New Commodus

For my first post I’d like to share my latest purchase -Commodus (A.D. 177-192), AE Sestertius. Mint of Rome, struck A.D. 186. M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT, laureate head facing right, rev. [CONC MIL P] M TR P XI - IMP VII - COS V P P, S - [C], Adlocutio scene: Commodus, togate, standing left on a raised platform, holding a sceptre and raising his right hand as he addresses a group of six soldiers standing facing him, FID EXERCIT in exergue,24.9g 29mm

The adlocutio was the process by which the emperor addressed the army, delivering a formal military oration to the gathered troops. When depicted on coinage, the emperor is shown saluting the soldiers that stand before him as he delivers his speech. The adlocutio took place on important occasions, such as when an emperor acceded the throne, at the launch of a specific military campaign, or to mark a military victory. The oration might also be accompanied by a donative granted to the army. Please post any info or similar coins you may have !

 

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Welcome to CoinTalk @Tony1982 ! Great new addition with a very interesting reverse type.

Commodus is a very interesting emperor to learn about... even if his reign was a bit of a train wreck!

I don’t own any adlocutio coins but here are a few of my favorite Commodus coins for the thread.

 

Welcome to the board @Tony1982! That is a nice sestertius. You say it's your latest pruchase, so you must have more coins to share? I'm interested!

Here are my two coins of this crazy emperor.



@Curtisimo, that is a very sharp Hercules denarius of Commodus! Here's my not-so-sharp-but-nevertheless-very-happy-with-it-denarius:

 

A very interesting coin, with a nice orichalcum appearance. This Adlocutio is a great reverse. It shows that as late as the mid 180's that soldiers were still using the scutum, the traditional rectangular shield that when interlocked could form a Testudo (tortoise) formation. In the third century the army mostly moved to the circular shield characteristic of the later empire. Partly this was a cost-saving measure and also coincided with the adoption of the spatha as the sword of choice rather than the shorter gladius.

 

Thanks I find Commodus interesting, especially his later reign when he became Hercules incarnate ! You have some beautiful coins there I need some more of his denarii I think !

 

Lovely coins like the Hercules Denarius

 

Welcome to CT, @Tony1982 ! Very interesting coin, love that reverse. I don’t have a similar reverse, but I can share a couple more coins of Commodus from the earlier part of his reign, before he totally lost it.



Commodus, AR denarius (18.9 mm, 3.70 g). Rome mint, struck A.D. 184-185. laureate head right /Roma seated on cuirass left, holding Victory and cornucopia; arms on ground below. RIC 112. From the Porter Collection.


Commodus, Alexandria, BI Tetradrachm,(24.2mm., 10.19g), circa 183-185 (RY 24 of Marcus Aurelius), Laureate head of Commodus right/ Rev. Commodus, in priestly attire, standing left before bust of Serapis set on low cippus, sacrificing and dropping incense over lighted altar, L-K-Δ. RPC Online 16005, Dattari-Savio Pl. 207, 9553 (this coin)
From the Dattari Collection.

 

Interesting I love historical pieces with interesting reverses, especially on the sestertius . Even though this one could be better enough details are there to show the adlocutio scene

 

Thanks some nice coins there

 

Very nice! I like the adlocutio scene. Here's a sestertius from my collection:


Commodus, AD 177-192.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 22.51 g, 29.2 mm, 1 h.
Rome, AD 192.
Obv: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, laureate bust of Commodus, right, with slight drapery on left shoulder.
Rev: LIB AVG P M TR P XVII COS VII P P, Libertas standing facing, head left, holding pileus in right hand and vindicta in left hand; S C l. and r., low in field; star, mid right, in field.
Refs: RIC 619b; BMCRE 692 var. (bust); Cohen 290; Sear 5764; ERIC II 573 var. (bust).

 

Nice sestertius I like the older bust better

 

Great first post, @Tony1982 !

 

Thank you i hope you like the coin !

 

Welcome. Thank you for sharing the interesting coin type. I have nothing similar but will show an as with the Liberalitas platform scene when Commodus was Caesar


and another as from his fantasy identifying with Hercules.

 

Very nice looking coin @Tony1982 ...Interesting reverse!
I only have one light weight coin of Commodus...

Commodus Denarius (light weight) RIC#126
Commodus AR Denarius.Rome mint 186 AD 1.87gr 17mm
Obverse-M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT, laureate head right
Reverse- P M TR P XI IMP VII COS V PP, Concordia standing front, head left, holding standard in each hand.CONC MIL (below)

 

Very nice I had the chance once to purchase a similar platform scene sestertius , I find it another interesting type

 

Nice coin very clear details , unusual weight ?

 

161, born as LVCIVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS 166, receives title from Caesar (heir to the throne): LVCIVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • CAESAR 172, takes the title of Germanicus with his father: LVCIVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • CAESAR • GERMANICVS 175, takes the title of Sarmaticus with his father: LVCIVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • CAESAR • GERMANICVS • SARMATICVS 176, gets the title from Imperator 177, co-regent with his father: IMPERATOR • CAESAR • LVCIVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • AVGVSTVS • GERMANICVS • SARMATICVS 180, succession to the throne: IMPERATOR • CAESAR • MARCVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • AVGVSTVS • GERMANICVS • SARMATICVS 182, assumes the titles of Pius and Germanicus maximus: IMPERATOR • CAESAR • MARCVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • AVGVSTVS • PIVS • SARMATICVS • GERMANICVS • MAXIMVS 184, Britannicus adds: IMPERATOR • CAESAR • MARCVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • AVGVSTVS • PIVS • SARMATICVS • GERMANICVS • MAXIMVS • BRITANNICVS 185, Felix adds: IMPERATOR • CAESAR • MARCVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • AVGVSTVS • PIVS • FELIX • SARMATICVS • GERMANICVS • MAXIMVS • BRITANNICVS 191, last name change to IMPERATOR • CAESAR • LVCIVS • ÆLIVS • AVRELIVS • COMMODVS • AVGVSTVS • PIVS • FELIX • SARMATICVS • GERMANICVS • MAXIMVS • BRITANNICVS/ all, the names from him felix was the last year name/ scare type
coin

 

Welcome aboard, Tony! I really like that sestertius - and I really like Commodus coins in general. I have a bunch of low-grade common ones, but an Adlocutio has not come my way.

Here is my latest - a headless LIBERALITAS, which is actually a bit better than most of my Commodus sestertii, sorry to say. It may be somewhat related to the OP as it probably had something to do with a donative, military or civilian:



Commodus Æ Sestertius
(190 A.D.)
Rome Mint
M COMMOD ANT P FELIX AVG [BRIT P P], laureate head right / LIBE[RAL AVG VII PM TR P XV IMP] VIII COS VI S-C, Liberalitas standing left with coin counter and cornucopiae.
RIC 563
(21.00 grams / 28 mm)

 

Thanks and a nice sestertius still with enough detail