This one is the final coin in the small group of recent pickups I've been sharing for the past few days. This one has some seriously beautiful toning going on that I am in love with! This denarius is from a larger issue that was minted in 79 B.C. to pay for the extensive military operations under Sulla. Roman Republic AR serrate denarius (18.3 mm, 3.91 g, 4 h). Tiberius Claudius Ti.f. Ap.n. Nero, moneyer. 79 B.C. Rome mint. Diademed and draped bust of Diana right, with quiver and bow over her shoulder / TI·CLAVD·TI·F / AP·N, Victory driving galloping biga right, holding wreath, reins, and palm frond; CXXVIIII below. Crawford 383/1; Sydenham 770; RSC Claudia 5.
Lovely toning on yours! Ti. Claudius Nero (79 B.C.) AR Serrate Denarius O: Diademed and draped bust of Diana right, bow and quiver on shoulder, S•C before. R: I CLAVD TI F AP N, Victory driving biga right, holding wreath, reins, and palm; A•LXXXVIIII below. Rome Mint 3.7g 18mm Crawford 383/1; Sydenham 770; Claudia 5 Ti. Claudius Nero was the grandfather of the emperor Tiberius. The true meaning of the obverse is not known, though it may be an allusion to the Claudians' Sabine origins.
Wow Red, what an amazing coin. I love the stylized horses. They almost remind me of grayhound race dogs. I know, I'm such a south Floridian. Larger issue? Does that mean more common and cheaper? Im still looking for a good (affordable) first coin for the new year as my coin budget is still a little depleted from recent purchases.
Nice coin! Yes, this is a common one so all who want one should be able to find it. I like the way the horses remind me of the pre-Muybridge images of running horses. Eadward Muybridge photographed running horses and showed that they never held their legs in the commonly seen rocking horse pose so artists after about 1880 stopped drawing them that way. A lot of coins meant a lot of dies. These were numbered for those who like sets. I believe that would be a bit under 300 coins (about half with a leading A). May I suggest one with a good clear strike of The APN at reverse bottom. red_sporks coin is great with TI F (son of Tiberius) and AP N (grandson of Appius). Grandpas need more respect.