A Young Commodus

Here is another recent purchase of mine in the ancients categories. While a coin of Commodus has been on my want list for a while, it's really a depiction of Commodus as Hercules that I am after. This is certainly not the Hercules Denarius, but I found this youthful portrait of Commodus very pleasing and well done, and decided to snatch it up anyway.


Imperial Rome
Commodus, r. 177-192 A.D. (178 A.D.)
AR Denarius, 18.78 mm x 3.4 grams
Obv.: L AVREL COMMODVS AVG. Laureate Head of Commodus right
Rev.: TR P III IM(P) II COS P P. Salus seated left holding branch over snake rising from altar
Note: Letter P omitted by mistake by the celator

The reverse is pretty interesting too... feel free to pile on with any Commodus coins!

 

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Very nice, love the portrait too.


Commodus (177 - 192 A.D.)
AR Didrachm
Caesaria, Cappadocia
O: AYT M AYP KOMO ANTωNI, laureate head right.
R: YΠATOC ∆ ΠAT ΠA-TPI, Mt. Argaeus surmounted by star.
Cos IV, struck 183-185 AD.
21mm
3.96g
Metcalf 155f; Sydenham 372a


Commodus (177 - 192 A.D.)
AR Denarius
189 A.D
O: M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT, Laureate head right.
R: PIETATI SENATVS, CVPP, Commodus standing right, holding roll, clasping hands with senator standing left, holding scepter.
Rome mint
RIC III 194 cor, RSC II 408
3.649g


Commodus (177 - 192 A.D.)
Æ18 of Philippopolis, Thrace
O: AV KOMMODOC ANTONINOC laureate head right.
R: FILIPPOPOLEITWN crescent and 4 stars.
18mm
4.5g
Varbanov 1006

 

Very nice @FitzNigel ! Nicely centered, good portrait, great coin!

I only have a couple and his wife...


RI Commodus 177-192 CE AR Denarius laureate head, Hercules and Africa


RI Commodus 177-192 CE AR Denarius Apollo Plectrum Lyre


RI Crispina m Commodus 177 CE AR denarius 2.29g Juno stdg RIC-283

 

Sweet => Fitz, congrats of the great new OP-Commodus addition (total winner)

... I still only have my two AE examples ...

Commodus, AE As




Commodus, AE Sestertius

 

Nice coin @FitzNigel. I like the youger portraits better than the older, bearded ones.

 

Great OP coin. Commodus was one handsome young man. Shame he became a lunatic.

 

Nice portrait/profile, Sallent!

 

And here I thought that was part of his charm...

 

I quite like the reverse on that Sestertius, Steve! Very nice!

 

Thanks. I got it for the obverse portrait, as the reverse is rather bland and not that great.

I know one should always buy a coin by judging the entire coin, but sometimes the obverse moves you so much that it outweighs an otherwise bland reverse. (At least in my opinion.)

Case in point...the reverse of this particular issue of S. Severus minted for his campaigns in Britain suffers from strike weakness (not just mine, but most of the issue in general). But the obverses on this issue are some of the best S. Severus imperial portraits ever made. So I was willing to tolerate the bland reverse just to own the fantastic portrait on the obverse.

Talk about first world problems, right?

 

nice lookin' portrait on that new coin indeed FN.

I still don't have a commodus...how embarrassing.

 

great coin

 

Pater Patriae. It is an honorary title awarded by the Senate to some Emperors. Means Father of the Fatherland.

I recommend to all newbies to study the abreviations of titles on Roman coins. It is amazing how much information about a particular emperor the legends contain. The Romans were the masters of abreviations.

 

I have saw it it was the p from IM(P what was missing

 

A beauty

 

Nice young portrait on that one, Fitz. A decent Commodus as Hercules is also something I'm after.


COMMODUS
AR Denarius. 3.33g, 18mm. Rome mint, Autumn - Dec AD 177. RIC (Marcus Aurelius) 646; Cohen 270. O: L AVREL COMMODVS AVG GERM SARM, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: IVNONI SISPITAE TR P II IMP II COS P P, Juno Sospita, advancing right, brandishing javelin in right hand and holding shield in left; in front, snake.
Note: The reverse commemorates Commodus's birthplace, Lanuvium, where the worship of Juno Sospita was centered. This rare issue was the last appearance of the goddess on a Roman coin.


COMMODUS
AE As. 10.78g, 25.7mm. Rome mint, AD 183-184. RIC III Commodus 425 (Scarce). O: M COMMODVS [ANTON] AVG PIVS, laureate head right. R: P M TR P VIIII IMP VI [COS IIII] P P, Minerva, helmeted, draped, standing right, holding spear in right hand and resting left hand on shield, S C in fields.

 

Great new coin @FitzNigel. @Mat that didrachm is a beaut.
My only Commodus. I think I need an upgrade

 

Very cool score @FitzNigel ! Seems plenty of Commodus threads lately...not a complaint!

I like the reverse with the snake rising from the altar.

 

We all peak at some point in life. In Commodus' case, I believe it was when he was very young. Some of his best portraits were from his time as Caesar before being made Augustus.


Of course his most popular portraits have the lion skin head dress.

 

Nice Commodus coin. Only have one, that I just recently re-posted for like the fifth time lol