How Worn Will You Go?

ominus1 · Nov 12, 2020

Gallenius...this coin is magical, 1st, for the color and 2nd, it could(before i was for sure what it was by Doug & co)it could become a Salonius upon demand(fancy)

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

ambr0zie · Nov 12, 2020

@DonnaML , the exact coin you posted is the one that made me start collecting ancient coins. It's in a worse shape than yours so perfectly ontopic.

marchal steel · Nov 12, 2020

David Atherton said: ↑

My latest addition is admittedly not the prettiest coin. It's worn and has a few surface issues. But I can forgive all because of the interesting reverse.

David- that is a Beautiful Coin! As it can be identified it lends itself to history, and as such teaches us about what went on in 88 AD; as such it teaches us about ourselves as well.

View attachment 1201082 Domitian
Æ Sestertius, 28.36g
Rome mint, 88 AD
Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VIII CENS PER P P; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: COS XIIII LVD SAEC A POP; FRVG AC on platform; S C in exergue; Domitian std. r. on platfrom, approached by two or three citizens with open sacks; in background, four column temple
RIC 606 (C). BMC 419. BNC 457.
Acquired from CGB.fr, November 2020.

In October 88 AD Domitian held the Ludi Saeculares, a festival featuring theatrical performances and circus games accompanied by six various daytime and nighttime religious ceremonies. The games marked the transition from one era (saeculum) to another and were supposedly held once every 110 years, or the maximum span of a human lifetime, making them a 'once in a lifetime' event. Domitian conducted his games on the Augustan calculation, rejecting the formula for the Claudian games held in 47 AD. The festival was important enough to interrupt the normal striking of reverse types on the coinage and for the mint to produce a new unique issue commemorating the event both in precious metal and bronze. The precious metal designs tended to be symbolic while the bronze were more narrative in nature, focusing on the various religious sacrifices that were at the heart of the games.

This coin's reverse depicts the acceptance of wheat, beans, and oats (poured on ground) from a group of citizens by Domitian in front of a tetrastyle temple. According to Melanie Grunow Sobocinski* the meaning of this Ludi Saeculare ceremony is fairly clear - 'The festival began with nearly a week of preparatory events. First, the citizens brought gifts of agricultural produce (fruges) to various temples. On the following days, they received materials for the ritual purification of private homes (suffimenta) from the priesthood in charge of organizing the Ludi Saeculares ... According to the Augustan acta and Zosimus, the distribution of the suffimenta took place simultaneously at three locations, and the collection of the fruges at four locations. As a result, no firm identification of the temples can be reached without further evidence.' Although, she later concedes - 'Scholars interested primarily in architectural form have identified some or even all of the other hexastyle and tetrastyle temple images as representations of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. This interpretation is plausible for the suffimenta and fruges coin types because the Temple of Jupiter was one of several sites for these two ceremonies.'

So, IMHO, a coin type interesting enough to forgive worn surfaces and a blotchy patina. Oddly enough, despite the condition it has a good deal of eye appeal.

How worn can you go?

* 'Visualizing Ceremony: The Design and Audience of the Ludi Saeculares Coinage of Domitian', AJA Vol. 110, No. 4 (Oct 2006)
Click to expand...

Gavin Richardson · Nov 12, 2020

I don't think I have much philosophically to add. As I have gotten more experience, I've tried to focus on buying fewer coins in better grades following something @dougsmit once said: "Ten years from now, will you be happy to have this coin in your collection?" or words to that effect.

Still, if there is something historically compelling about the coin, I will pull the trigger--such as this Alexandrian coin stripped to its base metal. Why the $14 purchase? It features Constantine as FIL AVG, which is a scarce designation for him.

Carthago · Nov 12, 2020

Andrew McCabe said: ↑

View attachment 1201989
Click to expand...

Selling this was a mistake

Bill57 · Nov 21, 2020

Julius Caesar Silver Denarius 44BC Lifetime Portrait issue
(It's all I could afford!!!)

Log in or Sign up

How Worn Will You Go?

ominus1 Well-Known Member

Guest User Guest

ambr0zie Dacian Taraboste

marchal steel Active Member

Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

Carthago Does this look infected to you?

Bill57 Member

Share This Page

Log in or Sign up

How Worn Will You Go?

ominus1 Well-Known Member

Guest User Guest

ambr0zie Dacian Taraboste

marchal steel Active Member

Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

Carthago Does this look infected to you?

Bill57 Member

Share This Page

Useful Searches