Here is my latest purchase that I thought I would force on you all. Hadrian denarius Obv:- HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate head left Rev:- SALVS AVG, Salus standing right, patera in right, scepter in left, altar at feet Minted in Rome. Reference:- RIC II 268 var (bust type). BMC 726 note. RIC 268 var. (laureate r.). Strack 266. A rare variety of this type with a left facing bust. Martin
sin·is·ter (sn-str) adj. 1. Suggesting or threatening evil: a sinister smile. 2. Presaging trouble; ominous: sinister storm clouds. 3. Attended by or causing disaster or inauspicious circumstances. 4. On the left side; left. 5. Heraldry Situated on or being the side of a shield on the wearer's left and the observer's right => very clever, TIF
This might be a good place to mention that there are a few rulers where left facing is more common than right (Caligula), a few where the two are roughly equal (Nero, Probus), some with scarce but obtainable left facers (Hadrian is in this group) and some where left facing is downright rare (most Severans). I'm not sure who there is that has absolutely all left or absolutely no left and hate to make a statement like that since someone will turn up one tomorrow. I would bet that it would be beyond difficult to assemble a set of pairs from all the existing rulers who actually did issue portraits both ways (and harder if you avoided gold). We can not expect to collect what was not made but there are thousands of really rare types that turn up once in a lifetime. It would be easier if you allowed the use of Provincials.
