I have only three. Here they are. I welcome your commentary on them. Feel free to “pile on” with some of yours.
Here is one I found in a batch of uncleaned. Hadrian AE Sestertius. IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG, laureate bust right / PONT MAX TR POT COS III, Felicitas standing, head left, holding corn-ears and cornucopia. RIC 563a, Cohen 1192.
I have three of these found in uncleaned batches. This is a photo from a reference. I haven't got photos of mine yet. This post reminded me that I need to do that. Philip I, AE28 sestertius of Viminacium, Moesia. Struck AD 245-246. Year 7. 17.79 g. IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. P M S COL VIM around, Moesia standing front, arms outstretched over a bull and a lion. Date AN VII below. AMNG 103; Martin 2'14'1 and 2'14'4; Moushmov 36; Varbanov 136.
Beautiful sestertii, @lordmarcovan. A great thread with already some some great examples posted. Here is one of mine Faustina Junior (Augusta, 147-175). Orichalcum Sestertius (31mm, 21.68g, 12h). Rome, 161-4. Obverse FAVSTINA AVGVSTA: Bust of Faustina the Younger, draped, sometimes diademed, hair elaborately waved in nearly vertical lines and fastened in a low chignon at back of head, down cheek, curls, right Reverse SAECVLI FELICIT S C: Throne (pulvinar), draped and ornamented, on which are two baby boys, Commodus and Antoninus, seated face to face, with stars above their heads RIC III 1665. Sear 5282, Cohen 193. BMC 937.
NERO CLAUDIUS DRUSUS AE Sestertius OBVERSE: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP - Bare head left REVERSE: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TRP IMP Exe: SC - Claudius seated left, holding branch; weapons on floor Rome 41BC-2 AD 28.6g, 36mm RIC 93 HADRIAN AE Sestertius OBVERSE: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P, laureate bust right, draped far shoulder REVERSE: HILARITAS P R S-C, COS III in ex, Hilaritas standing facing holding palm & cornucopia, two small children flanking her Struck at Rome, 128-134AD 25.30g, 35mm RIC 970 ANTONIUS PIUS AE Sestertius OBVERSE: IDIVVS ANTONINVS, bare head right REVERSE: CONSECRATIO, four tiered funeral pyre surmounted by Antoninus in a quadriga, SC in ex. Struck at Rome 161 AD 25g, 31mm RIC 1266 (Marcus Aurelius), BMC 880 (Marcus Aurelius), C 354 FAUSTINA Sr AE Sestertius OBVERSE: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right REVERSE: AETERNITAS S-C, Aeternitas seated left holding phoenix & scepter Struck at Rome, 147 AD 24.53g, 34 mm RIC 1103A MARCUS AURELIUS AE Sestertius OBVERSE: AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F COS, bare head right REVERSE: IVVENTAS S C, Juventas, wearing a long robe, standing left, holding a patera, sprinkling incense on a candelabrum Struck at Rome, 140 AD 12.4g, 27mm RIC 1232, C 393, S4831 MAXIMINUS I AE Sestertius OBVERSE: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG - Laureate, draped bust right. REVERSE: SALVS AVGVSTI - Salus seated left, feeding snake on altar Struck at Rome, 235-236 AD March - January 20.7g, 29.5mm RIC 85 MAXIMUS AE Sestertius OBVERSE: MAXIMVS CAES GERM - Bare-headed, draped bust right REVERSE: PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS - Maximus standing left, holding baton and spear, two standards behind Struck at Rome, 236-238 AD 18.3g, 28.5mm RIC 9, C 14 OTACILIA SEVERA Æ Sestertius OBVERSE: MARCIA OTACILIA SEVERA AVG, diademed and draped bust right REVERSE: SAECVLARES AVGG, SC in ex, Hippopotamus standing right, head raised Struck at Rome, 248 AD 18.6g, 30mm RIC 200a, Cohen 65 ex Warren Esty
I should respond to a thread about my favorite type of ancient coin - I apologize because the coins are not here or I would have included size and weight: The above: Clodius Albinus sestertius - Felicitas, purchased from Henri Delger ca.2002, and the second sestertius I purchased. One of the only good photographs of the coins I am posting. Didius Julianus - Fortuna - poor photograph - the patina is jet black, a smaller, thick coin, the relief is very low, something I have noticed about many of Septimius Severus' early sestertii and even late Commodus. As a result I am extra careful when handling this coin. Didius Julianus is very rare these days - not that his were ever common, but I believe these used to be more available in the past. The prices are now insane in almost any condition - same with Pertinax, although his seem a bit more available - still out of reach though and not that many out there. Diadumenian sesterius - Spes - a larger coin, purchased on ebay ca. 2010. Spes is much more rare than Fides type, which is the only other type for Diadumenian. This is a large heavy example. This is a poor photograph of the other type for Diadumenian. The coin is actually much closer to brown green - when I first started looking at sesterii 25 years ago Diadumenia's sestertii were extremely rare. These are certainly not common now but I could never have bought this coin for the price paid in the early 2000's - in fact, I had put in a bid that I thought would never win. I had some suspicions as to authenticity when first purchased in a European auction a year or so ago because it is so round etc. but I spent ALOT of time on it and am satisfied it is authentic - and it is, thankfully, not perfectly round. But at one time I had my doubts. Severus Alexander sestertius - with some schmutz on and around the portrait. Purchased from a Serbian friend - I wanted an SA with a beard, this is it - the coin is nicer than my crummy photograph - in fact, none of these photographs are that great - I had done them to send to a fellow sestertii collector in Seattle, and was - of course - in a rush. This, of course, is not a sestertius but a drachm of Alexandria. I have noticed that the celators in Alexandria do not seem to have anywhere near the same level of skill as Rome - my opinion of course, - the reverses are more interesting but the portraiture appears generally crude. Even the high grade types do not have the same level of skill -- but the reverses are wonderful! The exception is the drachms of Hadrian - this is the only one I have and probably the only nice one I will ever be able to afford. But even this one seems to show Hadrian with a pointed weak chin - but it is very nice all the same. Reminds me of the poorer portraits of Marcus Aurelius - ca. 171AD, when the skill in portraiture seems to have lapsed - perhaps by the need to strike coins en masse due to the invasions? But of course Rome made it up a few years later with the medallions of Commodus -wonderful! Figured I should show the reverse of the Hadrian - a common type. I would like to start collecting Alexandrian drachms, but even mid grade examples are VERY expensive.
And one more - Macrinus sestertius, Fides, from Dianacoins in the early 2000's. The photograph is too brown! It is actually black with red. I tried not to include any coins I have posted before - hence none from the family of Septimius Severus.