Just won it a minute ago, couldn't help but post it. A bit nervous, as within the last couple of seconds it went for my exact high bid! Just lovely. Look at the cute dolphins on the prow: THRACE, Coela. Lucius Verus. AD 161-169. Æ (19mm, 3.89 g, 3h). Bareheaded bust right, possible trace of drapery / Prow of galley right. RPC IV (Online) –; Mouchmov –; Varbanov –. VF, brown surfaces. An apparently unpublished issue of Verus from a rare mint. From the estate of Thomas Bentley Cederlind.
Prows are very cool, and an important part of how the Empire became dominant. I wont outline it all here, if interested one can google it (or better yet buy a book). Here are some photos: After the Battle of Actium Octavian built a war memorial in which he placed the prows of captured ships into the monument (long gone of course as the metal was worth too much to be left in a field). The sockets for them can still be seen:
Ummm, that prow looks like it might be over-compensating for something? Just jokes => man, that's a beauty!! (congrats, Dorney ... super OP-winner)
That was coin I liked best in today's auction. I didn't bid as apparently I'm still on the wagon. Anyway, great catch!
Ummm, I'm hoping that you'll accept other prow examples into the thread? Ken => congrats again on a wonderful new OP-score!! (total gem)