I waited a long time to buy a L HOSTILIVS SASERNA. The coin is often poorly struck, off center or expensive. I found one that has a bit of wear, but is a good example of how a coin with some wear can be better than ones with less wear. Roman Republic, AR denarius, 48 BC, Rome mint L. Hostilius Saserna. Obv - Bare head of Gallia right; carnyx (Gallic trumpet) behind Rev - Artemis Ephesia (Diana) standing facing, laureate, wearing long hair falling down her shoulders and long flowing robes, holding spear in left hand and stag by its antlers in her right. VF, the coin is a bit oblong in a good way. The reverse design is positioned so all of Diana and the stag are on the coin. Some lettering to the right of Diana is missing. The bottom of Gallia’s hair is missing. The rest of her features are on the coin. Well centered, good strike, toned. 16.5 X 19.0 mm 3.65 g 8h Crawford - 448/3 Grueber - Rome 3996 Sear – RCV - 416 / CRI - 19 Sydenham - 953 RSC / Bab - Hostilia 4 RBW - 1570 I know a few lady deer hunters, but not many.
That's a very attractive coin and a type that I still don't have, though I do have this moneyer's less popular type: Roman Imperatorial period AR denarius(4.04g, 18mm), L Hostilius Saserna, moneyer, 48 B.C., Rome mint. Diademed female head(Pietas or Clementia?) right, covered by oak wreath / Victory advancing right, holding winged caduceus and trophy. Crawford 448/1a; Sear HCRI 17; Sydenham 951; Hostilia 5. Ex CNG e-auction 393, March 15, 2017, lot 228, ex Dr. Lawrence D. Sporty Collection, ex CNG e-auction 259, July 6 2011, lot 287 This particular coin is actually a rare stylistic variety where the wreath that is normally around the obverse bust completely covers the head.
Here is mine Best eBay buy I've made so far, little over 500$. So they can be cheap in good condition with some luck L. Hostilius Saserna. 48 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.82 g). Rome mint. Obverse: Bare head of Gallia (or Pallor?) right, wearing long, dissheveled hair; carnyx to left. Reverse: Diana (Artemis) standing facing, laureate, wearing long hair falling down her shoulders and long flowing robes, holding spear in left hand and stag by its antlers in her right; SASERNA upward around left, L • HOSTILIVS downward to right. Reference: Crawford 448/3
L. Hostilius Saserna. Denarius 48, AR (4.10g, 19mm, 1h). Female head r., wearing oak wreath. Rev. L·HOSTILIVS SASERN Victory advancing r., holding caduceus and palm branch. Babelon Hostilia 5. Sydenham 951a. Sear Imperators 17. Crawford 448/1b.
She really is a creepy little redneck, isn't she? Congrats on the coin, @rrdenarius! @Michael Stolt, that's quite an eBay coup! L. Hostilius Saserna 48 BCE AR denarius, 19 mm, 4.1 g, 6 h. Rome Obv: Bare head of a Gallic woman to right, with long disheveled hair; behind, carnyx; in field to right, 3 test cuts. Rev: L.HOSTILIVS / SASERNA; Artemis (Diana) standing facing, holding stag with her right hand and spear with her left Ref: Crawford 448/3. Sydenham 953. Ex W. F. Stoecklin, Amriswil, Switzerland, acquired prior to 1975.
What a nice Republican denarius to add to your collection! Well-done! Artemis/Diana was into that sort of thing, indeed. Artemis standing right, holding bow, drawing arrow from quiver, hound at her side. Roman provincial bronze (25.1 mm, 8.88 g) of Faustina II from Augusta Traiana in Thrace (Moushmov 2982; similar to Sear GIC 1729 & BMC 3.177.1 (Artemis running left)). Diana standing right, holding spear and bow; at foot, hound. Antoninianus of Gallienus, Mediolanum mint (RIC 473K; Göbl 1146m[2]: Cohen/RSC 173; RCV 10197; Hunter pl. lxvi). Artemis standing left, holding patera and bow, quiver over her shoulder; stag at side. Roman provincial bronze (24.2 mm, 9.53 g) of Gordian III from Hadrianopolis in Thrace (BMC 30; Moushmov 2685; Varbanov 3888; Jurukova 476).
The three coins of this moneyer. I have a better one of the OP type, but no pic. Carthago's 448/1b upthread is surely among the finest known examples of a very scarce variety with SASERN rather than SASERNA in the reverse legend. Phil Davis
Love the "Vercingetorix of yours. My focus is to obtain a really fine style 441, for the sake of the reverse ofc, when in fine style they are awesomely beautiful as your and as @red_spork and especially @Carthago . These are as hard as the Carisia issues to find in good condition
@rrdenarius congrats on the new addition. Here is my recently acquired L. Hostilius Saserna with disheveled portrait and fierce Artemis. Obv: A Gallic woman, with carnyx warrior's trumpet behind Rev: Artemis facing front, holding a leaping deer by the antlers and, with the other hand, a spear. Size: 3.8g 17.3-19.3mm Gallia and Artemis references to Caesar's Siege of Massilia in 49 BC? OR "Pallor, the goddess of paleness, as indicative of Fear, is represented by the countenance of a woman, with long dishevelled hair, from the Hostilia moneyer."* A reference to Tullus Hostilius, third king of Rome and the ancestor of L Hostilius Saserna? OR both?