CAIUS (CALIGULA), SESTERTIUS, BMCRE Vol. I, Rome, No. 69 (Pl. 29.12) CAIUS (CALIGULA), SESTERTIUS, RIC Vol. I, Rome, No. 51 (40-41AD, 35mm, 26.2gm) Obverse depiction: Personification of Pietas, draped, seated left Inscription: C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG PM TRP IIII PP (in exergue): PIETAS Reverse depiction: Caligula, veiled and togate, standing left holding patera over altar - attendants (victimarius) on either side holding bull for sacrifice - hexastyle temple of Divus Augustus, surmounted by quadriga and festooned with garlands, in background. Reverse Horizontal Inscription: {small lettering} DIVO AVG and below: S C (left and right) Note: Also BMCRE 41, RIC 36 - with obverse legend: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PM TR POT (in exergue): PIETAS
BMCRE, Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 123, 41-45AD (35mm, 22.3gm) Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP Countermark NCAPR in oblong incuse rectangle behind head (unknown mark on head) Reverse depiction: Triumphal arch surmounted by equestrian statue of Nero Claudius Drusus Inscription: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMAN IMP The countermark NCAPR was most frequently employed under Nero and is interpreted different ways by collectors and researchers, with the most popular and frequently used interpretations being Nero Caesar Augustus Probavit or Nero Caesar Augustus Populo Romano.
In ancient Rome, amounts needed for public works and projects were calculated in sestertii, not denarii or aurei, and this might explain why these coins seem to have such heft and ubiquitous usage. The first sestertius I acquired, and still one of my favorites, was this Caligula: GAIUS (CALIGULA) 37 - 41 A.D. AE Sestertius (28.01 g.) Rome c. 37 - 38 A.D. RIC 32 C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT Laureate head l. Rev. ADLOCVT Gaius, bare headed and togate, standing l. on platform, r. hand extended to five soldiers with shields and parazonia, rearmost pair carrying an aquila; in exergue, COH. Ex. Luc Girard In my imagination I would envision the scene on the reverse and wonder if the gathering of soldiers was really listening to Caligula, or thinking that if he were a real soldier, he'd be out there fighting with them. Although I generally collect only one example of each denomination for the 12 Caesars, I always wanted the iconic Three Sisters and was fortunate enough to acquire one (the second time I had been at an auction for this coin): GAIUS (CALIGULA) 37 - 41 A.D. AE Sestertius (28.56 g.) Rome c. 37 - 38 A.D. RIC 33 C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT Laureate bust l. Rev. AGRIPPINA – DRVSILLA – IVLIA Sisters standing: Agrippina as Securitas holds cornucopiae; Drusilla as Concordia holds patera and cornucopiae; Julia as Fortuna, holds rudder and cornucopiae. In exergue, S·C. From the Gasvoda collection. My impression of this reverse is that the engravers were generally trying to model the sisters after the Three Graces, this particular sculpture is from a museum in ancient Ostia:
Those are incredible Sestertii IOM - thank you for posting them. And, of course, the “three sisters of Caligula” is the ne plus ultra of Julio-Claudian Sestertii.
RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 112, 50-54AD, (35.7mm, 27.9gm) Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP Reverse depiction: Civic Oak Wreath Inscription in four lines: EX SC P P OB CIVES SERVATOS (within wreath)
Agrippina Senior, Sestertius, BMCRE vol. 1 (Claudius), No. 222, AD 42-54, 25.2 gm. (partial legend obliteration). Agrippina Senior, Sestertius, RIC I (Claudius) No. 102, AD 42-54, 25.2 gm. Obverse depiction: Agrippina, draped bust facing right, hair in long plait down back Inscription: [AGRIPPINA] M F GERMANICI CAES[ARIS] Reverse depiction: [Large SC centered] Inscription: [TI CLAVDIVS] CAESAR AVG [GERM P M TR P IMP P P] NCAPR in rectangular countermark above. I sold off or gifted my countermarked coins and then regretted doing that for I missed having at least one. The coin I picture here is a good one for me for it has the Nero countermark prominently stamped at the top center of the reverse - it seems this was how coins of this issue were always stamped. Additionally, this is a very hard to come by coin issue, so it was a winner all around for me. Agrippina the elder was the daughter of Agrippa and Julia (the daughter of Augustus). She married Germanicus, the brother of Claudius, and was the mother of Caligula.
Memorial procession of DIVVS Augustus TIBERIUS, SESTERTIUS, BMCRE, Vol. I, Rome, No. 126, AD 36-37 (35mm, 22.6gm) TIBERIUS, SESTERTIUS, RIC, Vol. I, Rome, No. 68, AD 36-37 Cataloged in Wildwinds under Augustus - Sear 1784 Obverse depiction: Augustus, radiate, togate, holding laurel branch in r. hand and long sceptre in l., seated on throne, placed on a car, drawn l. by four elephants, each bearing a mahout on its neck. The side of the car is ornamented with shields. Inscription across top in three lines DIVO AVGVSTO SPQR Reverse depiction: Large, centered S C Inscription clockwise from top: TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST PM TR POT XXXIIX Note: I think just about every collector these days recognizes and uses the RIC obverse and reverse designations for these coins - I do. But it is interesting that Mattingly, surely one of the most meticulous and respected researchers and catalogers of Roman Imperial coins, uses the obverse and reverse designations that he does for the British Museum coins (102 & 126).
NERO, SESTERTIUS, BMCRE Vol. I, Rome, No. 114 NERO, SESTERTIUS, RIC Vol. I, Rome, No. 356 (66-67AD, 36mm, 24.8gm) Obverse depiction: Nero, laureate head facing right Inscription: IMP NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM PM TRP XIII PP Reverse depiction: Personification of Roma seated left on cuirass resting elbow on shield and holding spear, helmet behind Inscription: ROMA (in exergue) S C (left and right)
My most treasured sestertius- a Hadrian Aequitas- isn't mine anymore. It belonged to @AncientJoe before me, and belongs to @Aethelred now. I'd say it ranks around #2 on my "Top Five Seller's Remorse Coins" list. Best I've got nowadays is this rather modest Antoninus Pius. It is well circulated but I like the look and surfaces on it. It is off at NGC now. (*Yes, I have resumed slabbing of my ancients for complex personal reasons, even after announcing I wasn't going to anymore. It's a controversial topic here, and I've been on the fence about it for a long time, wavering back and forth. I slab my ancients mostly just for consistency with the rest of my collection.) I got a new photo of it in email, but no word on the grade yet. Not that that technicality matters much in this particular case. They'll likely grade it VG or Fine, I would think. 'Tis a lower-grade coin, but wholesome. I like the contrasting toning/patina.
WOW, what an absolutely stunning coin! Here's the best I can do with the "Three Graces" theme. At least they have heads here, right? (PCGS PR69 DCAM)
Metal content has an influence on collecting price, but it's a bit silly in ancient coins. Even at today's high gold prices, say $60/gm, an Augustus aureus would have $480 worth of metal (rounding a bit). So, "all other things being equal", an aureus should trade for merely the metal value difference over a denarius, which has the same dimensions and dies in that era. Which, of course, they don't. I recently read that the Berlin collection saved its gold ancients from the fate of its modern gold collection as the Kaiser ran short of cash in 1918, but only barely.