Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;DonnaML, post: 4783523, member: 110350&quot;]I have only a small number of Roman coins with geographic personifications, but a new one arrived today: a Septimius Severus denarius showing the personification of Africa on the reverse.&nbsp; It&#039;s hardly the best example I&#039;ve seen of this coin, but of all the ones I&#039;ve looked at in the last year or so, it&#039;s one of the few that actually has a recognizable lion crouched at Africa&#039;s feet, instead of something looking like an indeterminate lump!</p><p><br /></p><p>Septimius Severus, AR Denarius 207 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, SEVERVS - PIVS AVG / Rev. <b>Africa</b> in elephant-skin headdress standing facing, head right, holding out drapery containing basket of fruit[?], lion crouching to her right at her feet, head left, PM TR P XV CPOS III PP. RIC IV 207, RSC III 493, Sear RCV II 6341. 18.73 mm., 2.95 g.&nbsp; <i>Purchased from Marc Breitsprecher; Ex. Madroosi Collection</i> <i>(Joe Blazick</i>).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1163229[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are my other coins depicting geographic personifications:</p><p><br /></p><p>Roman Republic, Cn. Plancius, AR Denarius, 55 BCE, Rome mint. Obv. Head of <b>Macedonia</b> right, wearing causia, CN. PLANCIVS before, AED. CVR. S. C. behind/ Rev. Cretan goat standing right, bow and quiver to left. RSC I Plancia 1, Crawford 432/1, Sydenham 933, Sear RCV I 396 (ill.), Harlan, RRM II Ch. 17 at pp. 141-144, BMCRR Rome 3920. 18 mm, 3.82 gm, 5h.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1163230[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Hadrian AR Denarius, 136 AD, Travel Series, Rome Mint. Obv: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right / Rev: AEGYPTOS, <b>Egypt</b> reclining left, holding sistrum in right hand and resting left arm on basket; to left, ibis standing right. RIC II-3 1482 (2019 ed.), old RIC II 297d (1926 ed.), RSC II 99, Sear RCV II 3456, BMCRE 801-3. 18 mm., 3.11 g., 7 h.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1163238[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1163239[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Trajan Decius, AR Antoninianus, 249-250 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Radiate and cuirassed bust right, IMP C MA Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG / Rev. <b>Dacia</b> standing left, wearing cloak over left shoulder and, with right hand, holding Dacian battle-standard surmounted by Draco (wolf’s head), D-A-CIA.&nbsp; RIC IV 12(b), RSC IV 16, Sear RCV III 9368. 22.28 mm., 4.09 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1163243[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>And, finally, a Republican coin I created a thread about just the other day:</p><p><br /></p><p>Roman Republic, A. Postumius A.f. Sp.n. Albinus (Aulus Postumius Albinus, son of Aulus [mint magistrate ca. 96 BCE], and grandson of Spurius [Consul 110 BCE]), AR Serrate Denarius, 81 BCE, Rome mint.&nbsp; Obv. Veiled head of <b>Hispania</b> right, with disheveled hair; HISPAN behind / Rev. Togate figure standing left, raising right hand towards legionary eagle to left; fasces with ax to right; A •/ ALBIN/ N • S [AL in monogram] across fields; POST • A • F in exergue. Crawford 372/2, RSC I Postumia 8 (ill.), Sydenham 746, Sear RCV I 297 (ill.), BMCRR Rome 2839-42, Harlan RRM I Ch. 1 at pp. 6-7 [Harlan, Michael, <i>Roman Republican Moneyers and their Coins</i>, 81 BCE-64 BCE (2012)]. 19 mm., 3.92 g., 6 h. (<i>Purchased from Brad Bowlin; Ex.“old French collection in Paris.” Double die-match to Die AB for type, RRDP, Schaefer Binder 5, p. 193-0; see <a href="http://numismatics.org/archives/ark:/53695/schaefer.rrdp.b05#schaefer_372-2_b05_p193.)*" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://numismatics.org/archives/ark:/53695/schaefer.rrdp.b05#schaefer_372-2_b05_p193.)*" rel="nofollow">http://numismatics.org/archives/ark:/53695/schaefer.rrdp.b05#schaefer_372-2_b05_p193.)</a>&nbsp; [Footnote explaining coin&#039;s symbolism omitted.]</i></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1163250[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Please feel free to post your own Roman coins showing geographic personifications -- whether rivers, cities, provinces, countries, or continents! Please no coins showing Roma or Constantinopolis; I&#039;ve seen enough of those already.</p><p><br /></p><p>[Edited to add: I realized after posting this that I also have a Marcus Aurelius sestertius with a personification of Italia on the reverse.&nbsp; I posted a description and photo of it in a separate comment below.][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in