Although not as good of a deal as @Ken Dorney 's $0.70 example, I think I got a decent deal on this coin at auction today, even taking into account the buyer's commission, exchange rate, PayPal fees and shipping costs. These asses are enigmatic; although they are most often attributed to Caligula (as RIC and Sear), many scholars (Vagi, the British Museum, et al) believe they were first struck under Tiberius and that they continued to be struck into the reign of Claudius (AD 41-54). That they were struck by Caligula at all is astonishing, as Caligula's disdain for his grandfather (Agrippa) was well-known (Vagi, p. 109). Suetonius reports that Caligula would fly into a rage if anyone even mentioned Agrippa. That these circulated widely during the reign of Caligula is clear, however. They substantially outnumbered the VESTA asses of Caligula (RIC I, p. 105) as circulating coinage, playing the part under Caligula that the signed moneyers' aes from the series of tresviri did under Augustus (ibid). Agrippa, 18-12 BC Roman Æ as, 10.36 g, 27 mm Rome, AD 37-41 Obv: M AGRIPPA L F COS III, head left, wearing rostral crown. Rev: S - C, Neptune standing left, holding small dolphin and trident Refs: RIC 58 (Caligula); BMCRE 161 (Tiberius); RCV 1812; Cohen 3 (Agrippa); CBN 77. Post anything you feel is relevant!
Mine is from a fellow CTer. AGRIPPA (Died 12 B.C.) Æ As O: M. AGRIPPA. F. COS. III, head left, wearing rostral crown. R: Neptune standing left, holding small dolphin and trident; S-C across field. Rome mint. Struck under Gaius (Caligula) 27mm 9.72g RIC I 58 (Gaius); MIR 3, 24-6; BMCRE 161 (Tiberius); Cohen 3
Nice portrait and highlighting, a serviceable example for sure. I don't think mine is $399.30 better than Ken's! I musta been ripped off!!
These were made of soft red copper which wore and corroded quickly. IMHO there should be a great separation in price when you get coins that show both the dolphin and trident attributes on the reverse. I always wanted to upgrade mine but never did. They are very popular since Agrippa's death is believed by many to have been what ruined Rome. Had he lived to succeed Augustus we might have been spared several of the embarassing fools who followed. Both coins are common. On what do you base "substantially outnumbered"?
I don't think that reverse could have worn any more attractively. Did we ever find out how Ken Dorney nabbed that Agrippa for under a dollar?
Interesting write up. Here are two I have previously owned (both since sold). The lighter green one was from years ago and I cannot recall if it looked that green in hand.
A wonderful type, I've always loved those Agrippa, As Posthumous issue by Caligula, in honour of his grandfather (died 12 BC) Rome mint, ca AD 37/41 M AGRIPPA L F COS III, head of Agrippa left with rostral crown Neptun standing left, holding trident and dolphin. Large S C in fields 10.9 gr Ref : RCV #1812, Cohen #3 Ex Alwin collection The following comment is a (quick) translation from CGB about a similar coin : "Although Augustus associated his close friend Agrippa in his coinage, he didn't for him alone. Gaius honoured the memory of his grandfather, recalling he had been COS III in 27 BC while Augustus was COS VII at the same time. Gaius, however, as the new emperor would like us to remember his double filiation : Through his father, Germanicus, he's descended from Nero Drusus and Antonia, thus from Tiberius ; through his mother Agrippina the elder, he tells us Agrippa and Julia are his grand parents and he's a grand grand son of Augustus. Agrippa remained prestigious all along the first century CE, although he had died 12 BC. Titus then Domitian will also strike this type, seemingly very succesfull towards population (see RCV 2589 and 2894)" Q
From RIC I, p. 105, which reads, "Undoubtedly the Vesta asses were the most abundant of the dated aes coins ... but they were heavily outnumbered ... by the vast coinage of asses with Agrippa obverse":
