It has really been quiet on here for the past few days, so I thought I'd post one of my new Roman Republicans even though I have not received it in the mail just yet. I'm hoping the actual coin will look better in hand, but it would appear the nose of the boar is missing. Either it has worn down, or, more likely, was a poor strike to begin with. I suppose that is why I was able to get this at such a good price. I'm also pretty certain that stevex6 has a much better version of this coin. C HOSIDIUS CF GETA, Gens Hosidia OBV: GETA before, III VIR behind, diademed & draped bust of Diana right, bow and quiver on shoulder REV: C HOSIDI C F, wild boar of Calydon right, pierced by spear and attacked by dog Struck at Rome, 64 BC 3.6g, 17mm Cr407/2; Hosidia 1 King Oeneus of Calydon, an ancient city of west-central Greece north of the Gulf of Patras, held annual harvest sacrifices to the gods on the sacred hill. One year the king forgot to include Diana in his offerings Insulted, she loosed the biggest, most ferocious boar imaginable on the countryside of Calydon. It rampaged throughout the countryside, destroying vineyards and crops, forcing people to take refuge inside the city walls (Ovid), where they began to starve. Oeneus sent messengers out to look for the best hunters in Greece, offering them the boar's pelt and tusks as a prize. Among those who responded were some of the Argonauts, Oeneus' own son Meleager, and, remarkably for the Hunt's eventual success, one woman, the huntress Atalanta, the "indomitable", who had been suckled by Artemis as a she-bear and raised as a huntress. Many of the men refused to hunt alongside a woman, but it was the smitten Meleager who convinced them. Nonetheless it was Atalanta who first succeeded in wounding the boar with an arrow, although Meleager finished it off, and offered the prize to Atalanta, who had drawn first blood. But the sons of Thestios, the uncles of Meleager, who considered it disgraceful that a woman should get the trophy where men were involved, took the skin from her, saying that it was properly theirs by right of birth, if Meleager chose not to accept it. Outraged by this, He slew the sons of Thestios and again gave the skin to Atalanta. Meleager's mother Althaea, sister of Meleager's slain uncles, took the fatal brand (it had been prophesied at his Meleager's birth that he would only live until a brand, burning in the family hearth, was consumed by fire. So Althaea, overhearing, doused and hid the brand.) from the chest where she had kept it and threw it once more on the fire; as it was consumed, Meleager died on the spot, as the Fates had foretold. Thus did Diana achieve her revenge against King Oeneus.
Great lookin' coin, my Roman Republican friend ... it's got "two" animals on one coin (yup, I'm lovin' this coin!!) Ummm, I'm pretty sure that you expected me to toss my dawg into the ol' ring, right? => Hey, thanks for livening-up this place a wee bit!! (ummmm, maybe tomorrow will bring me a couple more coins?)
Yours has a better strike and I believe yours is the serrated version whereas mine is not. Nice coin there Jerry
