My First Denarius

ok, so i'm up to like 3 dozen ancients in my collection now, started with late roman bronzes, majority being Constantine I, then acquired some Antoninianus, an now my first Denarius and here she is..... (show off yours as well)




Julia Domna AR Denarius, 193-217 AD. Wife of Septimus Severus
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, Bare-headed, draped bust right.
Rev: MATER DEVM, Cybele, towered, seated left between two
lions, holding branch and sceptre, left elbow resting on drum.
20.52mm 3.8g
Rome mint: AD 198 = RIC IVi, 564 (s) Scarce, page 169 - Cohen
123 - SEAR RCV II (2002), #6593, page 494

 

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That's a fine first denarius Ken. Mine was a Mark Anthony legionary denarius I've shown plenty of times. But what the heck. One more time won't hurt.

 

Congrats on your first coin purchase!

 

Julia Domna, AD 193-217
AR Denarius, 19 mm, 3.25 g, 12h; Rome mint: c. 205.
Obv.: IVLIA AVGVSTA; Draped bust right.
Rev.: MATER DEVM; Cybele, leaning on tympanum, holding branch and scepter, seated left on throne flanked by two lions.
Reference: RIC IVa 564 (Septimius); RSC 123.

 

Congrats Ken on your first denarius. It is a nice looking coin.

 

Congratulations on your first denarius! Julia Domna is a fine choice. I'm still on the hunt for one or two of hers.

My first denarius is a bit of a mystery-- not the coin, but the purchasing of the coin. It was August 2013 and my newly found ancient coin fever was at a, well, feverish pitch .

I don't remember bidding on it. When the invoice arrived I was puzzled. I remembered the other two on the invoice; they were on my watch list and I clearly recall bidding. This anonymous denarius wasn't on the list. I do recall watching the auction and bidding on a couple of others, but not this one. After a few weeks I vaguely recalled seeing it hit the block and thinking it was lovely. Apparently I bid. I'm glad I bought it but a bit alarmed by the memory lapse.


Roman Republic, Anonymous
Rome, 115-114 BCE
AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.91 g, 10 h
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right, X behind, ROMA below
Rev: Roma, helmeted, seated on two shields, holding spear before her, she-wolf standing right at her feet, head turned back, sucking Romulus and Remus. In left and right fields, two birds flying towards her.
Ref: Crawford 287/1

 

Haha! I've been there! Too often when I was in Korea...

Anyway...here's my first denarius...

Septimius Severus
AR Denarius; Rome, AD 209.
Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
Reverse: PM TRP XVII COS III P P, Neptune standing left, holding a trident, foot on globe

 

You have seen my first denarius before...but I will post it anyway.

 

Not bad for a first buy. Here is mine below bought here on CT.

Little did I know I was gonna be poisoned by the mean ancient collectors on here and turn into one of them


Septimius Severus (193 - 211 A.D)
AR Denarius
Rome mint, 201 A.D.
O: SEVERVS AVG PART MAX, Laureate head right.
R:RESTITVTOR VRBIS (Restoration of the City), Severus in military attire, spear in left, sacrificing over a tripod altar with right.
RIC 167a RSC 599 BMCRE 202
3.3g

 

I think the one they call "steve" is the ringleader of the gang!

 

I wouldn't cross Steve,



just sayin'...

 

Steve and his Jedi mind tricks...

 

nice coins all! i think i'll start hunting for Septimius Severus next, get Julia's hubby in my collection...

 

My records from the day do not allow me to tell which of three denarii I had in 1963 came first but the one I show was the Septimius below. In 1966, I first wrote it up for a coin magazine (The Voice of the Turtle, now long gone) and again in 1997 for my website as 'My Favorite Coin'. I wish you many happy years with your first denarius. It is a very nice start.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/f01.html

Septimius Severus - Emesa mint - very early 194 AD

 

My first denarius (and ancient coin) was this common Vespasian Pax denarius purchased over 12 years ago from an online dealer long since gone.



I caught the Flavian fever from that coin. LOL

 

Congrats on a nice choice!

My first purchase of ancients was a group of 10 coins, including a denarius.

 

Vespasian70, that is one beautiful coin.

 

My first denarius was Septimius Severus as well. I had actually bought one before this from a Vcoins dealer in another country, but customs held onto it for a long time(4 months), so this is the first one I actually received:

 

Julia Domna, eh? => that's a great first denarius, Ken (sweet pickup)

Ummm, I only have one Julia Domna example, but it is a sweetie ...

Julia Domna. Augusta, AR Antoninianus
Rome mint
AD 193-217
Struck under Caracalla AD 215-217
Diameter: 23 mm
Weight: 5.76 grams
Obverse: Draped bust right, wearing stephane, set on crescent
Reverse: LVNA LVCIFERA, Luna, with fold of drapery floating around and above head, driving biga of horses left
Reference: RIC IV 379a (Caracalla); RSC 106a

 

While I don't have a picture of my first coin (a Gordian III Denarius)
I do have the coin that launched me into my present obsession with MM and Siliqua!
Magnus Maximus
AR Siliqua
2.05 grams.
Trier mint