Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;DonnaML, post: 8235811, member: 110350&quot;]I have no coins expressly portraying Mars Victor, but plenty of Mars in general:</p><p><br /></p><p>Chubby Mars:</p><p><br /></p><p>Roman Republic, Q. Thermus M.f., AR Denarius 103 BCE. Obv. Head of Mars left with crested, plumed helmet/ Rev. Roman soldier advancing right, fighting with uplifted sword a barbarian soldier before him, while protecting with shield a fallen comrade at his feet, Q THERM.MF. in exergue (THE and MF in monograms). RSC I Minucia [Q. Minucius Rufus] 19 (ill.), Crawford 319/1, Sear RCV I 198 (ill.), BMCRR Italy 653. 19.4 mm., 3.97 g. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1448781[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Young Mars:</p><p><br /></p><p>Roman Republic, Publius Fonteius P.f. Capito, AR Denarius 55 BCE [Harlan: 54 BCE], Rome mint. Obv. Helmeted and draped bust of Mars with slight beard, right, with trophy over far shoulder, P•FONTEIVS•P•F•CAPITO•III•VIR counter-clockwise around / Rev. Helmeted and caped Roman soldier on horseback galloping right, thrusting his spear down at helmeted Gallic warrior crouching beneath horse, holding his shield up with left hand to try to fend off horse, and thrusting sword with his right hand at unarmed captive to left; the captive’s Gallic helmet [<i>and shield, off flan</i>] sailing off to lower right; MN•FONT•TR•MIL clockwise above. Crawford 429/1, RSC I Fonteia 17, Sear RCV I 392 (ill.), Sydenham 900, Harlan RRM II Ch, 22 at pp. 174-175 [Harlan, Michael, <i>Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins 63 BCE-49 BCE </i>(2nd Revised Edition 2015)]. 17.8 mm., 3.97 g.&nbsp; (<i>Purchased from Zuzim Inc., Brooklyn, NY, Aug. 2020. Ex: Roma Numismatics, E-Sale 54, Feb. 28, 2019, Lot 558 [see </i><a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5704785" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5704785" rel="nofollow"><i>https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5704785</i></a><i>]; Ex: Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 100, May 29, 2017, Lot 329 [see <a href="https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=131&amp;l=114088];" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=131&amp;l=114088];" rel="nofollow">https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=131&amp;l=114088];</a> Ex: Gerhard Hirsch</i> Auction <i>168, Nov. 22-24, 1990, Munich, Lot 434. Formerly in NGC slab, Cert. No. 4629554-001, Graded Ch. AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface 4/5.</i>) [Footnote omitted.]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1448783[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Naked Mars:</p><p><br /></p><p>Trajan AR Denarius, ca. AD 114, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate &amp; draped bust right, IMP TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P / Rev. Mars, helmeted, naked but for cloak behind, advancing right, holding transverse spear, pointing up to right, with right hand and trophy over left shoulder with left hand, COS VI P P S P Q R. RIC II Trajan 299, RSC II Trajan 103, BMCRE III Trajan 516. <i>Purchased Jan. 6, 2022 from Herakles Numismatics at NYINC 2022</i>. 20 mm., 3.41 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1448784[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Mars Ultor:</p><p><br /></p><p>Severus Alexander AR Denarius 232 AD Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate and draped bust right, seen from front, IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG/ Rev. Mars Ultor (“Mars the Avenger”) advancing right in military dress, holding transverse, spear and shield, cape flying behind, MARS VLTOR. RIC IV-2 246, RSC III 161a (ill.), Sear RCV II 7882 (ill.), BMCRE 831. 20 mm., 2.91 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1448785[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Marti Propugnatori:</p><p><br /></p><p>Hostilian Caesar (son of Trajan Decius), AR Antoninianus, 251 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, C VALENS HOSTIL MES QVINTVS N C / Rev. Mars running right, holding spear in right hand and shield in left, MARTI PROPVGNATORI (Mars the Defender). RIC IV-3 177b, RSC IV 15, Sear RCV III 9556 (ill.). 22 mm., 3.65 g.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1448786[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Another Mars Ultor -- my cast bronze figurine of Mars Ultor, 2nd-3rd Century AD, based on the statue at Rome. Bearded face, military garb, crested helmet, cuirass, greaves, etc. Spear and sword lost in antiquity. Height: 60 mm. (2 3/8&quot;). <i>Ex: CNG, Sale 75, Lot 1514, May 23, 2007.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/mars-ultor-roman-bronze-1-jpg.1146751/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/mars-ultor-roman-bronze-2-jpg.1146756/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/mars-ultor-roman-bronze-3-jpg.1146757/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, regarding the <i>ancilia</i> and the Salian priesthood of Mars, see the boldfaced portions of my description of this coin:</p><p><br /></p><p>Roman Republic, L. Procilius L.f., AR Serrate Denarius, 80 BCE. Obv. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goatskin headdress; behind, S•C downwards / Juno Sospita wearing goatskin headdress, standing in biga right with galloping horses, <b>holding figure-eight style shield [prob. an allusion to the mythological Shield of the Salii priests, or <i>ancilia</i>]</b> in left hand and brandishing spear in right hand; coiled serpent below horses; in exergue, L•PROCILI•F. Crawford 379/2, RSC I Procilia 2 (ill.), Sear RCV I 307 (ill.), BMCRR Rome 3150, Sydenham 772, Harlan, RRM I Ch. 4 at pp. 19-22 [Michael Harlan, <i>Roman Republican Moneyers and their Coins</i>, 81 BCE-64 BCE (2012)]. 20.05 mm., 3.97 g. (<i>Purchased from Marc Breitsprecher, Oct. 2020</i>.)*</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1448787[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>* See Crawford at p.396, stating that the moneyer, Lucius Procilius son of Lucius, “is presumably to be identified with the Senator attested in 56 [citing Cicero] and with the man later condemned for misconduct in that year [also citing Cicero].” The presence of Juno Sospita on both sides of the coin “reveals the moneyer’s Lanuvine origin” (<i>id</i>.), as does the presence of the serpent, which “alludes to a sacred ritual performed at Lanuvium.” Harlan, RRM 1, Ch. 4 at p. 20.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Regarding the type of shield held by Juno Sospita and its connection to the <i>ancilia</i>, that connection is supported by David R. Sear, whose online Glossary of Frequently Encountered Terms in Roman Coin Descriptions (also found in each volume of the Millenium Edition of Roman Coin Values) states as follows: <i>&quot;Ancile</i> a shield of distinctive form (narrow central section of oval shape with broad curving extensions at top and bottom). It was a particular attribute of Juno Sospita and was associated with the Salian priesthood of Mars.&quot; See <a href="https://www.davidrsear.com/academy/roman_glossary.html#Ancile" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.davidrsear.com/academy/roman_glossary.html#Ancile" rel="nofollow">https://www.davidrsear.com/academy/roman_glossary.html#Ancile</a>. See also the discussion of the <i>ancile</i> at <a href="https://www.romanumismatics.com/historicarticles?view=article&amp;article_id=509" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.romanumismatics.com/historicarticles?view=article&amp;article_id=509" rel="nofollow">https://www.romanumismatics.com/historicarticles?view=article&amp;article_id=509</a>, with a photo of an example of an Augustus denarius (RIC 343) depicting two <i>ancilia</i> on the reverse.</b>[/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