Sestertii of Commodus & Philip I - Somewhat Odd Reverse Types?

Well, this turned out better than I thought - a couple of rough sestertii in the mail Friday. They are ugly, but better than I'd hoped, and just a bit over $20 for the pair of them and I've had fun trying to attribute them. They are both rather odd in regards to the reverse types - odd to me at least!

Philip I sestertius: Does anybody know why Tranquilitas his holding a Capricorn? Are Capricorns a "thing" for Tranquillitas? My example is worn - Capricorn is that wiggly snake-like thing she holds out in her right hand (many nicer examples are online).

Commodus sestertius: What is the significance of Janus in a shrine? I came across a reference on FORVM that this had to do with Commodus' nutty scheme to change the names of the months. But that was in 192 AD (according to Wikipedia) and this sestertius is from 186 A.D.

I've done some preliminary web surfing but have not found much beyond basic attribution stuff. Any additional information would be appreciated.

Beyond that, any recent pleasant surprises in the mail? Junky but weird? Ugly but cheap? Oddball reverse types?


Commodus Æ Sestertius
(186 A.D.)
Rome Mint
M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT, laureate head right / [P M TR P XI IMP VII] around, [COS V PP] below, domed distyle temple w. Janus standing facing, holding sceptre, SC across fields.
RIC 460; Cohen 489; Sear 5780.
(24.77 grams / 30 mm)



Philip I Æ Sestertius
(248 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[IMP M IV]L PHILIPPVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / [TRAN]QVILLITAS AVGG S-C, Tranquillitas standing left, holding Capricorn(?) and sceptre.
RIC 156; Sear 9019; Cohen 224.
(15.30 grams / 25 mm)

 

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That Commodus is typically found heavily worn. The British Museum's examples (BMCRE p. 803, nn. 568-571) have illegible legends:

 

Nice pick-ups for the price.

 

I was not familiar with that Commodus. The Philip is not one of the more common ones. I got mine over 25 years ago. It does show the capricorn clearly.

 

I noticed in some of the descriptions of the Philip, Capricorn was marked with a (?) as if this were still in doubt. Doug's nice, clear example is quite convincing that indeed, it is a Capricorn. But why a Capricorn?

 

Wikipedia says:
In the other hand Tranquillitas holds some sort of animal in her outstretched hand. Most experts believe to be a Roman Dragon ("draco"), a symbol associated with the military ensigns (banners) all of the Roman Legionary Armies during the period of the Empire, as well as by the Dacians and the Parthians. Again, this would be a reference to the tranquility afforded by the protection, fidelity, and valor of the Roman army.

There is a dissenting opinion, that being that the animal held in Tranquillitas’s hand is not a dragon, but rather a capricornus, which would tie in with the maritime theme of the transportation of Egypt’s grain harvest across the Mediterranean to Rome. The capricornus was a marvelous animal with the forequarter of a goat with prominent horns and the hindquarter terminating in the tail of a fish, said in mythology to be a manifestation of Pan. According to myth, Pan’s transmutation into a capricornus was to escape the wrath of Typhon – and occurred as Pan threw himself into a river. The capricornus was often depicted on Roman coinage in conjunction with a rudder, again tying to the maritime transport so critical in moving grain into Rome.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranquillitas

I see a capricorn.

 

Thanks for that info, Doug - I never thought Wikipedia would go into such detail on something like this. Once again, I've underestimated the obvious online sources. Huh!

 

My latest sestertius of Commodus:


Commodus, AD 177-192.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 22.51 g, 29.2 mm, 1 h.
Rome, AD 192.
Obv: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, laureate bust of Commodus, right, with slight drapery on left shoulder.
Rev: LIB AVG P M TR P XVII COS VII P P, Libertas standing facing, head left, holding pileus in right hand and vindicta in left hand; S C l. and r., low in field; star, mid right, in field.
Refs: RIC 619b; BMCRE 692 var. (bust); Cohen 290; Sear 5764; ERIC II 573 var. (bust).