Hello crew, Here is my latest and greatest acquisition of Titus / Vespasian Tetradrachm. Please post yours:
My goodness. How beautiful, these coins! I would love to have a double-faced coin one day! Your coins, @Svarog, are tremendous.
NERO AR Drachm OBVERSE: NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERM, laureate head of Nero right. REVERSE: DIVOS CLAVD AVGVST GERMANIC PATER AVG, Claudius' laureate head right Struck at Caesarea, Cappodocia, 63/4AD 3.6g, 17mm RIC 621, RSC 3, RPC 3648 CALIGULA AR Denarius OBVERSE: C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT, bare head right REVERSE: DIVVS AVG PATER PATRIAE, radiate head of Divus Augustus right Struck at Lugdunum, 37/8AD 3.5g, 18mm RIC I 10
I only have one two-headed ancient, a somewhat scarce one from the Roman Republic. This one is not too pretty, and, among other things, has suffered from a too-harsh cleaning (I'm hoping it will have retoned sometime later in the century): I would be interested in seeing any other examples of this one. I'm kind of on a RR kick right now: Roman Republic Denarius L. Cassius Q.f. Longinus (78 B.C.) Head of Liber or Bacchus right, thyrsus over shoulder / Head of Libera left, L . CASSI Q . F behind. Crawford 386/1.; Cassia 6; BMC 3152; Syd. 779; (3.51 grams / 18.34 mm)
The best double-faced coin that I have, represents Emperor Aurelian as well as Vabalathus, son of Zenobee.
@Ancient Joe: That is one of the weirdest, most surreal coins I've ever seen! @Svarog:This is a really great thread.
@Volodya, can you please tell us about the coin which is third down from the top? I find all your coins incredible but this one is particularly intriguing. What is in the fields? Thanks. Actually it is this one I am asking about:
Heads I win, tails you lose. An acquisition from a late summertime auction. Constantine on one side, “Mars the Preserver” in a sweet helmet on the other. I’ll let you figure out which one is heads or tails. Struck sometime between 310-313 A.D. at Treveri. ex Aegean Numismatics auction, hosted by Agora Auctions; Numismatic Sale #AN400; Lot 211.
Here's my description of a different example of this type, in Gemini IV in 2008: C. Coelius Caldus. Silver denarius (3.75 gm). Rome, 51 BC. Head of Consul C. Coelius Caldus right, C COEL CALDVS before, tablet inscribed L D (libero damno) behind, COS below / Head of Sol right, oval buckler behind, with S above it, CALDVS IIIVIR and round buckler before. Crawford 437/1b. Sydenham 892. RSC Coelia 5. The obverse portrait is the moneyer's grandfather who was consul in 94 BC, the first member of the family to hold high office.
I have 2 that fit the theme. A Claudius and Nero denarius. And a denarius of Caligula and his mother Agrippina
A 'double-faced' Flavian you don't see everyday. Vespasian AR Tetradrachm, 11.87g Alexandria mint, 75-76 AD RPC 2447 (14 spec.). Obv: AYTOK KAIΣ ΣEBA OYEΣΠAΣIANOY; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r., date LH before neck Rev: ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ ΤΙΤΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ; laureate head of Titus, r. Acquired from Praefectus Coins, September 2014. Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.
@AncientJoe : That overlapping faces reverse design in post #3 is awesome! Very 20th century style (to my non-expert eyes), I don't think I've seen anything like that in ancient art before. I've got this provincial bronze from Thessalonika that shows Claudius and Augustus: