Starting 2016 out right: Mn. Fonteius C.f. "Cupid/Genius riding a goat" denarius

Thank you.

 

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I always considered my goat to be pretty average in size ... but when I compared my goat against some of the other goats on page-1 of this thread I felt pretty pumped that I was packin' a fairly decent sized goat!!

=> and then I stumbled across this type (see below, not my coin) ... yah, apparently there are a bunch of fellas with bigger goats than mine!! (I admit that I now have a bit of goat envy!!)

 

My dad used to tell me as a child growing up that there will always be someone in life who is richer, faster, smarter, better looking, or with a larger goat than me. The key is to be happy with your goat and not look with envy or fear at the goat of thy neighbor.

 

My Dad told me the same thing! We never had goats, I assumed he was just drunk when he said stuff like that? Go figure.

 

I always thought "Cupid on a goat" would be a good book title.

 

My Dad once told me ...

=> "Son, it's not the size of the goat that you should be worried about ... it's the size of the rider!!"



... then he'd hit me and tell me that I was adopted (ahhhh, the good ol' days)

 

Nice coin RS, Carthago, JBG, et al. Mine is below. This is one of my early RR coins, purchased in 2007 while I was still buying on eBay. I liked the details on Cupid's ride. My wife knits and she liked my yarn and baby coin. Toning is not even and that detracts from the coin (tho more in the picture than in hand). Mine is a Crawford 353/1c, and I wish I had the monogram of ROMA like some of the above.

I had several days of vacation at the end of the year. I did not accomplish great things, but did start organizing my RR coins. I made it through the silver. This coin is in the upper left corner. I am missing a few from the my list, arrg.

 

I don't think the toning detracts much from it, that's still a really nice example IMHO. I dunno if you've ever read Crawford's commentary on this type but he actually rejects the monogram being ROMA and lists it as possibly being for Apollo(though I'm in the "ROMA" camp).

I really like your organization. One of these days I'd like to transfer my Republican collection to trays. Right now my system is printed flip tags + SAFLIPs in a double row cardboard box, mostly because it's economical and my budget is small enough that it's hard to justify the cost of nice trays over putting the money into coins.

 

One of mine. Tough to find with a fully-struck wreath:

 

You have someone making these fresh off the press in a backroom somewhere?

 

Well obviously! I'm sworn to secrecy though. They limit themselves to small artisanal batches so as not to destroy the market. The toning process is especially persuasive.

 

Since the thread has expanded to other Fonteia types:

 

This last type leave us with the question of what is being shown. Is the unarmed small figure the previous owner of the helmet and shield at the right? Is it odd that they are the same design as those of the guy about to kill him? Is the large figure to be taken as part of the same scene as the small one or separate? Is the small armed figure looking at the big horseman or at the unarmed man? This last one depends on how you read the helmet details. Many Republican coins have a small scene and a larger scene and the answers to these questions do not always strike me as obvious. In some cases the major catalogs will explain their take on such details but sometimes they just give a simplified version. In many cases iy is not something we will know fore sure.

 

small guys were throwing away helmets and shields while the dude riding the horse celebrating something...
the thing in his right hand might looked like a weapon but he's wearing a toga and a cape. I think it looked more like he's waving a staff or something while galloping the horse, instead of stabbing the guy with a shield.

 

I believe it's the pizza delivery guy proposing to his girl while at the circus maximus. I'm pretty sure that interpretation will hold accurate.

 

Doug, On my coin the rider looks like he is holding a staff in the air more than spearing someone on the ground. The two soldiers look like they are fighting, but both shields look similar.

Roman Republican Denarius
Mint - Rome, 55 BC (Harlan preffers 54 BC)
Issued by - P.FONTEIVS.P.F.CAPITO (PUBLIS FONTEIUS PUBLII FILIUS CAPITO),
Obverse Bust Mars R, draped & helmeted with slight beard; behind trophy; around P.FONTEIVS.P.F.CAAPITO.III.VIR
Reverse Warrior (Manius Fonteius ?) on horseback R, thrusting spear (?) at Gallic enemy in helmet who is about to slay unarmed man; shield & helmet below; around - [MN.FONT].TR.MIL, MN & NT in monogram
Weight = 3.82
Diameter, max = 19.1 mm; Diameter, min = 17.1 mm
When I bought this coin, I found 58 examples and summarized their weights below:
Weight - max 4.97 CNG noted the high weight of this coin on their description of the coin
Weight - min 2.95 this is a fouree with some of the plating missing
Weight - avg 3.85
Weight - st dev 0.28
Diameter - max 20
Diameter - min 17
Diameter - avg 18.38
Diameter - st dev 0.76
Cr 429 / 1
BMCRR 3851 - 3855 Type I
Sear: #, VF, EF 392
RSC: #, VF, EF Fonteia 17
CRR 900

 

I will not be able to visualize this interpretation until TIF publishes her diorama on the subject. A lot depends on whether yo see the diagonal line between the small figures as a sword or an arm from the left figure. Is one small figure making a last defense of his companion who has lost his helmet and shield or is he killing an opponent. The answer is obvious to most who look at the coins but not everyone's 'obvious' is the same. I can live with the pizza theory.

 

Awesome coin(s)

 

@TIF needs to show the diorama!