This coin marks the 1000th anniversary of Rome's founding, but to be honest, I mostly bought it for the hippopotamus. Ever since I missed out on the unique hippo tetradrachm I've mentioned in this thread, I've been searching for a hippo, not just any but the most realistic-looking one I could find. I finally came across this coin recently, listed by an Australian auction house. It didn't hammer, likely due to poor photos and the absence of provenance which I discovered after some digging. The coin next to my Schleich mini hippo figurine. And below is a 100% genuine photo of the spectacle I took from my recent visit to Rome using my trusty time machine. Obv: Diademed and draped bust to right of Otacilia Severa, on crescent, around OTACIL SEVERA AVG. Rev: Hippopotamus standing to right, around SAECVLARES AVGG, in exergue IIII, (RIC 116b, C.63, S.2633). Celebrating the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Rome. 248 AD, 4.47g. Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 49 (lot 2257), Nov 1995. Ex D.J.Foster Collection Ex Noble Numismatics Sale 109 (lot 3877), Jul 2015. Ex Status International - Auction 389, Lot 11305, Jun 2024. I even found a couple of double-die matches: 1. Numismatik Naumann, Auction 138, lot 723. 2. cgb.fr Internet Auction July 2022, lot 175. Please share your Hippos or other celebratory coins.
