I was the high bidder at auction this morning on this denarius of Sabina. The die-engraver was very skilled. Post anything you feel is relevant! Sabina, AD 117-137. Roman AR denarius, 3.29 g, 20 mm, 7 h. Rome, AD 128-134. Obv: SABINA AVGVSTA HADRIANI AVG P P, diademed and draped bust, left. Rev: IVNONI REGINAE, Juno standing left, holding patera and scepter. Refs: RIC 401b; BMCRE 909 note; RSC 37a; RCV --; Strack 370; CRE 56. Notes: Ex Emporium Hamburg, Auction 72, lot 499, November 13, 2014; hammer 250 Euro. It's not the rarity that Temeryazev and Makarenko would lead one to believe, but it is scarce and available only a few times a year at auction. The coin with the left-facing bust comes in several minor varieties. The bust may depict the empress with a diadem (as mine), or wearing a wreath of corn ears (as BMCRE 909 and CRE 57). Here's the British Museum specimen, but which has a wreath of corn-ears instead of a diadem: There are other variations which are poorly attested in the literature. The obverse inscription may lack P P (RIC 403a, Cohen 44). Mattingly (note 909, p. 355) reports minor variations in the reverse figure, such as with a spear instead of a scepter, or an open right hand instead of a patera. The existence of these obverse inscription and reverse variants is questionable, and I suspect they represent mischaracterization of coins with unclear legends or devices. Here's the note on 909 in BMCRE, p. 355: My coin is a double-die match to this example sold at Rauch Auction 89, lot 1571, December 5, 2011: It's also a double-die match to this specimen at the coin collection of the Professorship for Ancient History at the University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt.
Very nice, I'm still watching this auction as theres something I want later on. I don't have anything relevant to yours but I do have 1 lady of Rome; Faustina II denarius under Marcus Aurelius 161-170AD Rome mint 3.30g 17.5mm Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bust right Rev: VE–NVS, Venus stg. l. holding dove and sceptre. RIC 730 Scarcer than the variety in which Venus holds an apple From the Doug Smith collection
Congratiultaions for winning this nice example. Here's mine: Sabina AR Denarius, AD 128-136 Obv: SABINA AVGVSTA HADRIANI AVG P P, Diademed and draped bust left. Rev: IVNONI REGINAE, Juno standing left, holding patera and sceptre. Ag, 3.5g, 18mm Ref.: RIC 401b, CRE 56
That's a nice example RC, a lot less severe looking than she often appears. Also interesting to see the corn ears variant. I've never knowingly seen that on a Sabina coin, so I'll look out for it in the future.
