Facing and 3/4 facing

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by ancientone, May 8, 2021.

  1. ancientone

    ancientone Well-Known Member

    I've always had a thing for facing busts and standing facing figures on ancients. Why so few on ancient coins? Was it easier to create the likeness from the side rather than head on? I get the ruler/heroic like poses. It just seems like there should have been more.

    Please share your forward facing coins!


    Standing facing
    aegae.jpg Aegae, Aeolis. AE16. Athena/Zeus Obv: Helmeted head of Athena right / AIΓAEΩN.
    Rev: Zeus standing facing, holding eagle and sceptre, three monograms in left field.

    septstobi.jpg
    Macedonia, Stobi. Septimius Severus AE27 Serapis facing Obv. SEVERVS - PIVS AVG. Septimius Severus bust right. Rev. [MV]NICIPIVM - STOBEN[SI] - VM or similar. Serapis standing, facing, right arm raised. Left arm holding snake and hems of his garment.

    Bust/head facing.
    c~1~0.jpg
    SATRAPS OF CARIA. Hekatomnos (392-376 BC). Tetartemorion. Mylasa.
    Obv: Head of roaring lion left. Rev: Head of Apollo facing slightly left.
    6mm, 0.25 gm. Klein 507.

    a2.png
    Pisidia, Selge, c. 350-300 BC. AR Obol Obv: Helmeted head of Athena r.
    Rev: Gorgon facing sticking out tongue. 10mm. and 0.9gm.

    grynion.jpg
    Aeolis, Grynion Æ12. Obv: Three-quarter facing head of Apollo, turned slightly left, wearing laurel wreath. Rev: ΓΥΡ, mussel shell. SNG Copenhagen 205; BMC 1. 3rd Century BC.

    phokis3.jpg
    Phokis, Federal Coinage. Phokian League Circa 371-357 BC Obv: Head of Athena facing.Rev: Phi within wreath. AE 13mm.

    orodes_II.jpg Elymaian Kingdom. Orodes II. AE drachm Obv: Bearded bust facing wearing diademed tiara without crest, on right pellet inside crescent above anchor with double crossbar. Rev: Dashes. Early-mid 2nd century A.D.
     
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  3. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    "Sup"

    [​IMG]
    Meherdates (50 - 49 A.D.)
    AR Drachm
    O: Bust facing with moustache and very short beard, royal wart on brow, tiara with ear flaps and ornamented with a horn on each side, diadem loop and end extending on each side, flanked by two six-pointed stars.
    R: Blundered Greek legend forming square around, archer (Arsakes I) seated right on throne, bow in extended right hand, cross below seat, Ekbatana mint monogram below bow.
    2.8g
    21mm
    Ekbatana mint.
    Sunrise 417/418 (Meherdates); Sellwood 67.1 (Vonones II); Shore 368 (Vonones II)
     
  4. David@PCC

    David@PCC allcoinage.com

    g342.jpg
    Antiochus III
    Mint: Seleucia on the Tigris
    220 to 204 BC
    Obvs: Young bust of Alexander the Great three quarters right wearing elephant headdress, dotted border.
    Revs: BAΣIΛEΩΣ on right ANTIOXOY on left, horse head left. Dotted border.
    AE 13x14mm, 2.34g
    Ref: SC 1182; HGC 9, 536(R2)
     
  5. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    I totally agree about the appeal of facing portraits and standing figures (at least when they have facial features visible). They're often badly done so it's quite satisfying to find a nice one!! I especially like your Mylasa Apollo and the Gyrnion.

    Here are a bunch:
    Larissa drachm, facing nymph:
    facing larissa.jpg

    The Carian dynasts/satraps often did a good job of facing Apollos:
    Maussolos:
    facing maussolos.jpg

    Pixodaros:
    facing pixodaros.jpg

    Amisos under Mithradates VI, facing Medusa (head separate!):
    facing medusa.jpg

    Rhodes didrachm, facing Helios:
    facing rhodes.jpg

    Selge, facing gorgoneion:
    facing selge.jpg

    Another facing gorgoneion, from Plautius Plancus:
    facing plautius plancus.jpg

    Antiochos I, facing Athena:
    facing antiochos i.jpg

    Caracalla, Nikopolis, facing Telesphoros:
    facing telesphoros.jpg

    And finally the only facing Roma I've seen on an VRBS ROMA FELIX with facial features visible:
    facing roma.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 8, 2021
  6. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    I don't have many. Anyway, here they are

    Larissa_0010.jpg
    Thessaly, Larissa, AE 20-22
    400-344 BC
    Head of the nymph Larissa facing
    ΛΑΡΙ - Σ - ΑΙΩΝ parly retrograde, Horse trotting right
    8.88 gr
    Ref : Sear # 2131


    0800-310.jpg
    Theodosius II, AE3 - Constantinople mint, 1st officina
    DN THEODOSIVS AVG, Diademed and cuirassed bust of Theodiosius facing, holding spear on his right shoulder
    CONCORDI A AVG, Constantinopolis, seated, facing, holding spear and a victory on globe. In exergue CONSA
    2,25 gr, 16 mm
    Ref : RC # 4296, LRBC # 2212 var, RIC X, 90 (R4)

    Q
     
  7. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    What a fun thread, @ancientone! Great coins posted by everyone so far!

    This is my favorite with such a bust.

    [​IMG]
    Troas, Sigeion, c. 335 BC.
    Greek Æ 12.2 mm, 2.37 g, 5 h.
    Obv: Head of Athena facing slightly right, wearing triple crested helmet and necklace.
    Rev: ΣΙΓΕ, owl standing right, head facing; crescent to left.
    Refs: BMC 17.86,7-10; SNG von Aulock 7637; SNG Ashmolean 1214–6; SNG Copenhagen 496–8; Sear 4145.
     
  8. Parthicus

    Parthicus Well-Known Member

    Why so few facing busts? My guess is that it's because facing busts tend to look ugly after even a little wear, while profiles are still attractive even when worn down to little more than a silhouette.
    Anyway, a few more facing busts. Parthia, Artabanos IV (c.10-38 AD):
    Artabanos II tet.jpg
    Parthia, Phraates III (c.70-57 BC):
    Phraates III facing AE.jpg
    Elymais, Kamnaskires-Orodes (early-mid 2nd century AD):
    Elymais tetradrachm.jpg
    Persis. Ardashir V/Sasanian, Ardashir I (early 200s-241 AD):
    Ardashir Papak obol.jpg
    same, but a bronze coin showing how facing busts are unattractive when worn:
    Ardashir V.jpg
    And an Arab-Sasanian coin:
    Arab-Sasanian.jpg
     
  9. Terence Cheesman

    Terence Cheesman Well-Known Member

    Larissa Ar Drachm 404=370 BC Obv. Head of nymph Larissa 3/4 facing left. Rv. Horse grazing left. HGC 432 Lorber O5 R4a This coin illustrated. 6.06 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen larissa7.jpg In her previous essay on these coins printed in 1992 Lorber lists this coin as 28.5a part of her group Head type13 group. She subsequently decided that this group was earlier in the sequence though she still placed it in her overall Group 1. This image is enchanting with her large rather sad looking eyes and downturned mouth giving the whole image a sense of melancholy. What is remarkable is that only a few years after the striking of Kimon's masterpiece which was struck at Syracuse, another artist using a much smaller canvas creates an equally remarkable image. What is interesting as well is the ever so subtle hint that the nymph is turning her head to her right.
     
  10. Hrefn

    Hrefn Well-Known Member

    Constantine II from the mint at Antioch, a 3/4 facing bust. An astonished talented celator. This coin was sold by Stack’s in 1960 for $45.


    upload_2021-5-8_21-0-47.png
     

    Attached Files:

  11. Hrefn

    Hrefn Well-Known Member

    Alas, I have been betrayed by Spellcheck. The above emperor is Constantius II, of course. And the celator was astonishingly talented. Whether he was also astonished, we have no way of knowing.
     
  12. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    temp.jpg
    Constantine I ("the Great")
    A.D. 307-337
    Ticinum mint, A.D. 312-313
    RIC 133
    Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG
    Rev: SOLI INVI-C-TO COMITI - Sol, head facing forward, holding globe in left hand, raising right
    ST in exergue
    20 mm, 3.8 g.


    I agree. As exemplified on the coin below:
    temp1.jpg
    Theodosius II
    Augustus, A.D. 408-450
    Gold Solidus
    Constantinople mint, A.D. 430-440
    Obv: D N THEODO-SIVS P F AVG
    Rev: VOT XXX MVLT XXXX S - Constantinopolis, seated on throne, facing left, holding scepter and globus cruciger (cross on globe)
    CONOB in exergue; ✳ in right field
    RIC 275
    21mm, 4.4g

    temp2.jpg
    Leo I/Aelia Verina
    Augustus, A.D. 457-474/Augusta, A.D. 457-484
    (Bronze) AE4
    Constantinople mint? (Possibly Vandalic imitation)
    Obv: D N L-EO?
    Rev: [B/e] - Empress Verina, standing facing forward, holding globus cruciger (cross on globe) and transverse spear
    RIC (Leo) 714?
    12mm, 1.1g
     
  13. Nicholas Molinari

    Nicholas Molinari Well-Known Member

    A very rare posture for the smaller denominations.

    E4F01ECC-7FE1-429F-A170-B54E49C27929.jpeg
     
  14. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Here's one of Postumus in my collection. Umm, not really...

    postaureus.jpg
     
    ancientone, Parthicus, Bing and 2 others like this.
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