I'd like to share - R.R. - L.Antestius Gragulus

Most of the coins I buy, (because of my budget), are not worth sharing with other members, but every now and then I do get something i think can stand up to the expectations of others, Here is one such coin; not rare, but a nice example, (I like a bit of 'wear').

This is a Roman Republican Silver Denarius of
L.Antestius Gragulus c. 136 B.C.
AR 19 mm., 3.8 gm.,
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right, holding sceptre and reins and hurling thunderbolt, * beneath chin, GRAG behind.
Rev: Jupiter in galloping quadriga, L ANTES below the horses in monogram form, and ROMA in the exergue.
Syd 451, Cr238/1.




Please share your images of this coin.

 

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It's a perfectly nice example of the type-- congrats, TC!

I don't have an official version of the type but here is a fourree mule with Gragulus obverse:


Roman Republic fourrée mule denarius
L. Antestius Gragulus, 136 BCE, and C. Renius, 138 BCE
ancient forgery, 3.18 gm
Obv: Roma helmeted head right, * below chin, GRAG behind
Rev: Juno Caprotina in a biga of goats, C・RENI below, ROMA in exergue
Ref: Obverse S.115, Cr.238/1, Syd.451, RSC Antestia 9; Reverse S.108, Cr.231/1, Syd.432, RSc Renia 1

 

Wow! Look at that patina! And what a 'Biga'! (I hope that those are 'streamers' and not antlers.)
I like it!

 

They are horns-- it's a goat biga

 

Really? I never knew that! As I live, and learn.

 

There are many fun non-horse bigas in the Roman Republican series (and other eras). I have a slowly growing whimsical collection of "Alternate Modes of Transportation". For some reason I am tickled by such things .

 

Me too! What is next? Bunny Rabbits? (Don't tell me 'Christians'?)

 

@Topcat7 , please always feel free to share any and all of your coins! I am a collector that enjoys wear on a coin, because I know that the coin was circulated and touched by people from antiquity. I collect coins not so much for their numismatic qualities, rather I collect because of the history they represent. It is fun to see them. I have many very worn and a few very good looking coins... they are ALL great for me!

 

LOL, with some of the really cool stuff that @TIF collects, she might just have a Quadriga pulled by 4 dirt-clods!

 

@Alegandron
The word 'Sympatico' comes to mind - your views seem to mirror mine. (See P.M.)

 

Agreed!

 

Although mine is not as eye appealing as TIF's. here is my goat biga:

C RENIUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Helmeted head of Roma right, X behind
REVERSE: Juno Capriotina in biga of goats right, C RENI below goats, ROMA in ex
Struck at Rome 138 BC
3.6g, 16mm
Cr231/1, Syd 432

 

LOVE it @Topcat7 !!!

Like everyone, especially TIF and 'Al', I find the whimsical fascinating and wear is not always that big of a concern for me---it merely enhances the history of it and emphasizes that this was a coin 'bartered' for daily 'necessities' and passed through so many thousands of hands through the ages...

My version of a 'goat' denarius:

 

My favorite non horse is one Donald Trump might like -

an elephant biga by Metellvs.
I like that Your coin has parts of his name on the obverse & reverse. I am not sure when that was first done. The ANTE monogram is neat also. Some monograms can be read more than one way (TP or PT). I have an As with TP and that seemed like an inside joke.

 

My Gragulus fourree comes with a reverse of M Aburius. It seems to have been the fashion of the day to mix your fourrees.


When it comes to alternative locomotion, a biga of snakes is hard to beat.

 

oh man, i don't have any "GRAG's", strangely powered bigas, or goats.

but that's a solid denarius TC!

.

post those coins TC! you see the type of stuff i post here! LOL!

there are some of my coins i don't think "deserve" their own thread when i get them, but i at least try to work them in somewhere along the line in another thread.

 

Am I the only one (along with Chris) that doesn't have a 'Two Goat'-powered Biga?
And Doug! A 'Two Serpent' powered one! WOW! What next.
(My '271 HORSE'-powered Mustang is 'cowering' in the corner of the garage).
When I watched Charlton Heston in the movie "BEN HUR" (in 1959) I don't recall any 'Goat' or 'Serpent' powered Bigas in the (Bullett - Steve McQueen style) chariot race, but then the memory is not what it once was.

 

How about a Cupid powered chariot?

 

One of my favorites


Roman Republic
moneyer L. Julius L. f. Caesar, 103 BC
AR denarius, 17mm, 3.9 gm
Obv: Helmeted head of Mars left; CAESAR; ・J above
Rev: Venus Genetrix in chariot left, drawn by two Cupids; lyre to left; ・J above
Ref: Crawford 320/1
Jencek E-auction 26, lot 58, 14 October 2014. Ex CNG XXXI lot 699, September 1994; ex RBW Collection

 

I think that 'Mikeys' post has a Cupid powered Goat (without the Biga).