My inscriptions are longer than yours

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by zumbly, May 16, 2018.

  1. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    I picked up this darkly-toned denarius of Hadrian a couple of months ago because I wanted a portrait from early in his reign. This one dates to the first year of his rule, where the use of very lengthy inscriptions on both sides - 63 characters in total for just the names and titles - seems a little extreme. A case of overcompensation, perhaps :rolleyes:? Hadrian's predecessor was, afterall, the formidable Emperor Trajan, and his adoption and succession after the latter's death was not without some controversy.

    I recall reading that it was actually Trajan who had the longest inscriptions on his coins, but I've never tried verifying this. Does anyone have an example to share? And even if you don't, please feel free to pile on with your coins with lengthy inscriptions.

    Hadrian - Pietas 2513.jpg HADRIAN
    AR Denarius. 3.04g, 18.7mm. Rome mint, AD 117. RIC 8b; Cohen 1024. O: IMP CAES TRAIAN HADRIAN OPT AVG GER DAC, laureate and cuirassed bust right, balteus (sword belt) strap over shoulder and across chest. R: PARTHIC DIVI TRAIAN AVG F P M TR P COS P P, Pietas standing left, raising right hand; PIE-TAS in field.
     
    NLL, TJC, chrsmat71 and 32 others like this.
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. Curtisimo

    Curtisimo the Great(ish)

    Awesome new addition Z!

    Trajan did indeed have long inscriptions. Here's a sestertius from late in his reign... it's got you beat with a full 72 characters ;)
    [​IMG]
    Roman Empire
    Trajan (AD 98-117)
    AE Sestertius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 115-116
    Dia.: 32 mm
    Wt.: 20.94 g
    Obv.: IMP CAES TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P Trajan draped and cuirassed bust right
    Rev.: SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS at bottom FORT RED / S C Fortuna seated holding holding rudder and cornucopia
    Ref.: RIC II 652
     
    NLL, TJC, chrsmat71 and 24 others like this.
  4. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Great portrait of Hadrian Z

    [​IMG]
    Trajan, Dupondius - struck AD 114
    IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PM TRP COS VI PP, Radiate bust of Trajan right
    SENATUS POPULUS QUE ROMANUS, Fortuna standing left holding cornucopiae and caduceus. SC in field
    12.43 gr
    Ref : RCV -, Cohen # 353

    Remember, not just size counts...

    Q
     
    TJC, chrsmat71, Ajax and 18 others like this.
  5. kevin McGonigal

    kevin McGonigal Well-Known Member

    I would say both emperors got their money's worth.
     
    ominus1 and TIF like this.
  6. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    @zumbly - COOL! I have not really thought much about inscriptions! LOL, wow, since I do not focus on Empire, I really did not realize how much Hadrian went APE with his Titles on the coins! However, following up Trajan would be HUGE shoes to fill... so, yeah, a bit of "overcompensation".

    My longest Hadrian inscription is surprisingly on a Quinarius!

    upload_2018-5-16_9-6-12.png
    RI Hadrian AR Quinarius 1.3g, 14mm Rome, AD 119-122 cuirassed laureate COS III Victory seated wreath palm RIC 108a
    IMP. CAESAR TRAIAN. HADRIANVS AVG; P. M. TR. P. COS. III

    I have a very lengthy inscription Shell coin. The title is incredibly complex, lengthy, and almost impossible to speak / read in Human language...


    Oscan-Latin Aes Formatum shell with Ribs 4th BCE.JPG
    Oscan-Latin Aes Formatum shell with Ribs 4th BCE

    It is in the Animalia-Mollusca-Bivalvia-Pectinida-Pectinoidea-Pectinidae language that is indecipherable to understand... Perhaps some of the linguists here can help me read this? :D
     
    TJC, chrsmat71, Ajax and 18 others like this.
  7. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I can't count high enough to compete.
    rc1830bb1074.jpg rc1720bb0208.jpg
     
    NLL, TJC, chrsmat71 and 19 others like this.
  8. Voulgaroktonou

    Voulgaroktonou Well-Known Member

    Here is one of my Trajans, but I have not counted the number of letters! S03180s.JPG
    S03180t.JPG
     
    NLL, TJC, chrsmat71 and 22 others like this.
  9. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    My only Trajan, much loved by roman hands...also with a pretty long legend.

    trajan1.jpg

    trajan2.jpg
     
    TJC, Curtisimo, chrsmat71 and 14 others like this.
  10. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    upload_2018-5-16_10-32-42.png

    I thought that a retiring Diocletian might give Trajan a run for his money here, but I think Trajan wins this one. Still, DN DIOCLETIANO BEATISSIMO SEN AVG / PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG are pretty long legends on an LRB, making good use of that 28 mm. flan. I hope my colleagues refer to me as BEATISSIMUS ("happy, prosperous, blessed, fortunate") when I retire.
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2018
    Curtisimo, chrsmat71, Ajax and 15 others like this.
  11. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Yeah, BEATISSIMVS - that's me, too @Gavin Richardson
     
    Gavin Richardson likes this.
  12. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    Well, I think that’s a Latin superlative form, so maybe there can be only one!
     
  13. PlanoSteve

    PlanoSteve Well-Known Member

    Yes, it says "I am delicious, especially with a good chardonnay!" :smuggrin::rolleyes:
     
  14. RAGNAROK

    RAGNAROK Naebody chaws me wi impunitY

    LOL :hilarious: ...but waiting for an islamic coin... :troll:
     
    ominus1 and Alegandron like this.
  15. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio Supporter

    some aes pieces have short incsriptions
    DSCN0171.JPG
    the X (or maybe it is: +) & C are thought to represent the sun and moon
    The pictured piece (from Garrucci) has 2 marks, the left piece has 2 and the right piece has 1.
     
  16. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    This sestertius squeaks past @Curtisimo's by 2 characters: 74 total. (76 including the SC.)
    Screen Shot 2018-05-16 at 9.18.59 AM.jpg
    Obv: IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC PARTHICO P M TR P COS VI P P
    Rev: PROVIDENTIA AVGVSTI SPQR S-C

    You anticipated my dastardly plan.
    Screen Shot 2018-05-16 at 9.24.04 AM.jpg
    Abbasid: Dirham, al-Wathiq, AH 231. Lotsa characters.
     
  17. beef1020

    beef1020 Junior Member

    Here's my longest inscription, which just happens to also be Traianus...

    Traianus (98-117 AD). AE Sestertius (33-34 mm, 26.57 g), Rome, 114-116 AD.
    Obv. IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P, Laureate and draped bust right, seen from behind.
    Rev. SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS, S C across field, Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus in right hand and cornucopia in left.
    RIC 672

    traianus_ses.jpg

    Obverse is 44 characters, reverse is 24 (26 with SC), so ~70...
     
    NLL, chrsmat71, randygeki and 16 others like this.
  18. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    ..wow! in all my years collecting i've always just looked mostly to find the name in the legends and never give too much thought about how many characters or why.. good one z !
     
    zumbly likes this.
  19. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

    The successor of Trajan , Hadrian used the same long inscriptions in the beginning of his rule as emperor:

    Hadrianus Salus.JPG

    But later he choose for shorter inscriptions :

    P1170728.JPG

    or even shorter, simply Hadrianus Augustus

    sestertius.jpg
     
  20. Valentinian

    Valentinian Well-Known Member

    Let's include provincials. Macrinus has some long legends.

    MacrinusMarcianopolis6378.jpg
    Macrinus and Diadumenian, 217-218
    Struck at Marcianopolis in Lower Moesia
    Asklepios standing, head left, with snake on staff.
    21 around: AVK OΠΠEΛ CEVH MAKPEINOC
    (Autok[rater] Oppel[ius] Seve[rus] Macrinus)
    24 in three lines below the busts K M OΠΠEΛ AN/TΩNINOC ΔI/AΔOYME
    C[aesar] M[arcus] Oppel[ius] Di/adume[nian]
    Reverse: 24 around VΠΠONTIANOV MAPKIANOΠOΛIT
    [moneyer] Ponitianus Marcianopolis
    2 below: ΩN (of)
    1 in field left: E (denomination)
    Total: 72 letters! (But, the tie breaker is the number of obverse heads and this has two.)
     
  21. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    today is soylent green day...jpg
     
    PlanoSteve and Alegandron like this.
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page