Aurelian - MARS INVICTVS

I don't actively collect Aurelian but have a penchant for Mars types. I have the opportunity to purchase the following coin which isn't particularly rare but is a quite interesting coin in good grade.

Aurelian Antoninianus

Obv:– IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– MARS INVICTVS, Mars, naked, holding spear, standing right receiving globe from Sol, standing left holding whip in left hand
Minted in Cyzicus mint, 10th emission, officina 3; start to mid 275 CE. (G // XXI).
Reference:– RIC 357 Bust Type F. La Venera 10718. Estiot RIC temp #3076, citing 12 examples



Martin

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

This is a very nice find. The obverse is nicely detailed and alone would be enough to consider this coin. The Mars reverse is one I haven't seen even though you say it's not particularly rare. Now I will have to keep my eyes peeled for one similar.

 

that's a pretty dang sweet one martin.

 

For those who are interested the following is a link to the database entry for this coin on the best resource (online or otherwise) for coins of this period...

http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/3076

Main page:-

http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/home

Martin

 

Beautiful coin. It would appear that your reverse is a die match to the one pictured at at ric.mom.

 

Very nice Martin..

 

Awesome coin, Martin ... Mars, eh?

Ummm, I'm not sure who is giving my Aurelian the wreath? (my seller's notes merely said "woman" handing Aurelian wreath) ... maybe it's Mars' mum? (Marsha)

 

I think it's Terra.

 

Great-looking coin, and one I'd welcome in my own collection, but I do with I could find more interest in Aurelian coins. His reverse designs seem to be amongst the least varied of this period.

 

Great resource. Thank you.

guy

 

To me, the interesting part of the OP coin is that it varies from the norm of two figure types. Usually one of the figures is the emperor receiving victory or a wreath from some god. Here we have one god giving a wreath to another god. There are coins of Diocletian and Maximianus with Jupiter and Hercules but these both represent one of the two rulers so, in effect, we have both rulers shaking hands in the personages of their patron deities. It is a nice coin.

 

Another Aurelian, Mars type to throw on the hoard...

Aurelian
Obv:– IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, Radiate and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– RESTITVTOR EXERCITI, Mars in military dress standing right, holding spear in left hand, giving globe to Emperor standing left , holding long sceptre in left hand.
Minted in Cyzicus. (//XXI). early – summer A.D. 275
Reference:– Cohen 206. RIC 366 Bust Type F (Scarce). RIC temp #3080 (8 ex.).

3.75 gms. 25.15 mm.

Some corrosion and encrustation but on a large flan and still quite pleasing.

 

nice coins martin, that first one is sweet as pie.

 

I found this thread while researching this new coin...

I have a soft spot for Aurelian and his coins and noticed this was a different reverse legend than you normally see... so I bought it in spite of the coin's roughness. While the two figures giving and receiving things is a too common reverse for late 3rd century coins, this legend seems to be rare-ish. (MARS INVICTVS)

I like the little captive between Mars and Sol too! I also like how you can see just a tiny distance between Mars' hand and the globe, making it obvious that he is reaching out to receive the globe from Sol. I was wondering why Sol is the one with his foot on the captive when Mars is the god of war. Then I thought that maybe Mars had given Sol the captive and was receiving the globe in return for his awesome conquering war hobby. What do you think?

Sorry for the junk photos... this one was fighting my attempts to get an iPhone pic.

Aurelian AE Antoninianus
IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right
MARS I-NV-ICTVS, Mars standing right, holding spear and receiving globe from Sol, standing left with whip; captive between them.
Cyzicus
Mintmark XXI.
Temp 3073; RIC 358; Cohen 124; Sear 11556.

 

Sol or oriens of this period is sometimes associated with the emperor, right? For Martins first coin, could the reverse represent Mars giving a globe to the emperor in the guise of sol? The message would then be something like the emperor has restored the world through the favor of Mars?

 

On my OP coin both are depicted nude. The rule/understanding seems to be that the nude depictions are the deity themselves and if the emperor represented as deity then he is dressed. Doug and I are still debating on this "rule" when it comes to Mars in another thread. It is not really a rule, just sort of guidelines....

 

Great OP coin Maridvnvm, I must have missed this original post. Great portrait with a really interesting reverse. I too will be keeping my out for this type.

@OJ: Nice pick up!!

 

How should the reverse be interpreted if only the gods are involved? If Mars restores the world to Sol or vice versa, then how is this related to the Romans? It would seem more of a celestial event rather than in the realm of man. If Sol give the world to Mars, does this suggest a message of the world is restored to violence and chaos as Mars always wins in the end?

 

It looks to me as if Mars is receiving the globe. And if Martin's rule holds true that these are the deities themselves rather than a representation of the emperor... you would think it would be the other way around and Mars would be presenting (with his foot on) the captive because of some awesome war won. Either way, it's fun to guess what's going on here.

 

Sol can also represent Oriens.