Atta-boy, randygeki ... congrats on the sweet new Nerva addition! I only have my lone Nerva example (great snout & club combo) Nerva AR Didrachm CAPPADOCIA, Caesaraea-Eusebia AD 96-98 Struck AD 98 Diameter: 20 x 22 mm Weight: 6.64 grams Obverse: Laureate head right Reverse: Club set on ground; date in legend Reference: Metcalf, Caesarea 45; Sydenham, Caesarea 153
Okay, so you win the Ugly Nerva contest, but can you beat my post-uncleaned Vitellius? Bronze As Spanish (Tarraco?) mint Obv: A VITELLIVS - IMP GERMAN Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTI - Victory, with shield inscribed S P Q R, between S and C RIC 46 29mm, 8.4g.
Thanks for spotting the dot I missed. RIC lists only bare head and beard and no beard and pointed cap. Perhaps I am missing the differences between cap and helmet. I guess I am tired of horsemen minutia for a while.
What I don't understand is why these different reverses were made in the first place. They seem to depict different ethnicities. I can understand differences from one mint to another, or even from earlier to later emissions, but why would a celator switch from an apparent Eastern-style barbarian to a more western-looking one? Would it be reasonable to conclude that there was more than one celator creating these reverse dies? Were the reverses meant to show the defeat of both the Persians and the Goths?
I often have trouble telling the difference between some of the headgear. Something I need to study more intently. Phrygian, Scythian,Wide-brimmed helmets, Celtic or "Phrygian Nasal" helmets and pointed caps can all look alike to me.... There were multiple celators (how many? idk). I'm not sure if they just had enough freedom to depict what ever (whom ever) or if they were to represent enemies "both foreign and domestic." I assume a combination of both, with emphasis on local/regional.
awesome RG. i've been working on scratching some romans off the list as well...but nerva is still on there.
