Left-facing busts

Thanks, chrsmat71!

ATB,
Aidan.

 

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I would have posted these before but it took a while to cut away the right parts.

Caesar without Augustus, Vienna


Agrippa without Augustus, Nemausus

 

This one is not supposed to face left. Possibly irregular, after RIC VII Trier 288, with bust type facing left rather than right.


LICINIUS II
AE3. 2.69g, 19.6mm. Trier or Irregular mint, circa AD 320-321. RIC VII Trier 288 var. (bust right). O: LICINIVS-IVN NOB C, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust left. R: VIRTVS-EXERCIT, two captives seated on either side of a trophy; T-F across field, [dot PTR in exergue].

 

This type comes facing right a lot more often than left. When I look at this pic of the coin with Hadrian's somewhat sad portrait, it always makes me think he's looking away from the river where he lost Antinous.



HADRIAN
AR Denarius. 3.33g, 18.3mm, Rome mint, AD 134-138. RIC II 310g; BMCRE 864; RSC 991b. O: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head left. R: NILVS, Nilus reclining right, holding reeds in crook of right arm, cornucopia in left hand; before, hippopotamus left, below, crocodile left.

 

Gallienus Silvered Antoninianus
Antioch Mint 265 AD
Obverse: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust left.
Reverse: PM TR P XIII, lion standing left, bucranium (cow skull) between front legs
C VI P P and palm branch in exergue

 

This coin has a left facing bust, though that is normal. The shield, however, has a horseman leaping to the left over a fallen enemy; which is not normal. The horseman usually leap to the right.

Constantine I
A.D. 319
18x19mm 2.6gm
IMP CONSTANT-INVS AVG -- high crested helmet, cuirassed, spear across r. shoulder, shield with horseman on left arm
VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP -- two Victories stg., facing one another, together holding shield inscribed VOT PR on altar.
In ex. BSIS•
RIC VII Siscia 61





and normal example with the horseman leaping to the right

 

Two Left-facing busts (on the one coin).

Orodes IV / Isis - Kings Of Elymais

 

For this issue, 408/1b, Crawford records 144 obverse dies, only 2 of which feature a leftie bust (one has a caduceus over the shoulder, the other a bow and quiver).


ROMAN REPUBLIC
Extremely rare. AR Denarius. 3.72g, 17.6mm. Rome mint, 61 BC, C. Piso L.f. Frugi, moneyer. RBW 1481 (same dies); Babelon Calpurnia 29; Sydenham 876; C. Hersh, NC 1976, 439; Crawford 408/1b. O: Diademed and draped bust of Apollo left, caduceus over shoulder. R: Horseman, holding reins, on horse galloping right; ↓ (L, resembling an arrowhead, for 50) above; C PISO LF FRVG below.

 

I have always heard that. I am ambidextrous, so I reckon I am doubly sinister!

The Republican Romans HATED the Carthaginians, and vice versa. I notice that most of Carthage's coinage were LEFT facing, especially Tanit. Curious, since there was SO much propaganda, wild stories, and brutal fighting, especially during the 2nd Punic War; that if there were some roots of "sinister" from Left-Faced coins... Just a curiosity...


Carthage AE Trishekel Tanit Horse 220-215 BCE 30mm 19.7g


Carthage Siculo-Punic AE 17 Late 4th-Early 3rd C BCE Tanit Horse Prancing SNG COP 95


Carthage - Zeugitana AR Shekel-Didrachm 360-264 BCE Tanit Horse r head l palm



Carthage Zeugitana 4th-3rd C BCE Male Head Horse


Carthage Iberia 218-208 BC AE 13 1-4 Calco Barcid Military Mint (Yeah, that be Hannibal and his Dad) 2nd Punic Tanit Helmet


Bruttium Carthage occupupation by Hannibal AR Half-Shekel 216-211 Tanit Horse SOLAR-O HN Italy 2016 SNG Cop 361-3


Carthage - LIBYAN REVOLT Rebels 241-238 BCE 9.63g 24mm Shekel Sardinia mint Tanit 3 Grain ears Crescent SNG Cop 247


Carthage Zeugitania after 241 DIshekel AE 27 10.8g Libyan Revolt Tanit - Horse r palm MAA 45 SNG Cop 253 scarce


Carthage Zeugitana 350-270 BCE EL Dekadrachm-Stater 18.5mm 7.27g Tanit Horse 3 pellets in ex MAA 10 SNG COP137 SNG Sicily 975

 

How about the purported first living Roman General on a Roman struck coin... Shown this one before... But it is struck in Carthago Nova, founded by Hasdrubal the Fair in 227 as a colony of Carthage. It was originally called QART HADASHT which is the same name the Carthaginians called their native city of CARTHAGE. Hasdrubal was a Barcid, and this was a major city in the area called Barcid Spain, which Carthage drew enormous military and financial (Bronze and Silver mines) rejuvenation after losing the Second Punic War to Rome.

However, along came Publius Cornelius Scipio in 209 BCE to rain on the Carthaginians' parade and conquered Carthago Nova!


Roman Republic
Carthago Nova (Carthaginian city of Qart Hadasht) Roman Occupation by Scipio (later Africanus)
ca. 209-206 BCE
Bronze Unit
22.8mm, 9.1g
Carthago Nova mint
OBV: Bare head l, Roman style (Scipio?)
REV: Horse standing r
Rare
Sear/Seaby Vol 2 6575; SNG BM Spain 127-128; Burgos 552
ex FORVM
AE of Publius Cornelius Scipio (before he was Africanus, and while in Spain), from Carthago Nova... He was young, had been built up almost as a demi-god to politically oppose Hannibal's propaganda campaign in Italy against Rome... This whipper-snapper "figgered" it all out as to how to counter the psychological effect that Hannibal had on the Romans AND Italians for so many years!


Carthago Nova Scipio 209-206 BCE AE 14 Horse Head RARE.jpg

 

Left Facing Roman Republic:


RR Saturninus 104 BC Roma Saturn hldng Sickle Quad 2 dots-V S 193 Cr 317-3a var


RR Servius Rullus 100 BCE AR Den Minerva Victory Biga Sear 207 Cr 328/1


RR (Pre-Denarius) Anon AE Litra 270-269 BCE Sear 592 Cr 17/1a


RR Minicuis Thermus 103 BCE AR Den Mars 2 Warriors fighting fallen Sear 197 Cr 319/1 ex: @Valentinian

 

Roman Empire... not LRB's:

Augustus be SINISTER!

RI Augustus oak crown -Agrippa rostral crown L AE Dupondius 26mm 12-6g 10-14 CE Nemausus chained Croc wreaths RIC I 158


RI Philip II 244-249 Nisibis Mesopotamia-farthest EAST Temple


RI Claudius 41-54 Ae As 28mm LIBERTAS AVGVSTA S-C RIC 100


RI Vespasian 69-79 CE AE Dupondius Felicitas stdg caduceus cornucopia


RI Nero and Drusus Caesar under Tiberius Carthago Nova mint AE As 14-37 CE


RI Germanicus AE As 27mm struck under Caligula- S-C


RI Drusus Caesar AE As 28mm - Restor Issue under Titus


RI Tiberius AE As 14-37 CE Laureate-Pont Max Globe Rudder RIC I 58


RI Augustus DIVUS under Tiberius 22-23 CE Radiate Alter

 

Let me start by saying I’m not a coin collector. We found this while cleaning out a trailer owned by a friends late husband. I’m just trying to find out what it is. Any information is greatly appreciated.

 

It is a modern cast replica.

 

Agreed.
Value - (counted in) Cents.

 

As the poster of the silvery coin said he's not a coin collector, it's worth pointing out that it's a modern copy of a decadrachm of Syracuse (Sicily) - the dies for the original were engraved by Euainetos and real versions should weigh around 40g.

I dug up this pic from the web right now (sadly not mine!):



Obviously, these coins are sought-after and popular and have been admired since they were first minted, in around 400BC.

ATB,
Aidan.