I have been studying the denarii of Augustus and in particular I found an attraction to the standing bull type (RIC475, been meaning to find the RSC number but it appears my edition of the book does not reference the type. I’ve seen it referenced as RSC28 in online listings but, at least in my book, that would be the capricorn type). In my opinion, these coins were minted by a master engraver who made a very artistic set of dies of great style. For the reason below, I’d call the dies artistic but fragile. From my research, the mint this coin was produced was located at Pergamum, an ancient Greek city in Mysia (modern day northwest Turkey). Most of the denarii of this type have what appears to be a prominent fissure or hairline crack on the flan. Sometimes, deep enough to be seen on obverse and reverse. Nearly all examples have this crack in varying degrees - some extreme and some that are barely visible to the naked eye. However, maybe the first batch of coins minted are free of this “flaw” if you so choose to describe it as one. I do believe the dies were the culprit, rather than the quality of the metal used; a topic of debate. Most examples of the type I have seen have bulls with “cut off” snouts. It is particularly uncommon to find one where the bull’s facial features are well struck. If anyone has more reference material on who the engraver(s) might have been, or more background knowledge on this type please do share. I’ve compiled a bunch of examples obtained online for the purpose of studying the type below. If you have an example of this type, please do share! AUGUSTUS, 27 B.C.- A.D. 14. AR Denarius, Pergamum Mint, RIC-475. Bare head right; Reverse: Bull standing right. (all images sourced online via Google or wikipedia for reference only; I do not claim ownership)
Beautiful type, one out of many dreamcoins of mine. I sadly only have the bull butting type : Augustus, Denarius - Lyon mint c.12 BC AUGUSTUS DIVI F, Bare head of Augustus right IMP X, Bull butting right 3.77 gr Ref : RCV #1610, Cohen #137 Q
Here's a bronze coin of Augustus with reverse showing a bull butting left. Struck at Sidon_ Phoenicia, the coin represents Zeus disguised in the shape of a bull to kidnap Europa, sister of Kadmus. She's seen here on the back of the bull. RPC 41009.
@Cucumbor if you ever want to add a nice bull's marble head to accompany your denarius, there's one for sale by Christie's in their next auction: circa 1st-2nd century AD, 9 inch high, estimated between 40,000-60,000 USD...
AUGUSTUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: AVGVSTUS DIVI F, bare head right REVERSE: Bull butting right IMP X in exergue Lugdunum 15-13 BC 3.7g, 18mm RIC I 167a, BMC 451. C 137, CBN 1382
Funnily, I had this described as a bull too, but in RSC it's described as a heifer and anatomically, that seems to be correct, so I changed my description For what it's worth, it's RSC 28 on page 133 of my copy of RSC - third edition, reprinted in 2006 (I believe there were no changes since the 1978 original printing of the third edition). The RIC numbers referenced refer to the "old" RIC volume I, where it was RIC 59. Mine has a crack and a corroded obverse, but the beast herself is OK: Here's a real bull on RIC 187a: ATB, Aidan.
Super interesting, I did not know it is considered a heifer and not a bull! I had always assumed it was a bull (lack of utters? Lol) and it seems most dealers/auctions attribute it as a bull. It does look less masculine than the bull on RIC187a so it does make sense. Thank you for your expertise! RSC28 it is!
Yeah - I actually see that CNG have described it variously as a heifer and a bull. RIC refers to a "Young bull", but BMC calls it a heifer. Looks like a heifer to me now, but it's been a couple of decades since my family had any cattle and I was never much of a cowboy even then ATB, Aidan.
Here is mine Like the others, the depiction of the head is poor, and there is an indentation on the animal's flank which one would normally expect to be smooth - I have no idea why. When I bought it , the mint was given as Samos, as per RIC 1. Why has this changed to Pergamum ? Hoard evidence ?
Nice example! I am not entirely sure why the mint location changed. Some references say Pergamum OR Samos. I too wonder why
Did some more research through archives. From what I compiled, Somos or Samos (ancient Greece) is a small island off the cost of modern day Turkey The bull depicted on the Augustus denarius is signficant because the island of Somos had a center of practice for the Poseidon cult - believed to be the Temple of Hera “TAU′REUS (Taureos), a surname of Poseidon, given to him either because bulls were sacrificed to him, or because he was the divinity that gave greet pasture to bulls on the sea-coast. (Hes. Seut. Herc. 104; Hom. Od. iii. 6; Schol. ad Pind. Nem. vi. 69.). Poseidon was himself responsible for another terrible creature - the Minotaur. Minos' failure to sacrifice the bull given as a gift by the god resulted in Poseidon bewitching Minos' wife Pasiphae into falling in love with the bull; and the fruit of their amorous relationship was the half-man, half-bull creature which inhabited the labyrinth of Knossos.” Coins minted in this region, both Roman and Greek, tend to depict a bull paying homage to the region’s ancient Greek culture. I wonder if Augustus was told the bull was added for other reasons, such as his empire’s virility and strength by the Somos minter Interesting enough, a popular hotel on the island is named after Poseidon. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_R...e-Kokkari_Samos_Northeast_Aegean_Islands.html
