My latest addition is not a rare coin ... however, it is from the common coins you get a good sense of the cares and concerns of the emperor and his administration. When one thinks of Domitian's coinage, Fortuna does not readily leap to mind - but she should! Domitian Æ As, 9.32g Rome mint, 90-91 AD RIC 707 (C). BMC 448. Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XV CENS PER P P; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: FORTVNAE AVGVSTI; S C in field; Fortuna stg. l., with rudder and cornucopiae Acquired from eBay, July 2019. This common Fortuna type was repeatedly struck throughout Domitian's reign on his middle bronze. She also fleetingly showed up on the denarius in 82. Mattingly calls this Fortuna 'the special Fortuna that watches over the imperial office'. Suetonius writes that near the end of Domitian's reign on 1 January 96 'The Fortuna of Praeneste, which throughout the whole time he was emperor had habitually given him a happy and virtually the same answer to him whenever he entrusted the new year to her care, finally gave a most gloomy answer - and not without the mention of blood.' Apparently, no matter how many coins were struck in her honour, in the end Fortuna's favour was quite fickle. Show off your Fortunas!
Nice one, David. I don't have very many Domitian AEs, but I do have a Fortuna, similar to yours, but scruffier: Domitian Æ As (92-94 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XVI CENS PER P P, laureate head right / FORTVNAE AVGVSTI S-C, Fortuna standing right with cornucopia and rudder. RIC 755 (10.27 grams / 27 mm)
Neat coin. This is my only Fortuna. IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P, Laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder. S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, S-C across fields, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae. AE Sestertius Struck 103-111 26,82g/ 33mm Ric 500
Fortunas across my collection: Domitian as Probably my first Fortuna is this 'Emesa' mint Fortuna Reduci seated. The coin was in my collection when I made a photo for a term paper I wrote in 1964 but I don't really know when I got it. It was one of the three coins I saved when I sold my collection in 1974. Also 'Emesa' is this Julia Domna standing Fortuna. This coin is special for two reasons. Fortuna is not a common type for empresses but 'Emesa' played by their own rules. The coin was a gift from a valued friend right here on Coin Talk. In the ten years since I have been here on CT, I have made many coin-friends (and lost a few). Fortuna has been good to me. Barbarous radiate (See the rudder? If rudder, then Fortuna?)
Q. SICINIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS SICINIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: FORT P.R, diademed head of Fortuna right REVERSE: Q. SICINIVS below, III. VIR across field, caduceus and palm in saltire, laurel wreath above Rome 49 BC 3.64g, 17mm CR 440/1; Sicinia 5 VESPASIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: COS ITER FORT RED, Fortuna standing left, resting hand on galley prow and holding cornucopia Struck at Rome, 70 AD 2.62g, 18mm RIC 19; RSC 84 EX David Atherton Collection NERVA AE Dupondius OBVERSE: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P COS II P P Radiate head right REVERSE: FORTVNA AVGVST S-C, Fortuna standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia Struck at Rome, 96AD 8.8g, 26mm RIC 61
Nice new one! This appears to be the only Fortuna I have in my collection: Faustina I, Wife Of Antoninus Pius, AR Denarius, Rome Mint, Struck 147 AD (after her death in 140 AD) Obverse: DIVA FAVSTINA, diademed and draped bust of Faustina I right Reverse: AETER-NITAS, Fortuna standing facing, head left, holding globe in right hand and rudder in left References: RIC 348, RSC 6, BMC 360
Me too. Domitian's portraits start to become more ho-hum and perfunctory around the early 90s, luckily a few talented engravers stayed on and continued to produce dies.
I agree. I think my favourites are from 85-88. There were some very talented engravers working at that time
many Domitian's fortuna here Also got one, similar to the OP but not nearly as impressive: Dupondius, Rome 90 - 91 AD 27 mm, 10.29 g RIC² 705; BMCRE II 444-445; Ob.: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XV CENS PER P P Radiate head of Domitian to right Rev.: FORTVNAE AVGVSTI Fortuna standing left, holding rudder with her right hand and cornucopiae with her left, S - C and a Trajan Denarius: Rome 103 - 111 AD 18 x 18.5 mm, 3.34 g Ref.:RIC II Trajan 122; RSC 87; Kampmann 27.34.4; Ob.: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC PM TR P Bust of Trajan, laureate, draped, on left shoulder Rev.: COS V PP SPQR OPTIMO PRINC Fortuna standing left, holding rudder attached to prow in right hand and cornucopiae in left
Most (=3) of my Fortunes were in my father-in-law's collection, like this: Faustina Junior, AR Denarius. Draped bust right, FAVSTINA AVGVSTA/ Womanly Fortune seated left on throne with back, holding rudder on globe & cornucopiae, FORTVNAE MVLIEBRI. 18 mm, 3.43 gr. Not easy to picture because of the spotty patina.
However, learning something every day on Coin Talk, only now I understand that Latin Fortuna = Greek Tyche. It's because of Doug's remark "If rudder, then Fortuna?" Here are two Greek Fortunes then: AE Julia Domna (193-217), Parlais, Pisidia. Obv. Draped bust right. IVLIA DOMNA. Rev. Tyche standing facing, head left, holding cornucopia and rudder. IVL AVG COL PARLAIS. 20 mm, 4.56 gr. Fortune looks if she's at a golf tournament, having won already a big cornucopia. And this nice little Provincial is from Pisidia, too: AE14, Julia Paula (218-219), first wife of Elagabalus. Mint Claudio-Seleucia or Seleucia in Pisidia. Obv. bust t.r. with text IOU.K.PAVLA. Rev. Tyche, holding a rudder and (smallish) cornucopia with text KLA V DIOCE. 13 mm, 2.63 gr. And a caricatural Fortune is this barbarous imitation of a Commodus denarius, found near Ukrainian Kursk in the late 20th century. Commodus, AR barbarous imitation of a denarius. Obv. Laureate head t.r., AVREL (…) MODVSAVG. Rev. A ponytailed girl, long flowing dress, with a walking stick and an hourglass (= Fortune with rudder and cornucopia?), IS E II O IIVS. 17 mm, 1.78 gr. Sergeev p. 214-216.
I guess I can pile on too. My Domitian denarius with Fortuna. Domitian AR Denarius, 3.70g Rome Mint, 82 AD Domitian, denarius RIC 141 (C). BMC 34. RSC 610. Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG P M; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: TR POT IMP II COS VIII DES VIIII P P; Fortuna stg. l., with rudder and cornucopiae Acquired from Forvm Ancient Coins, January 2010. Ex Beast Coins November 2006. This coin has an interesting personal history. I originally purchased it in 2006 from Beast Coins and later sold it to Forvm in 2009 along with a dozen other Domitian denarii. A few months later I had a change of heart and bought this beauty back, along with two other coins from the group. Oh, how I wish I had never sold them! At the time I wanted to concentrate only on the silver of Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian as Caesar. It wasn't long before I saw the error of my ways. I couldn't imagine my collection today without the superb coins of Domitian as Augustus!
Not quite Fortuna but I have an image of Tyche Tetradrachm of Smyrna 155-1145 B.C. Obv. Bust of Tyche wearing turreted crown. Rv. wreath Milne 156 15.62 grms 33 mm
