@furryfrog02 seeing your post about your Commodus I realized I did not have a Commodus in a bronze coin. I love a large coin so you can see the bust better. So I went looking and I found one. Not real special but it is a sestertius and has the large bust I wanted. I spent $54 total with shipping. Now lets see if I don't jinx myself posting it before it arrives.
Hahaha I'm glad I could "help". Mine was a little less than half the price of yours but also probably about half the size. That is a really good portrait!
They certainly can be addictive!! Having been featured on coins from a young age through to the end of his reign, there are lots of varieties of obverse busts and reverse types... one could almost compare it to Caracalla denarii! Here is my first (and very worn, but VERY cheap) Commodus Sestertius from a couple years ago (Commodus' age: 18-19yo)... Commodus, Ruled 177-192 AD AE Sestertius, Struck 179-180 AD, Rome Mint Obverse: L AVREL COMMODVS AVG TR P V, Bust of Commodus, laureate, cuirassed, right. Reverse: IOVI VICTORI IMP III COS II P P S C, Jupiter, half draped, seated left, holding Victory in extended right hand and sceptre in left hand. References: RIC III 291f, Cohen 264, BMC 1720 Size: 31mm, 27g Earlier this year, I wanted to get one from his sole reign, and I was the 1st underbidder on a number of coins (even one was from his last year of reign), but then I got this one. But the obverse ended up being slightly more corroded on his beard than I had expected based on the seller's images. It still has a mighty cool reverse (Commodus' age: 23yo)... Commodus, Ruled 177-192 AD AE Sestertius, Struck 184 AD, Rome mint Obverse: M COMMODVS ANTON AVG PIVS BRIT, laureate head right. Reverse: VOTA SVSCEP DECEN P M TR P VIIII IMP VII COS IIII P P, Commodus, veiled, togate, standing left, sacrificing over tripod from patera in right hand, S-C across fields. References: RIC III 441c Size: 30mm, 20.0 g Note: Reverse shows emperor sacrificing over altar for the ‘ten year’ vows. The ‘Vota suscepta decennalia’ was celebrated every ten years, regardless of how long the current emperor had been in power. So I went on a little hunt for a week or more and found another I was happy with... at least at the time. Though the bust and beard are complete, it isn't quite as detailed or crisp as the previous. But it'll do for now (Commodus' age: 25yo)... Commodus, Ruled 177-192 AD AE Sestertius, Struck 186 AD, Rome mint Obverse: M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT, laureate head right. Reverse: LIBERTAS AVG P M TR P XI IMP VII COS V P P, Libertas, draped, standing left, holding pileus in extended right hand and rod in left hand, S-C across fields. References: RIC III 471 Size: 29mm, 20.7g Rare, 5 on ACSearch. And I'm not entirely satisfied... I want that older, big, bushy bearded megalomaniac bust to add to my collection. The journey continues!!
Commodus (Augustus) Coin: Brass Sestertius M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG - Bust of Commodus, laureate, draped, right. IVPPITER CONSERVATOR TR P VI IMP IIII COS III P P S C - Jupiter, nude except mantle over arms, standing front, head left, holding sceptre in left hand and thunderbolt in right hand extended over small figure of Commodus, togate, holding branch in right hand and scpeter in left hand Exergue: COSIIIPP Mint: Rome (181 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 20.54g / 33mm / 12h References: RIC III 308Cd Provenances: Savoca Coins Acquisition/Sale: Savoca Coins Internet 6th Blue Auction #952 $0.00 10/05 Notes: Oct 5, 19 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection Commodus (Augustus) Coin: Brass Sestertius M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT - Laureate head right PIETATI SEN-ATVS - Emperor, holding volumen, and the Genius of the Senate, holding scepter, standing vis-à-vis and clasping hands; S C in field, COS V P P in exergue. Exergue: COSVPP Mint: Rome (186-189 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 22.50g / 28mm / 12h Rarity: Rare References: RIC III 549 MIR 18, 760-33/30 Banti 236 Mazzini 410 Acquisition/Sale: Centsles eBay $0.00 02/19 Notes: Feb 9, 19 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection
Love the way you ancient folks do 'catalogue'.........In another thousand years, us modern folks will be able to do the same.
One of his last issues: Commodus, AD 177-192. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 22.51 g, 29.2 mm, 1 h. Rome, AD 192. Obv: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, laureate bust of Commodus, right, with slight drapery on left shoulder. Rev: LIB AVG P M TR P XVII COS VII P P, Libertas standing facing, head left, holding pileus in right hand and vindicta in left hand; S C l. and r., low in field; star, mid right, in field. Refs: RIC 619b; BMCRE 692 var. (bust); Cohen 290; Sear 5764; ERIC II 573 var. (bust).
Nice, classic later period portrait on that one, @bcuda. My favorite Commodus coin, exemplifying his totally bonkers belief that he was Hercules reincarnated. COMMODUS AE As. 10.7g, 24.5mm. Rome mint, AD 192. RIC 644; Cohen 193. O: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, head of Commodus as Hercules right, wearing lion skin. R: HER-CVL/RO-MAN/AV-GV/S-C in four lines flanking club; all within laurel wreath. Ex Dr. Walter Neussel Collection (acquired from Dr. Busso Peus, 1958) Another one I like very much is this lovely green British victory sestertius, ex @jamesicus. COMMODUS AE Sestertius. 21.49g, 30.6mm. Rome mint, AD 185-6. British victory issue. RIC 452; BMCRE 560. O: M COMMODVS ANTON AVG PIVS BRIT, laureate head right. R: P M TR P X IMP VII COS IIII P P, S-C; Victory seated right on pile of arms, holding palm and shield, VICT BRIT in exergue. Ex James Pickering Collection
One "as Caesar": Commodus. As Caesar, 166-177 AD. Æ Sestertius. (31mm; 26.52 gm; 12h). Rome mint. Struck 175-176 AD. Obv: Bare headed and draped bust right. Rev: SPES PVBLICA - SC; Spes advancing left, holding flower and raising hem. RIC III 1530 (Aurelius); MIR 18, 344-16/13; Banti 385.
Sestertii of Commodus - first with reverse of Cybele - mother of the gods and conservator or protector of Aug.
A fine new addition! I have two chunky sestertii of Commodus, one as Caesar and one as Augustus. The first one I bought because of the historical reference to the Marcomannic Wars, the second one because of its attractive portrait: Commodus, Roman Empire, sestertius, 177 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP L AVREL COMMODVS AVG [GERM] SARM; laureate and draped bust of Commodus r. Rev: T[R P] II COS [P]P; pile of Germanic arms; in fields, S-C; in exergue, DE GERMANIS. 31mm, 21.84g. Ref: RIC III Marcus Aurelius 1570. Ex CNG, e-auction 142, lot 134; ex CNG, e-auction 447, lot 471. Commodus, Roman Empire, sestertius, 183 AD, Rome mint. Obv: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG PIVS; laureate head of Commodus r. Rev: P VIII [IMP VI] COS IIII P P; Roma, helmeted, draped, seated l. on shield, holding Victory in extended r. hand and vertical spear in l. hand; in fields, S-C. 30mm, 25.14g. Ref: RIC III Commodus 369. I'm still looking for the "deranged ruler believing himself to be Hercules"-type @zumbly has shown. (Yet, that image is maybe too close to reality to be funny right now...)
Mint of Alexandria, Egypt. Commodus (180-192. A.D.) Type: Billon Tetradrachm, 25mm, 11.06 grams Obverse: M AVΡ KOMMO ANTΩNINOC CE, Laureate bust of Commodus right Reverse: VΠAT OCTOΔ, Zeus seated left, holding scepter and thunderbolt, K theta in field Reference: Emmett 2567
