My new Pupienus denarius makes a pair with my Balbinus denarius

I bought a Balbinus denarius back in April of this year (see below), and have been looking ever since for an (affordable) example issued by Pupienus, to go with it. It took a while, but I finally bought one last week from a very reputable dealer -- my last purchase this year, I think, not counting one less expensive coin I bought that hasn't yet arrived. Perhaps the fact that Pupienus's hairline is pretty much worn away in front of his laurel wreath brought the price down to my level, but as far as I'm concerned, the rest of the obverse, and the entire reverse (see, for example, the facial features of the Genius of the Senate), more than make up for that.

Pupienus, AR Denarius, April-June 238 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, IMP C M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG / Rev. Bearded Genius of the Senate, togate, standing front, head left, holding olive branch in extended right hand, and short transverse scepter in left hand, PM TRP COS II PP. RIC IV-2 5, RSC III 29 (ill.), Sear RCV III 8528 (ill.). 20 mm., 3.42 g.*



It makes a nice matching pair, I think, with my Balbinus denarius, which has the same reverse design:

Balbinus AR Denarius, April-June 238 AD, Rome mint. Obv. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, IMP C D CAEL BALBINVS AVG / Rev. Bearded Genius of the Senate, togate, standing front, head left, holding olive branch in extended right hand, and short transverse scepter in left hand, PM TRP COS II PP. RIC IV-2 5, RSC III 20, Sear RCV III 8489 (ill.). 20 mm., 2.65 g. (Purchased from Kirk Davis April 2020; ex: Kirk Davis, Cat # 74, Fall 2019, Lot 83).*



This footnote applies to both coins:

*The standing figure on the reverse of each coin was traditionally believed to be the respective Emperor himself, holding a parazonium (a short triangular sword typically found on coins depicting Virtus) in his left hand. That view is still reflected in OCRE (based on RIC) and at the British Museum website (based on BMCRE), as well as in the descriptions of all 14 coins of this type I found that have been sold since 2003, listed on acsearch. However, as @curtislclay explained at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/balbinus-denarius.358987/#post-4410967, in discussing a Balbinus example, the reverse “shows not the emperor on the reverse, but the Genius of the Senate, so his attribute has to be a short scepter, not a sword! A pity that the [British Museum] website perpetuates this old error (Genius misdescribed as emperor). The correction was made by [Andreas] Alföldi in his Insignien und Tracht [der römischen Kaiser (Deutsches Archäologisches Institut,1935)] . . ., followed by many others since then, including a recent article by R. Ziegler. On coins of Antoninus Pius, for example, the same togate figure is labeled GENIO SENATVS. His beard and bushy hairstyle on [the Balbinus] coin are exactly as required for the Genius, and exclude Balbinus. No surprise that the Genius of the Senate reappears on the coins of Balbinus and Pupienus, since they were senators themselves and were chosen to be emperors by the Senate.” Note that Sear equivocates, describing the reverse figure on both coins as either the Emperor or “the Genius of the Senate.” See Sear RCV III 8489 & 8528 (published in 2005).

Post your own coins of this Dynamic Duo.

And, quiz time: without looking it up, who was the next Roman Emperor after Pupienus (not counting the Gallic and Byzantine emperors) to wear a long beard? By Pupienus's time, such beards had been out of style for some time, and they continued to be after his demise.

 

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..o wow Donna...those are two biggies to get ahold of...and in excellent shape! congrats!!

 

Great denarii! I don't have either of these emperors, but I'm planning to get them someday.
As for the beard question, I'm guessing it's Julian the Apostate?

 

Exceptional coin. Great style and early die state on both sides. Great selection!

 

I don't actually know the answer myself, but that would also be my guess. If so, more than a century later.

 

Speaking of provenance (the subject of another thread yesterday), all the dealer who sold me the Pupienus disclosed was the always-helpful information that it came from "an old collection." (Do they ever say a coin came from a young collection?) I've written to ask if there's anything at all he can tell me beyond that, but he hasn't answered yet. He did enclose with the coin these two old coin tickets:




I don't suppose anyone gets any clues from these tickets? The only thing I noticed was that the Seaby 2316 number someone wrote on the second ticket -- along with correcting the Cohen number and crossing out "Fr. 10," whatever that means (not francs, I think!) -- matches the number for the coin in Sear's Roman Coins and their Values (3rd Rev. ed. 1981), which I happen to have. So I think it's reasonable to guess that someone wrote that in the 1980s, perhaps before the next edition of Sear came out in 1988.

 

I have a matched set of Sestertii that I bought at the same time. Can't get one of these dudes without the other. Also, notice that the Pupienus coin celebrates his victory over Maximinus Thrax, whereas Balbinus emphasizes Concord.

However, there was very little cooperation between the two former senators, each residing in a separate part of the Palace and worrying about which of them would either be dispatched by the licentious Praetorian Guard or would engineer a coup against the other.


Pupienus Æ Sestertius. 33mm, 29 grams, A.D. 238

Obverse: IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG, laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right

Reverse: VICTORIA AVGG S-C, Victory standing front, looking left, holding wreath and palm branch.

Reference: RIC 23a, Cohen 38.





Balbinus. AD 238.

Æ Sestertius, 33mm, 22.9g, 12h; Rome mint. 1st emission.

Obv.: IMP CAES D CAEL BALBINVS AVG; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.

Rev.: CONCORDIA AVGG; Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopia; S C in exergue.

Reference: RIC IVb 22, p. 171.

 

Neither here.

 

Two very nice denarii @DonnaML. In the past I have had an antoniniani duo of theirs, that I have parted with since :






I now have the same duo, but in denarii (I decided to keep those rather than the antoniniani, because they were in much, much nicer condition, and of better style, at least for the Pupienus) :


Balbinus, Denarius - Rome mint, AD 238
IMP C D CAEL BALBINVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Balbinus right
PROVIDENTIA DEORVM, Providentia standing left, holding rod and cornucopiae, globe at feet
2.7 gr
Ref : RIC # 7, RCV # 8490



Pupienus, Denarius - Rome mint, AD 238
IMP C M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
PM TRP COS II PP, Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and sceptre
3.08 gr
Ref : RCV # 8527, Cohen # 26

Q

 

The 10 Fr is 10 Francs - Cohen is online, so you can check:

https://www.virtualcohen.com/pupienus-3

ATB,
Aidan.

 

Thanks. If that's what it signifies, what a strange thing to write down.

 

Funnily, people who still quote Cohen numbers often include his valuations as well - e.g. CGB do, at least some of the time - the values serve as a comparative rarity estimate and not much else!

E.g. https://www.cgb.fr/antonin-le-pieux-sesterce-tb-,brm_480322,a.html

Anyway, great coins - I have a decent Balbinus, but should probably get a matching Pupienus (or downgrade Balbinus!):




ATB,
Aidan.

 

Nice, @DonnaML , congrats! Very nice coins.

BALBINUS

Balbinus, CE 238
AR Denarius, 20mm, 3.7g, 12h; Rome, CE 238.
Obv.: IMP C D CAEL BALBINVS AVG; Laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: VICTORIA AVGG; Victory standing front with wreath and palm.
Reference: RIC 8
Ex: @John Anthony


PUPIENUS

RI Pupienus AR denarius bust r Concordia throne patera dbl cornucopiae Seaby 6

 

That's a great coin @DonnaML! Despite it not being a RR, it would adorn any top 10 list. Unfortunately I don't own a coin of Pupienus or Balbinus.

 

Fantastic additions, Donna They will have a sweet home in your collection.
John

 

Here are my contributions to the Balbinus/Pupienus Parade.

Roman Empire, 238 AD
Balbinus
AE Sestertius
Rome
Obverse: IMP C D CAEL BALBINVS AVG, Draped laureate bust, facing right.
Reverse: P M TR P COS II P P, Emperor, togate, standing to left, holding branch and parazonium.
RIC 16
17.5 grams
29mm, 1h.
ex Harlan Berk.
Found in Turkey in late 80s - early 90s.



Roman Empire, 238 AD
Pupienus
AE Sestertius
Rome
Obverse: IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG, Draped laureate bust, facing right.
Reverse: VICTORIA AVG, Victory stand, facing left, holding garland with left hand, and a palm with the right hand.
RIC IV 23a
19.91 grams
29mm, 11h.
ex CNG.

 

Very nice, Donna! Congratulations. Nice portrait style!

Balbinus is one of the emperors I don’t have. But I have a Pupienus:

 

Those are some exquisite coins. I laughed quite a bit when I learned how to properly pronounce the Emperor Pupienus' name.

 

Superb coin, congrats !

 

That sestertius of Balbinus is definitely weighty-looking. A lot of gravitas. I assume that @curtislclay would take the position that its reverse, as well, portrays the Genius of the Senate holding a scepter rather than Balbinus himself holding a parazonium.