Another white whale landed

This one is very special. With all of the denarii of Domitian that I have acquired one might think that I should have a few of the impressive Cistophori struck for Domitian. Until the last day I had none. I do have a Cistophorus for Titus but until now one for Domitian had eluded me. The reason I have avoided buying one until now is because I was waiting for the right one. Well this one fits the bill perfectly. I have seen many of these coins cross the block. Some have had the standards reverse and some with the reverse featuring the temple to Capitoline Jupiter. I really like the temple reverses for Domitian. On the denarii the temple reverse are quite rare and are also very expensive. A temple reverse denarius for Domitian in okay condition would have cost over 1000 USD before the pandemic. Currently these denarii go for about double what they did before the pandemic. These denarii are sought after for many reasons including the fact that they do not show a Minvera on the reverse.

While I have seen a number of Domitian Cistophori I was waiting for a rare one. On the reverse of this coin is a temple to Roma. This is much rarer than the type with the temple of Jupiter. I actually think that this coin went very cheaply. I have found that with the Heritage auctions if the coin does not have the magic letters au or ms, the coins quite often go under the radar. I believe that this one did so. In fact I won this coin for the price of 3 ordinary common denarii of Domitian in the same grade range. I find this interesting of course because a Cistophorus was worth 3 denarii when struck. This was a bargain I could not refuse.

I am thrilled to have won my first Domitian Cistophorus. I absolutely love the coin itself. The portrait is very good and the reverse is excellent IMHO. I never thought I would have the opportunity to own one of these and I am very glad I spotted this one. It is listed in RIC as R2 (very few examples known). I find this to be quite accurate. They do not show up in trade very often at all.

Please post your coins with temple reverses.

Domitian AR Cistophorus 95 CE
(26mm 6h)
Obv: laureate head of Domitian right; IMP CAES DOMITIANVS
Rev: Distyle temple inscribed ROM ET AVG containing figure of Augustus, standing facing, spear in right hand, being crowned with right hand by female figure of Roma (on right), cornucopia in left hand
RIC 854
2020 September 9-10 Wednesday & Thursday World & Ancient Coins Weekly Online Auction #232037 Lot #62175

 

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What an amazing reverse. i really like to imagine what these old temples used to look like in their heyday. If this reverse is any indication. it held some truly colossal cult statues. Neat.

 

Many congrats, Andrew. Gorgeous Denarius! Weight and diameter?

 

Thanks Brian. Much appreciated. The diameter is 26mm but the weight is unknown. Probably around 10.5g to 10.75g.

 

I always liked the Cysto, interesting as a TriDrachm.

 

Speaking of your metaphor --sorry; wish I could stop myself in time-- did you read the whole book? Knew maybe three people who claimed to have, present company conspicuous by its absence.
...Right, and the coin is cool, too.
(Seriously, the original Hollywood adaptation, with Orson Welles as the preacher, incorporates Scads of dialogue right from the book.)

 

Great acquisition.
Temple reverses, huh ?


Augustus, Denarius - Colonia Patricia mint ? ca. 19-18 BC
CAESARI AVGVSTO, laureate head right
SP - QR on either side of a domed terastyle temple, in which is a chariot with aquila.
3,66 gr
Ref : RSC # 279, RIC # 119



Volusian, Antoninianus - Rome mint AD 252
IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG, radiate and draped bust of Volusian right
IVNONI MARTIALI, Juno seated within a distyle shrine, * in right field
3,60 gr
Ref : RCV # 9750, Cohen #45



Maxentius, Follis - Aquilea mint, 1st officina, AD 309-310
IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG, Laureate head of Maxentius right
CONSERV VRBS SVAE, Tetrastyle temple, Roma seated left, a foot on captive, giving a globe to Maxentius standing right. She wolf suckling Romulus and Remus in pediment. AQP at exergue
6.55 gr
Ref : RCV # 14992 (100), Cohen #42



Romulus, Posthumous follis under the reign of his father Maxentius - Ostia mint, 1st officina, AD 309-310
DIVO ROMVLO N V BIS CONS, Bare head of Romulus right
AETERNAE MEMORIAE, Temple with domed roof surmounted by eagle, M OST P at exergue
7.35 gr
RCV # 15050 (550), Cohen #6, RIC VI # 34

Q

 

Wow, @Orfew ! That's quite a cistophorus! No wonder you're proud to have acquired it for your collection.

After his wife Faustina's death in AD 149, Antoninus Pius decided to build a temple to the deified empress. The temple was dedicated in AD 143. These two coins were issued to commemorate the dedication.

The first bears the inscription, DEDICATIO AEDIS ("the dedication of the temple"). It comes in two bust types, one bare-headed and another with a veiled bust, known from only a handful of examples: the Paris specimen cited by Cohen and Strack, and an example in a private collection cited by Temeryazev & Makarenko. An example in the British Museum (1937,0708.26) with a veiled bust wearing a stephane is considered to be an ancient forgery made of base metal. My example is, of course, the bare-headed version:


Faustina I, AD 138-141.
Roman AR denarius, 3.44 g, 18.7 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 143.
Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: DEDICATIO AEDIS, hexastyle temple on stepped podium, above, a quadriga, Victories as acroteria.
Refs: RIC 388; BMCRE 306; Cohen 191; Strack 426; RCV 4596; UCR 434; CRE 127.

The second type, also issued in AD 143 for the dedication of the temple, bears the reverse inscription PIETAS AVG (BMCRE 319-321) or PIETAS AVGVSTI (BMCRE 322-323). The former is also known with a veiled bust from the collection in Vienna and cited by Strack (432). I only have the PIETAS AVG version with the bare-headed bust type:


Faustina I, AD 138-141.
Roman AR denarius, 3.55 g, 17.4 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 143.
Obv: DIVA AVG FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: PIETAS AVG, hexastyle temple on stepped podium, above, a quadriga, Victories as acroteria.
Refs: RIC 396; BMCRE 319-21; Cohen 253; Strack 432; RCV 4599; UCR 435; CRE 129.

The shell of this building still survives in the Roman Forum, enclosing the church of San Lorenzo in Miranda. You may see photos and read about it here. Here is what remains of this temple:

 

Nice catch @Orfew ! Two temples to share:

 

Congrats, Orfew - that is a terrific-looking coin. I had no idea Domitian issued cistophorii.

Not Domitian, but a temple did come my way recently in a lot I got on eBay, on a little AE from Tarsus, which I now have an excuse to post:



Pseudo-Autonomous Æ 19
Cilicia, Tarsus
n.d. (2nd Century A.D.)
ΤΑΡСΟV Μ[ΗΤΡΟΠΟΛЄ]OC Tyche turreted, veiled & draped bust right / Decastyle temple, with eagle in pediment and ΚΟΙΝΟC ΚΙΛΙΚΙ on architrave, A C across field.
(4.67 grams / 19 x 17 mm)
RPC III 3305; Ziegler 670-1; SNG BN 1435-6; SNG Levante 1007 var. (obv. legend).

 

M. VOLTEIUS M.F. ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VOLTEIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Laureate head of Jupiter right
REVERSE: Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus with closed doors; thunderbolt on pediment; below, M. VOLTEI. M. F.
Rome 78BC
3.60g, 18mm
Crawford 385/1; Sydenham 774; Volteia 1

VOLUSIAN
AE30
OBVERSE: AVTOK K G AFIN GAL OVEND OVOLOCCIANOC CEB, radiate and draped bust right
REVERSE: ANTIOXEWN MHTRO KOLWN D-e, SC below, Tyche seated facing within tetrastyle temple, the river-god Orontes swimming beneath her, ram leaping right above
Struck at Syria-Antioch, 251-253 AD
17.1g, 30mm
SNGCop 295

SALONINA
Antoninianus
OBVERSE: SALONINA AVG, diademed and draped bust right, resting on crescent
REVERSE: DEAE SEGETIAE, statue of Segetiae or Ceres, nimbate, standing facing in four-columned temple, both hands raised
Struck at Lugdunum, 258 AD
3.1g, 22mm
RIC 5

 

Really nice acquisition - very nice!

Here is the only coin I own with a temple reverse.


Obv: IMP PROBVS P F AVG; Radiate bust left wearing imperial mantle and holding eagle-tipped scepter. Rev: ROMAE AETER; Roma seated left within hexastyle temple; R-thunderbolt-Delta in exergue. 20mm, 3.8gms,

 

Um, these are medieval. Please don't throw anything too ripe. And the pictures...just never mind.
Carolingian empire, Louis I (814-840), 'temple' denier; unknown mint (although stuff has been done recently to identify them).
Rev. Temple, XPISTIANA RELIGIO (Incorporating the Greek beginning of 'XPICTOC').
Obv. +HLVDOVICVS IMP.
...As copied by Richard I, Count of Rouen /Normandy (942-996): denier of Rouen.
Rev. Temple, "X" in center. +ROTOMAGVS (Rouen).
Obv. +RICARDVSI.
...Right, Louis's prototype had to be Roman. In the case of the pennies of AElfred, at least (and from memory), the obvious parallels run to issues as late as the 4th century. ...What was likely thickest on the ground; go figure. However hypothetically, it would be fun to hear if anyone had any guesses along those lines.

 

I'm so glad you were able to land one of these Andrew! It's certainly one of my favourite types struck for Domitian on the cistophori.

Here's my example of the type and the little blurb I wrote for it my Forvm Gallery (note my example has a 'control mark' in the exergue).

Domitian
AR Cistophorus, 10.28g
Rome mint (for Asia), 95 AD
Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: Temple with two columns, inscribed ROM ET AVG in entablature, enclosing Augustus. stg. front to l., with spear, crowned by Roma to r., with cornucopiae; G in exergue
RIC 855 (C). BMC p. 352, *. RSC 407. RPC 875 (2 spec.). BNC -.
Acquired from Emerald Imports, eBay, May 2018. Formerly in NGC holder 4278229-001, grade 'Ch VF', strike 5/5, surface 4/5, 'Fine style'.

A small issue of cistophori were struck by Domitian in 95. The style and six o'clock die axis point to Rome as the probable mint. Interestingly, K. Butcher and M. Ponting's recent metal analysis of the series reveals it was struck from a different stock of metal than contemporaneous denarii, possibly from recycled republican and early imperial pieces. This rare reverse features the temple of Roma and Augustus at Pergamum copied from the cistophori of Claudius. The temple was erected in 29 BC and was an important centre of the imperial cult in the region. No archaeological remains have been found of the structure, only the coins hint at how it may have appeared. RPC speculates the 'G' in exergue may be the mark of an officina, although, why the Rome mint would use a mint mark on the cistophori and not on any other issues is quite puzzling.

 

Here is my only temple coin so far.

Caracalla and Julia Donna
212-217 AD
Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior
Bronze Pentassarion
Tetrastyle temple, statue of Hygieia feeding snake

 

TEMPLES

These are probly my only 2 Temples... just much of a buildings kinda guy...


Roman Republic Volteius 78 BCE AR Den Jupiter Temple S 312 Cr 385-1



RI Philip II 244-249 Nisibis Mesopotamia-farthest EAST Temple Tyche river god Mygdonius - sinister left

 

All of these Roman ones are great. The diversity of the motifs, as begun in the 1st century and perpetuated by the provincial issues into the 3rd, is remarkable. Getting it why you guys are so into this stuff!

 

Beautiful cistophorus! I hope someday to get a matching set of Domitian and Domitia cistophorii... someday.

My Claudius is the same type, same temple

 

Spectacular new Domitian Temple aaand off the rails thread. Eye candy all the way through
Though far from my area of collecting, I can easily see myself galloping gleefully down that slippery slope.
Shoo I'll do thr best I can
My latest Dom bomb has no temple (unless I can get you to believe that table isa temple with a pretty roof. In which case, have I got land to sell you... but when the heck else am I gonna post it??

Domitian, as Caesar, 80 ADSilver Denarius, Rome Mint, 19mm, 3.1 gramsObverse: CAESAR DIVI F DOMITIANVS COS VII, Laureate head of Domitian right.Reverse: PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS, Helmet on throne.RIC51. Ex: Timeline
(any corrections are appreciated)

Now it, also, might not be what you asked for, buuuut Carus did have the largest "temples" out of all the Roman Caesars... since Caesar


CARUS
282-283 CE Antoninianus. Rome.
Obv: IMP C M AVR CARVS P F AVG.
Radiate and cuirassed bust right.
Rev: VIRTVS AVGG / ΓKA.
Mars standing left with shield and spear.
RIC 45.

 

It's beautiful . I am planning to get one of these cistophorus coins. I specially love cistophorus of Claudius.