My Favorite Victory

My favorite, even though it is not well centered:

AR Denarius, Rome, February-March 44 BC
19 mm, 3.53 g
Ref.: Crawford 480/4; CRI 102; Sydenham 1060;

Ob.: CAESAR•IM - P M (Caesar Imperator Pontifex Maximus) divided by crescent behind the laureate head of Caesar to r.
Rev.: L•AEMILIVS BVCA, Venus Victrix standing left, holding winged Victory in outstretched right hand and scepter in left

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IMP CARINVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
VICTORIA AVG, Victory advancing left holding wreath & palm
Ticinum
Ex. QXXI/T in left field

21mm, 3.1gr, Die 345.

4th emission July.283
Special edition
Mintmark not in RIC 304c var.

 

I love these Alexandrian tetradrachms. Here's a few of my late Nikes.


Aurelian - Emmett 3946(4)

Probus - Emmett 3946(5)

Maximianus - Milne 4147(6)

Maximianus - Emmett 4147(8)

 

A few roman imperial that I like too. I like the Claudius for the artistry when it was in short supply and the Gordian... because it's just a great coin.


Claudius II Milian RIC 71

Gordian III RIC 5

 

Nice coin, @furryfrog02 !

There are a few Roman Victory favorites in my collection:


Roman Republic, moneyer: T. Cloelius, AR quinarius, 98 BC, Rome mint. Obv: head of Jupiter, laureate, r., control mark .C. before. Rev: T.CLOVLI; Victory standing r. crowns trophy with seated captive and carnyx; in exergue, Q. 16mm, 1.9g. Ref: RRC 332/1c. Ex Artemide, eLive Auktion 81, lot 195.


Roman Republic, moneyer C. Naevius Balbus, denarius serratus, 79 BC. Obv: diademed head of Venus right, SC behind. Rev: Victory in triga right, C NAE BALB in exergue; above, CLXXXX. Ref: Crawford 382/1b. Ex Artemide, e-Live Auktion 10, lot 256.


Trajan, Roman Empire, denarius, 101/102 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP CAESAR NERVA TRAIAN AUG GERM, laureate head of Trajan right. Rev: PM TRP COS IIII PP, Victory standing facing, holding wreath and palm branch. 18mm, 3.04g. Ref: RIC II, 58.


Gordian III, Roman Emire, AE sestertius, 244 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, draped and laureate, r. Rev: VICTORIA AETERNA, Victory, winged, standing l., leaning on shield and holding palm branch, captive at feet l.; in fields flanking, SC. 32mm, 19.68g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 338.


City Commemorative under Constantine I, Roman Empire, AE 3, 331–334 AD, Cyzicus mint. Obv: CONSTANTINOPOLI; bust of Constantinopolis, laureate, helmeted, wearing imperial cloak, l. holding spear in r. hand. Rev: Victory, winged, draped, standing l. on prow, holding long sceptre in r. hand and resting l. hand on shield; in exergue, SMKE. 18mm, 2.49. Ref: RIC VII Cyzicus 92. Ex Forvm Ancient Coins; ex “The Red” collection; ex AMCC 2, lot 256 (their picture).

 

I forgot to post some coins

A modest little quinarius. Victory looks a bit dejected or perhaps demure.

ROMAN REPUBLIC, L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi
90 BCE, Rome
AR quinarius, 13 mm, 1.9 gm
Obv: laureate head of Apollo right; R behind head
Rev: L PI - SO / FRVGI; Victory standing right, holding palm frond and wreath
Ref: Crawford 340/2e

Next is one of my first coins. At the time I didn't know of all the places to bid and buy coins and I thought this was spectacular. Well, it's really not that spectacular but the wispy and off-center depiction of Victory make her look like she's floating or flying.

PAMPHYLIA, Side
205-100 BCE
AR tetradrachm. 17.0 gm, 29 mm
Obv: head of Athena right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet
Rev: Nike advancing left holding wreath; pomegranate and CT to left
Ref: CNG France 719

Here's Nike as a secondary figure but she's clear as a bell on this fantastic tet:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Julia Mamaea
year 13, CE 233/4
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 14.36 gm
Obv: IOVMAMAIACEBMHTECEKCTPA; Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: Serapis enthroned left, holding scepter, extending his right hand toward Cerberus seated at his feet; on throne back, Nike standing right, holding wreath and palm frond; L IΓ (date) to left, palm frond to right
Ref: Emmett 3226.13 (R4); Köln 2540; Dattari (Savio) 4517; K&G 64.119

 

@Orange Julius, that Aurelian tet has a remarkable portrait and artistic Nike! Fantastic . The Gordian III is also very interesting because the portrait doesn't look like the pointy-nosed GIII we all recognize. Is it a first year issue? The portrait looks more like Maximus, which would make sense if the engravers hadn't seen the new emperor or a sculpture of him.

 

One of my famous Victory coins with a facing Victory:

AURELIAN
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG Radiate, cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: VICTORIA AVG, Victory facing, wings spread, rising up between two shields, pearl diadem in hands star over P in right field. first officinae Siscia
Struck at Siscia, 270-5 AD
4.1g, 21mm
RIC 238

 

As long as you're only asking for the favorite, here's mine



I have a few others though
Q

 

Here are two Victories of Maximinus Thrax. Both are RIC 67, but they have different portrait styles. Augustus Coins website is great on this topic (CTer Valentinian, I believe): http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Maximinus/Maximinus.html



Maximinus I Thrax
(236-237 A.D.) Æ Sestertius
Rome Mint
IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right ("big chin" portrait) / VICTORIA AVG S C, Victory advancing right, holding wreath in right and palm frond in left.
RIC 67.
(16.16 grams / 29 mm)



Maximinus I Thrax
(236-237 A.D.) Æ Sestertius
Rome Mint
IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right (late style portrait) / VICTORIA AVG S C, Victory advancing right, holding wreath in right and palm frond in left.
RIC 67.
(24.65 grams / 30 mm)

That second one is by far the nicest sestertius in my collection. Which isn't saying much, actually!

 

We are Gordie Twinsies! Though yours is much nicer.

 

Thanks @TIF ! That Aurelian is a really pretty coin, I wish my pictures did it justice. I’ve just been snapping quick iPhone pics in bad light to share coins. Someday soon I’ll make an effort to get better photos with a real camera and better light.

Also yes, that Gordian is an early reign coin where maybe someone working on Balbinus dies must have been pulled over to work on Gordian coins. I thought the reason for the odd portrait may have been because they didn’t know what Gordian looked like early on... but as Doug commented the last time I posted it, there are earlier coins of Gordian as Caesar with his likeness. Anyway, It’s a fun coin and the details on the reverse Victory are great.

 

Here are a few Victories for the thread. Some great coins shown so far.

 

I now agree with TIF on the OP.

It may not be the best Victory but I am quite fond of the 193-194 issues with the legend VICTOR IVST AVG.

Pescennius Niger


Septimius Severus


Julia Domna (Victory got tired and sat down. The type does not exist for the above two men but is unique to Domna.) Like me, the British Museum has two but both of theirs are better than mine. No surprise there!

 

This is my favorite Nike:


Julia Domna AD 193-217.
Roman provincial AE triassarion, 8.75 gm, 24.4 mm, 6 h.
Moesia Inferior, Tomis, AD 193-211.
Obv: ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΔΟΜΝΑ CE, bare-headed and draped bust, r.
Rev: ΜΗΤ ΠΟΝ ΤΟΜΕΩC, Nike advancing l., holding wreath and palm, retrograde Γ (=3) to left.
Refs: Varbanov 4857; AMNG 2811.
Notes: Die match to lot 307, A Tkalek AG Antike Numismatik Auktion 41, 24 Oct 2003, which is the coin at Wildwinds: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/julia_domna/_tomis_Varbanov_4857.jpg

This is my favorite Victory because it tells who the Romans were victorious over. Moreover, it features Tacitus rocking the neck beard!


Tacitus, AD 275-276.
Roman billon antoninianus, 3.57 gm, 21.1 mm.
Ticinum, AD 276.
Obv: IMP C M CL TACITVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: VICTORIA GOTTHI, Victoria standing left, holding wreath and palm; P in exergue.
Refs: RIC 172; Cohen 158; Sear 11821; Hunter 59; CBN 1676.

 

There are relatively few coins naming the enemy like this but enough that we probably should have a thread to see how many we can find among the CT family of collections. I do not have this great Tacitus but will show Philip's VICTORIA CARPICA.

 

Here are some from my collection:

 

I gotta say, everyone has some beautiful coins! I am glad this thread has attracted as many posts as it has

 

My favorite VICTORY is the first AR Victory coin of Rome:

It is simple, but very expressive.


RR 265-242 BCE AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm Roma-Victory Crawford 22-1 Sear 25

 

One of my favorite AE Victory version


RI AE As Trajan CE 98-117 26mm 11.0g Rome Laureate Draped - SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS Victory R wreath palm S-C RIC 675