OK, before I write anything else I must admit that this coin is obviously in a horrible state. But if you pinch your eyes just a little bit, you may get a better impression of the design. I have a brass Dupondius and a copper As of Tiberius (posted those a couple of weeks ago) that are both a joy to look at compared to this eroded piece of metal. So why did I buy this? For the one reason that these large bronzes minted at Lugdunum late in the reign of Augustus are the only option to find what has been called by one cataloguer the toughest portrait in a Sestertius. Compared to the abundant As coinage of that mint, the Sestertius is extremely rare and it´s half a dozen varieties make up for less than one per cent of the ROM ET AVG coinage found in hoards and the market alike. Worse still, it seems that due to a shortage in brass coinage virtually the entire mintage of Lugdunum saw heavy circulation. While the middle bronzes are common enough to be found in VF on a regular basis, practically all Tiberius portrait Sestertii of comparable grade are Paduans. So this should do it for me as a space filler in my Sestertius collection. For being the cheapest of it´s kind that I ever saw it isn´t even that bad, I suppose. TI CAESAR AVGVSTI F IMPERATOR V – Tiberius, bare head left / ROM ET AVG in exergue, the altar of Roma and Augustus at Lugdunum, flanked by two columns, each surmounted by statue of Victory Sestertius, Lugdunum, ca. 10 AD 25.75 g / 35 mm RIC (Augustus) 240; BMCRE (Augustus) 572; CBN (Augustus) 1737; Cohen 28 (150 francs); Sear 1753; Giard, Lyon (Augustus) 99 Let´s see your Lugdunum bronzes! Anyone here with a (better) Sestertius?
Congrats on your acquisition of a very rare coin, still enough detail to warrant buying. I have three all issued between 9 and 14 AD, with my Tiberius being the roughest of the three. Tiberius AE As, 12-14 AD, 12gm. Augustus AE As, 9-14 AD, 10.77gm. Augustus AE Semis, 10-14AD, 18mm,5.27gm.
Not bad for a hole-filler! The main thing is that it will satisfy you for however long you have to wait for another one. Congrats! Here's my Nero Lugdunum:
This particular coin (the Tiberius portrait sestertius) is the one remaining coin I lack in my 12 Caesars imperial collection. It is very difficult to find in just about any condition. Note that the OP coin is very well centered on the reverse, which is uncommon for these sestertii of both Augustus and Tiberius. My own Augustus Altar of Lugdunum sestertius exhibits this typical off-center reverse strike: AUGUSTUS AE Sestertius (26.20 g.) Lugdunum circa 9 - 14 A.D. RIC 231a CAESAR AVGVTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE Laureate head of Augustus r. Rev. ROM ET AVG Altar of Lugdunum. From the Gasvoda collection
Love that coin, I bid on one that looked similar to yours but not quite as good, had $460 AUD on it and got beaten $480. Still even $460 would have been close to $600 delivered, Oh well live to fight another day.
The closest I can get, but I like it I've shown this several times though, I think next year I will look for an upgrade or one of Augustus
Congrats @Julius Germanicus on the great rare score! Well done! Ugh, the ONLY Lugdunum bronze that I have is far into the future... RI ROMA CE 330-331Commem AE Follis 2.6g 20x16mm Lugdunum VRBS ROMA She-wolf Twins Stars RIC VII 247
Nothing wrong with that spacefiller Julius, nice portrait, congrats. Here's my rough Augustus bronze from Lugdunum:
Nice Lugdunum coins all! I came. I saw. I bought. Your Augustus Sestertius is true awe-inspiring! What you have there is surely one of the very finest specimens known. Sadly, that it turn will make it impossible to complete the series at this level. As NAC puts it in your coin´s writeup: "high grade survivors are quite rare for Augustus and almost never seen for Tiberius". I do not even have ANY Augustus Sestertius yet so now that shall be my next task. Do you think a sufficient Augustus Sestertius "has to be" a Lugdunum or a contemporary eastern issue or would a Nerva commemorative do it for you? Even though arguably being a century "too late", those in my eyes have three advantages: - they are affordable, their portraits are of a more refined style, and they usually come in a higher grade. What do you think?
P.S. I just unpacked the mail. This coin is quite large at 36 mm and actually feels quite good in hand . There are definitely worse things you can buy for 100 USD.
