My latest addition is admittedly not the prettiest coin. It's worn and has a few surface issues. But I can forgive all because of the interesting reverse. Domitian Æ Sestertius, 28.36g Rome mint, 88 AD Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VIII CENS PER P P; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: COS XIIII LVD SAEC A POP; FRVG AC on platform; S C in exergue; Domitian std. r. on platfrom, approached by two or three citizens with open sacks; in background, four column temple RIC 606 (C). BMC 419. BNC 457. Acquired from CGB.fr, November 2020. In October 88 AD Domitian held the Ludi Saeculares, a festival featuring theatrical performances and circus games accompanied by six various daytime and nighttime religious ceremonies. The games marked the transition from one era (saeculum) to another and were supposedly held once every 110 years, or the maximum span of a human lifetime, making them a 'once in a lifetime' event. Domitian conducted his games on the Augustan calculation, rejecting the formula for the Claudian games held in 47 AD. The festival was important enough to interrupt the normal striking of reverse types on the coinage and for the mint to produce a new unique issue commemorating the event both in precious metal and bronze. The precious metal designs tended to be symbolic while the bronze were more narrative in nature, focusing on the various religious sacrifices that were at the heart of the games. This coin's reverse depicts the acceptance of wheat, beans, and oats (poured on ground) from a group of citizens by Domitian in front of a tetrastyle temple. According to Melanie Grunow Sobocinski* the meaning of this Ludi Saeculare ceremony is fairly clear - 'The festival began with nearly a week of preparatory events. First, the citizens brought gifts of agricultural produce (fruges) to various temples. On the following days, they received materials for the ritual purification of private homes (suffimenta) from the priesthood in charge of organizing the Ludi Saeculares ... According to the Augustan acta and Zosimus, the distribution of the suffimenta took place simultaneously at three locations, and the collection of the fruges at four locations. As a result, no firm identification of the temples can be reached without further evidence.' Although, she later concedes - 'Scholars interested primarily in architectural form have identified some or even all of the other hexastyle and tetrastyle temple images as representations of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. This interpretation is plausible for the suffimenta and fruges coin types because the Temple of Jupiter was one of several sites for these two ceremonies.' So, IMHO, a coin type interesting enough to forgive worn surfaces and a blotchy patina. Oddly enough, despite the condition it has a good deal of eye appeal. How worn can you go? * 'Visualizing Ceremony: The Design and Audience of the Ludi Saeculares Coinage of Domitian', AJA Vol. 110, No. 4 (Oct 2006)
I have no shame when it comes to worn coins: Titus Silver Denarius Rome mint, A.D. 78-79 Obv (retrograde): T CAESAR VESPASIANVS Rev: Sow and piglets IMP XIII in exergue RIC (New;Vespasian) 986 18mm, 2.9g. Tiberius Provincial Bronze (AE26) Spain, Emerita Obv: TI CAESAR AVGVSTVS PON MAX IMP Rev: COL AVGVSTA EMERTA - City gate RPC 42 26mm, 10.9g. Drusus Bronze As Rome mint, A.D. 21-22 Obv: DRVSVS CAESAR TI AVG F DIVI AVG N Rev: PONTIF TRIBVN POTEST ITER, encircling SC RIC (Tiberius) 45 28mm, 9.4g.
That's not at all bad in my books! Great type too. Here's how worn I'll go (with a few minor surface issues thrown in)... VESPASIAN AE Sestertius. 19.7g, 32.5mm. Rome mint, AD 71 AD. RIC 127 (R). O: [IMP CAESAR VESPASIA]NVS AVG [P M T P P P COS III], laureate head right. R: [VICTO]RI[A AVGVSTI] S C, Victory standing right, resting left foot on helmet, inscribing OB / CIV / SERV on shield attached to palm-tree.
Marcus as Caesar from Alexandria: Type: AE Drachm, 33mm, 22.95 grams of Alexandria Obverse: Bare headed and draped bust of Aurelius right M AVPHLIOC KAICAP Reverse: Elpis Standing left holding flower and hitching skirt LEND EKATOV Reference: BMC 1238 listed as "rare" by R.A. Numismatics
Very interesting reverse... but, you call THAT worn? Augustus 27 BC-AD 14. Æ Semis (21mm, 3.97 g, 12h). Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck AD 10-14. Laureate head right / The Great Altar of Lugdunum: altar enclosure; panels decorated with corona civica flanked by figures holding laurel branches; altar flanked by columns surmounted by statues of Victory standing vis-à-vis, each holding palm frond and wreath.
This is the most worn but still identifiable coin in my collection. The ID is made by recognizing the portrait as belonging to Julia Domna as she has a distinctive hairstyle. It also came down to knowing that corn ears and a long torch are attributes of Ceres. Julia Domna, AD 193-217. Roman Æ as, 13.49 g, 27.6 mm, 5 h. Rome, AD 198. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: CERES S C, Ceres standing left, holding corn ears and long torch; altar at feet, left. Refs: RIC 870; BMCRE 781; Cohen 19; RCV 6636; Hill 346. Here's the example in the British Museum for comparison:
I have no problem with coins that are well worn provided there is no roughness or corrosion on them . From my point of view it just means that they were handled by more of my ancestors than those that went into a hoard the week after they were minted. Here is a Galba that cost me $12 out of a bargain box. I surmise that this coin circulated for over a hundred years before it got dropped between two basalt paving stones in Bithynia. Can you imagine who all handled this coin in that time period? That pugnacious image must have been a sobering site for some time.
@Bing All of those look perfectly acceptable to me. I don't yet have a Marc Antony but the main thing I want is to be able to see the ship and the Legion. Yours check all the boxes.
Thanks @furryfrog02. My criteria for these coins is that I can read the legion number, but I would like to have better examples. The search continues.
Worn ancients - a topic that warms the cockles of my heart. So as not to overwhelm the thread with 90% of my collection, I'll stick to a few big Domitians (which are far worse than David's lovely OP): Domitian Æ Sestertius (90-91 A.D.) Rome Mint [IMP CAES DOMIT AVG] GERM COS XV CEN[S PER PP] laureate head right / [IOVI] VICTORI, [Jupiter seated left, holding Victory and sceptre]; [SC in exergue]. RIC 702, Cohen 314. (24.53 grams / 31 mm) I am almost ashamed of this one - it was only $1.90 (from a lot), if that's any excuse. Doug's website helped me narrow the date down, as noted in the attribution. The rest of it is so far gone I got no further: Domitian Æ Sestertius (81 A.D. - 8th designated consulship) Rome Mint Laureate bust right, all legends worn away / Occluded standing figure (?), all legends worn away except DES VIII. "Domitian announced 8th Consulship on January 1, 82." (Doug Smith website) (24.23 grams / 33 mm) Finally, here is a sestertius-sized provincial: Domitian Æ 31 (c. 81-96 A.D.) Prusias ad Hypium, Bithynia Α[ΥΤ(Ο) ΔΟΜΙ]ΤΙΑΝΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑ[Ρ ΣΕΒΑ(Σ) ΓΕΡ(Μ) (Α)], laureate head right / ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗ [ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ], Eirene (?) standing left holding branch and cornucopia, prow in front, left. RPC 678. (22.71 grams / 31 mm) Note: Trajan issued same type, but without reverse field marks: "The figure is very like that of Pax on the Latin coins with PAX AVGVST (RPC II, 501), and so has been identified here as Eirene. Neither the snake (RPC II, 677) nor prow (RPC II, 678) is very appropriate for Eirene, though both occur with...Demeter...Both the snake and prow are perhaps in some sense 'issue-marks' rather than attributes of the deity represented as the main type (see RPC II, 680-2)." (RPC Onilne)
I generally go for nice examples for my collection, but a worn coin will do in a pinch, or for when I want a coin that has some character. Wouldn't have been able to afford half of these if they weren't worn: Julius Caesar lifetime denarius Vedius Pollio, from Tralles, Lydia Julia the Elder with Livia, Pergamum, Mysia Quinctilius Varus as governor, Berytus, Phoenicia Augustus AE of Tarraco, Hispania, with Gaius and Lucius, caesares Nero Claudius Drusus AE sestertius Nero and Drusus Caesars with Tiberius, Carthago Nova Nero and Drusus Caesares, posthumous by Caligula Caligula with Caesonia, Carthago Nova Galba AE drachm, Alexandria
I think Octavian has a SURPRISED look when he saw the reverse. RI Augustus Quinarius - possibly Asia Recepta - blank wore-off-rev
Many of the coins shown here are not as much worn as they are corroded and I am much harder on corroded coins than on those with 'honest wear'. In either case it makes a lot of difference if the type is regularly available in a higher grade or if it is something sold once in a lifetime. My most recent worn example is one of two I know to exist (show me yours) so buying it was not a question of grade but whether or not I wanted this coin ever. There are many coins I do not want ever; there are too many to have them all. I may be the only one here who cares there is a Septimius Severus and Clodius Albinus facing bust coin (this from Pautalia). That is fine. Who knows, I may get the other one, too, if no one wants it. My Julia Domna sestertius is worn but it is from the portrait die I like the best of those I have seen so it is welcome here at least until I find an upgrade from that die. I have seen several nice coins of the type but I'm still looking for the die. Specialists can be very picky.