Faustina I, AD 138-140. Roman Æ as, 8.23 g, 26.4 mm, 4 h. Rome, AD 150 or later. Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: AETERNITAS S C, Female figure (Aeternitas? Providentia?) standing facing, head left, raising right hand and holding globe in left hand. Refs: RIC 1164; BMCRE 1559-60; Cohen 42; Strack 1264; RCV 4642. Let's see some contrapposto poses!
Lovely pose on your Aeternitas Here's my favorite ACTION contrapposto Antigonos II Gonatas - Demetrios II Aitolikos, 277/6-239 BC. Tetradrachm (Silver, 31 mm, 16.78 g, 5 h), Amphipolis, circa 246/5-229. Horned head of Pan to left, wearing goat's skin around his neck and with lagobolon behind; all within the center of a Macedonian shield adorned with stars and crescents. Rev. BAΣIΛEΩΣ ANTIΓONOΥ Athena Alkidemos striding to left, hurling thunderbolt with her upraised right hand and holding shield with her left; in field to left, Macedonian helmet with transverse crest; in field to right, monogram of HΛ. Panagopoulou Period III, Group 10, 52 (011/R - but similar to R50). SNG Ashmolean 3258. Well centered. Purchased from Herakles Numismatics May 2021
Hilarious cartoon! Julia Domna Augusta, CE 193-217 AR denarius, 17 x 19 mm, 2.72 gm Rome mint; struck under Septimius Severus, circa AD 193-196 Obv: IVLIA DOMNA AVG; draped bust right Rev: VENERI VICTR; Venus standing right, back facing, leaning upon column to left, holding palm frond and apple Ref: RIC IV 536 (Septimius Severus); RSC 194 Formerly slabbed; NGC net grade XF
A three-fer: EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius Regnal year 8, CE 144/5 AE drachm, 33 mm, 23.2 gm Obv: [legend]; laureate draped bust right Rev: Serapis, wearing modius, standing facing; flanked by the Dioscuri who are also standing facing, heads turned towards Serapis, and each holding a flagellum ; [L] H in exergue Ref: Dattari 2864 (RY2); Dattari-Savio plate 148 coins 2864 and 8724; Emmett 1670.8; Not listed in Milne. ex Stevex6 Collection
Yaudheya Republic, Punjab, 3rd century AD, Copper Unit, 23mm, 10.72g The reverse depicts "Goddess standing facing left, wearing transparent garment, left hand on hip, right hand raised in blessing." Mitchener ACW 4707-4710; cf. India » Local post-Kushan coinages of Northern India (c. 100 - 460AD) » Post-Kushan Yaudhey
Some great coins here and yet another great idea for a thread @Roman Collector (though at this point is anyone surprised by that?). Funny cartoon as well. Most of my “someone standing there” coins could be arguably said to be contrapposto but I was surprised at how few I had that are definitely so. Here are two of my more obvious ones. Sicily, Syracuse Agathokles, AR Tetradrachm Dia.: 26 mm Wt.: 17.19 g Obv.: KOΡAΣ Head of Kore to right, wearing grain wreath and pendant earring. Rev.: AΓAΘOKΛEIOΣ Nike, bare to the waist, standing right, attaching armor to trophy to her right, she holds a nail in her right hand and a hammer in her left; to left, triskeles of legs running to right. Ref.: Ierardi 143/141 (O38/R95). SNG ANS 674 (same obverse die). An unrecorded die combination; toned. Ex W. F. Stoecklin (1888-1975) acquired in Taormina, Sicily, in 1931. Roman Empire Lucius Verus (AD 161-169) AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 165-166 Dia.: 18 mm Wt.: 3.30 g Obv.: L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX; Laureate bust right Rev.: TR P VI IMP IIII COS II; Victory standing right holding palm branch and placing a shield inscribed VIC PAR on a palm tree Ref.: RIC 566
Dupondius of Domitian with a fairly relaxed Virtus... Antoninianus of Caracalla with Sol doing his thing.
Great post, Roman Collector ! I confess that I had to refresh my memory on the definition of contrapposto. I don’t think I’ve used the term since my college art history days. @TIF already has one of these covered with her excellent Julia Domna but here’s mine anyway. Also, here’s this.
I learned this term when I bought this coin of Faustina II from Plotinopolis: Apollo contrapposto, RPC online 7806 var.(altar) The most famous contrapposto:
A rare Aurelian with a graceful Sol. Only 2 old B/W photoed examples found online, both… here: https://ric.mom.fr/en/coin/2236