The bronze coinage issue of Titus struck in 80-81 has a somewhat puzzling feature: Many of the left facing portraits are in a much finer style than those facing right, perhaps the handiwork of one talented engraver who preferred lefties. I purchased my latest coin not so much because I was missing an example (I was) but because I really do love these left portraits! Titus Æ Sestertius, 23.63g Rome mint, 80-81 AD Obv: IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l. Rev: S C in field; Spes stg. l., with flower RIC 170 (C2). BMC 183. BNC 174. Acquired from Ampex, eBay, May 2020. Spes was a common reverse type under Vespasian, connected to future dynastic hope and harmony. It continued to be struck by Titus and can be viewed as his hope for the future with his chosen heir Domitian. As Mattingly put it: '...the recurring types of Spes suggests that Titus gave Domitian full due as heir to the throne.' Suetonious would have us believe this public fraternal affection was a sham and Domitian did everything he could to plot against Titus. Dio goes so far as to say Domitian hastened Titus death by having him packed in ice! All of this can be dismissed as nothing more than post Domitianic gossip intended to blacken Domitian's name. The Flavian historian Brian Jones speculates the brother's relationship was one of 'mutual indifference and ignorance' due to their age and personality differences. Regardless, as the numismatic evidence shows, Titus looked upon Domitian as his legitimate heir until his natural death in mid September 81. Unlike with Titus' denarii, left portraits in bronze are quite common. And the perfect song for this thread by one of my favourite bands. Post your lefties!
That IS a nicely-rendered portrait, @David Atherton ! Nice addition to your collection. For the Antonines, it's unusual to find a left-facing bust, and it is always as a variant, never as the normal type. This one is quite scarce; it is not listed in Cohen (who does note a variety with a left-facing bust, but without the S C on the reverse; Cohen 259*) nor in Sear. The British Museum has an example in their collection. Strack cites the British Museum example as well as specimens in the Staatliches Münzkabinett in Vienna, the Galeria Esterase in Modena, and one sold by Feuardent Frères (4 Rue de Louvois, Paris). Another example was sold by Numismatik Naumann Auction 72, lot 368 on February 3, 2019 to CT's own @shanxi. I have not been able to find other examples in the numismatic literature or online. They appear to have been struck with the same obverse die; in addition, mine is a double die-match to the Naumann example but not to the BMC specimen. Here's mine: Faustina II, AD 147-175/6. Roman Æ as, 9.85 g, 26.0 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 147-150. Obv: FAVSTINAE AVG PII AVG FIL, Bust of Faustina II, draped, with band of pearls, left. Rev: VENVS S C, Venus standing right, drawing veil from shoulder with right hand and holding up apple in left hand. Refs: RIC 1410b (l.); BMCRE 2165; Cohen --; Strack 1304; RCV --. * @curtislclay (FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board–Topic: Left facing Faustina II bust) sees nothing "medallic" about this specimen, but considers it identical with mine, but with S C removed by tooling.
I am oddly ambidextrous, doing many right-handed things, but EAT, DRINK, use CHOPSTICKS, use computer MOUSE, and many other everyday tasks being a SOUTHPAW. Really unintentionally ticks-off my family when they use things after me. Variety of Southpaw Coins: LEFT PYRRHIC SYRACUSE Syracuse Sicily Pyrrhus(os) 278-275 BCE AE 24mm 9.2g HeraklesHd - Athena Promachos SG1213 LE584 Left PRE-DENARIUS REFORM ROMAN REPUBLIC RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm 275-270 BCE ROMANO Apollo Left-Galloping Horse Sear23 TROAS Troas Birytis 350-300 BCE Æ 9mm1.21g Hd Kabeiros L pileos - two stars above Club within wreath SNG Cop 249 Left KEBREN Kebren AR Obol Archaic hd Apollo Left - Hd Ram in Incuse sq 5th C BCE 7.65mm 0.64g SNG Ash 1086 ROMAN REPUBLIC RR L Cornelius Scipio Asiaticus Asiagenus AR Serrate Denarius 4.0g 19mm Rome 106 BCE Hd Jupiter Left - Jupiter quad r scepter tbolt L•SCIP•ASIAG B Cr 311-1e Syd 576 CARTHAGE Carthage Zeugitania 400-350 BCE AE 15mm 3.39g Head of Tanit left Horse galloping r SNG Cop 97 RASENNA (Etruria) Etruria Populonia AR 5 Asses 3rd C BCE 2.0g Young Hd Left V behind HN 173 Vecchi Rasna III 52 ex NAC 29 No 9 RARE CHINA - Song China Song Dynasty 10th-12th C CE AE Gaming Token 29mm 6.42g Zhui Feng Zhi Ma-horse following wind- - Horse galloping left - Classic Chinese Charms Vol I 2149 BRUTTIUM Bruttium AE 18 Hemiobol 215-205 BCE 2nd Punic Nymph Terina Nike Zeus Left SAMNIA Samnium Aesernia 263-240 BCE AE 20 Vulcan Pilos Tongs Jupiter Biga Left
I have this Domitian Provincial - Antioch. Left facing Domitian with kind of an upward gaze. Domitian, A.D. 81-96 AE 25, 11.7 grams - SYRIA, Antioch ad Orontem Obverse: DOMITIANVS CAESAR, Laureate head left Reverse: Large SC within laurel wreath, representing Coele-Syria Reference: RPC 2016, BMC 246 Ex-Eng, Ex-JAZ, Ex-JB Good, Ex-Ira Ettinger Collection
Here’s Titus left and right. There’s definitely a variation in style, but I like them both. The leftie has similarities to the OP coin.
@David Atherton - congrats on the latest addition. I have no sestertii of the Flavians, but I do have this lefty dupondius: Vespasian, 69-79 AD, Æ Dupondius, Struck 73 AD Obv: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M TR P COS IIII CENS, radiate head left Rev: FELICITAS PVBLICA, S C across field, Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and cornucopiae Ref: RIC II p101 581 dupondius radiate left
Just a sudden thought (yes, I usually just think suddenly): May one of the reasons why we have left facing portraits be that engravers have been left-handed?
One of my favorite coins and very scarce. Tiberius (Augustus) Coin: Brass Dupondius TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST IMP VIII - Laureate head left. MODERATIONI - Small bare bust (Tiberius?) facing within circle of petals; all within foliate and pelleted outer circle; S C across field. Exergue: Mint: Rome (16-22 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 11.28g / 28mm / 12h Rarity: Rare References: RIC I 39 Sutherland, Two, 1 (pl. XII, dies A1/P1) BMCRE 90 Cohen 6 Acquisition/Sale: saruman.com eBay $0.00 02/20 Notes: Feb 16, 20 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection
Nice coins!...Here's a humble Lic.. Licinius I (308-324 AD) AE3 Reduced Follis 18mm Obverse- IMPLICINIVS AVG- Laureate,draped bust left holding globe sceptre and mappa. Reverse- PROVDENTIAE AVGG- Campgate with 3 turrets,no door,8 layers. Exergue- HTA minted (316-317)Heraclea Thrace 1st oficina... RIC VII#15
Here are some lefties. Some of these are quite rare. The following coin is known from 6-7 examples. This one is even more special because it is the RIC plate coin and is illustrated in the plates. And this one. One of 2 known. @David Atherton owns the other one. What makes it rare is the bare headed portrait of Vespasian on the obverse. This occurred on only 2 types of denarii for Vespasian. This one and RIC 853 of which there are several known examples. This coin (RIC 773) is the RIC reference coin-there is no corresponding plate photo.
Congrats to Claudius Your Titus is one of my old coins. Glad it found a good home. Actually it was in CNG E Auction 349 Lot 696 My first and only bulk lot April 22 2015. I bought it some years before from Tom Cederlind.
Sestertius of Titus with left -facing bust; reverse of Annona ... As of Tiberius / SC As of left-facing Drusus - struck under Tiberius. Sestertius of Caligula , left-facing with three sister reverse ...
Oh - that is wonderful news @Terence Cheesman .. I will make a note of that!! Are you not in Canada? I though you were? If so the coin has made its way back up to the Great White North. What amazing journeys these coins take. The coin has its issues of course.. but when I saw it I could not get that portrait out of my mind. I purchased it from Rudnik Numismatics. It is a beautiful work of art to me.
