venus standing left
RIC 286a, SR 6002

Lucilla AR Denarius. Rome Mint.
3.36g. 19mm. 164-169 AD
Obv: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F; Draped bust, right.
Rev: VENUS; Venus standing l., holding apple and sceptre.
RIC III 784; RSC II 70

You are welcome to share your Lucilla and/or Crispina denarius.

 

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That Lucilla was mine at one time when I collected all the reverses. I purged the majority of them last year. Nice to see it go to someone else on here.

 

Nice pair, @happy_collector


Couple LUCILLA's


RI Lucilla AR denarius Juno seated flower child in swaddling clothes Seaby 36



RI Lucilla 164-182 CE AR Denarius 18mm 2.8g Rome mint 166-169 CE Pudicitia RIC III 780

 

CRISPINA


RI Crispina m Commodus 177 CE AR denarius 2.29g Juno stdg RIC-283

 

nice pair! ...and great song!

 

@happy_collector.......Great looking pair of coins!....Particularly like that 'Crisp' Crispina portrait, very nice!
I haven't added a Crispina to my set yet but I do have a Lucilla...Same as yours..


Actually wondering if they have an obverse die match??

 

Thanks for your additional info, Mat. It is a nice coin, and I like it a lot.

 

Nice Lucilla portraits!

Nice Crispina!

 

Nice denarii. Lucilla has a nice hairstyle.

 

Thanks, @Spaniard.

I agree that our Lucilla portraits look very similar. Forehead may be a little different. However, yours has much better details.

 

@happy_collector.......Yes I agree there are some differences....Probably made from the same engraver though looking at the eye?

 

I agree with your observation. Likely made from the same engraver.

 

Here's my Crispina with that reverse type:



And my Lucillas with that reverse type:

Long obverse legend (denarius and sestertius):




Short obverse legend:

 

Crispina:



Lucilla:

 

I must say that nobody would ever confuse a portrait of Crispina with one of Lucilla. In every case, their faces are shaped completely differently.

 

Nice coins, RC. Seeing your Lucilla coins reminds me of the "full circle" legend type.

 

Agree.

 

Nice coins everybody.
I first saw a denarius with an empress when I bought my first ancient coins - there was a Faustina I denarius in the lots.
I was under the impression that only a handful of empresses had coins with their portraits - not sure why
Ever since I try to add new empresses in my collection - there are some that I will not be able to add, most likely, but every new one is a nice addition for me.

Lucilla and Crispina are present:

 

Even on well-worn coins, they can be differentiated by hairstyle -- The chignon on Crispina's hairstyle is much bigger, anticipating the giant chignons of Manlia Scantilla, Didia Clara, and Julia Domna that became fashionable a decade later.


Crispina, AD 177-182.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 19.63 g, 30.3 mm, 11 h.
Rome, c. AD 177-179.
Obv: CRISPINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: CONCORDIA SC, Concordia seated left, holding patera and cornucopiae.
Refs: RIC 556; BMCRE 406-410; RCV 6004; Cohen 6; MIR 4.

This is particularly true for her late hairstyle:


Crispina, AD 177-182.
Roman Æ As, 11.64 g, 23.6 mm, 6 h.
Rome, c. AD 181-182.
Obv: CRISPINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust right
Rev: VENVS FELIX SC, Venus seated left, holding Victory and scepter
Refs: RIC 686; BMCRE 440; Cohen 41; RCV 6021; MIR 21-7/3c.

See how Crispina's hair has a large interlaced chignon in the rear? A decade later, the giant chignon became all the rage among upper-crust Roman women:


Manlia Scantilla, wife of Didius Julianus, Augusta, AD 193.
Roman Æ Sestertius; 28.8 mm, 22.62 g, 12 h.
Rome mint, AD 193.
Obv: MANLIA•SCAN-TILLA•AVG, draped bust right.
Rev: IVNO REGINA SC, Juno standing left, holding patera and scepter; to left, peacock at feet, standing left, head turned up.
Refs: RIC 18a; BMCRE 32-36; Cohen 6; RCV 6083; Woodward, Didius, dies 6/-; Banti 2.


Julia Domna, AD 193-217
Roman orichalcum dupondius; 10.61 gm, 24.2 mm
Rome, issue 6, AD 195
Obv: IVLIA DOMNA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: FECVNDITAS, Fecunditas enthroned right, nursing one child, second child stands before her.
Refs: RIC 844; BMCRE 494; Cohen 43; Hill 126; RCV 6639
Notes: Ex Ars Classica VIII, 1924, Bement Collection, lot 1184. Die-match to BMCRE-494, pl. 21.4.