Post Your Favorite Sestertius!

There was recently a thread inviting everyone to post their favorite Denarius. That post got a lot of great entries so I thought it might be fun for everyone to post their favorite Sestertius. If you can't pick just one feel free to give your top 5.

I recently bought my very first Sestertius so I will post it up as my current favorite I've been experimenting with some photography effects to try and make some of my coin images pop. Feel free to give me your thoughts.


Obverse: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate and draped bust right

Reverse: PIETAS AVG, Pietas standing left, praying with hands upraised at altar to left; stork to right, S-C across fields

RIC II 771.
Weight: 22.77g
Diameter: 31mm

And because I love Hadrian, history and architecture here are a couple of photos from Hadrians villa to show what he spent all these amazing coins on.

 

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That mosaic.

My only sestertius, also of Hadrian.

 

is that you hanging out at the villa curtisimo?

not my favorite, but my most recent, a MA with roma reverse.



i should have another sestertius in my mailbox tomorrow!

 

Nice coin! Yes that is me lounging around Hadrian's Villa like I own the place. I don't...but it would be super cool if I did

If you ever get a chance to go I highly recommend it. To me it was every bit as impressive as the Coliseum

 

Hard one. I like them all. I will go with this one.

 

This is my favorite. It's Vespasian and son's. I catalog it as RIC-150.

 

Great coin, and great location I went there in 2015 and was mesmerised.

 

I have a couple of favorites but this one of Antoninus Pius, showing the finished temple of Faustina still standing in the Forum today. AD 141, RIC 1115, 24.88gm, 33mm, Black patina. Has a lot of history attached to it. Also take note of the extra set of stairs on the lower left hand side of the coin something I have not seen on any other type of this coin.

 

Nice!

Heres my favorite 2:

 

Well I just posted this one the other day but this one is probably my favorite:


Maximinus Thrax, Rome, AD 235-238
AE, sestertius, 31mm, 20g; 12h; AD 235-236
Obv.: IMP MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG; laureate, draped bust right
Rev.: PROVIDENTIA AVG; Providence standing left with cornucopiae and wand over globe at feet, S-C across field

 

These two Marcus Aurelius sestertii are my faves.


MARCUS AURELIUS
AE Sestertius. 29.44g, 31mm. Rome mint, AD 173. RIC 1075; Cohen 535. O: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVII, laureate head right. R: IMP VI - COS III, Mercury standing left on pedestal, holding caduceus and purse, within a tetrastyle temple with telamons as columns; semicircular pediment containing, from left to right, tortoise, cockerel, ram, winged helmet, caduceus, and purse; S-C in field, RELIG AVG in exergue.
Notes: This type is popularly associated with the Rain Miracle of the Legio XII Fulminata (Thundering 12th Legion). According to Cassius Dio, the 12th Legion under the command of Marcus Aurelius had found themselves encircled and heavily outnumbered by a Quadi Army. Stricken with fatigue, thirst, and the heat, they were on the verge of capture when an Egyptian magician named Anurphis, a companion of the emperor, invoked the aid of Mercury as god of the wind and air. A sudden storm rose in the midst of the battle, reviving the Romans with rain while destroying their enemies with hail and lightning.


DIVUS MARCUS AURELIUS
AE Sestertius. 25.61g, 31.9mm. Rome mint, AD 180, struck under Commodus. RIC 660. O: DIVVS M ANTONINVS PIVS, bare head right. R: CONSECRATIO, Eagle, carrying a thunderbolt in its talons, flying right, bearing aloft Marcus Aurelius, who holds a sceptre; S-C across fields.
Ex HD Rauch Summer Auction, 15 September 2008, lot 621

And one final one, a sentimental favorite, being the first sestertius I ever bought...

ANTONINUS PIUS
AE Sestertius. 27.24g, 32mm. Rome mint, AD 158-159. RIC 1002. O: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XXII, laureate head right. R: PIETATI AVG COS IIII, Pietas standing facing, head left, globe extended in right, child in left arm, flanked by a child on each side at her feet; S-C across field.
Notes: Pius's daughter, Faustina, as Pietas on the reverse, holding newborn Fadilla, with daughters Faustina and Lucilla standing by her side.

 

Good choices, you have to admit Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius had the most varied and interesting Sestertius of the Roman empire.

 

That's a beautiful coin with a fantastic portrait.

 

Curtisimo => congrats on your sweet new OP-Sestertius!! (very cool Hadrian)

man, they sure are sweet coins to hold, eh? (probably my favourite holding-coin? ... hmmm, although those big Ptolemy babies are pretty cool as well, eh?)

Anyway ... I have lots of great Sestertius examples, but I always smile when I see this great coin



... cool thread (thanks for posting the photos ... ummm, I'm assuming that's you in the one shot?) ... it is always great putting a face to a member

Cheers

 

I have many coins of Septimius Severus but few are sestertii. This one has the reverse of the three Monetae.


I have always liked the die engraving on this very young Caracalla as Caesar.


Last is my perfectly good sestertius of Antoninus Pius which suffered being overstruck by Postumus. I am unclear what reverse was on the Pius coin but the Postumus is the galley type.

 

There are some real lookers in this thread!

I only have a few sestertii. This is my favorite, which I stupidly posted in the recent "favorite denarii" thread


Nero
struck in Rome, CE 63
Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm
Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis
Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship
Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24
Heritage, CICF World and Ancient Coin Signature Auction, Apr 2014. Removed from NGC slab.

@Curtisimo, your pictures of Hadrian's villa are fantastic!

As for your coin background experimentation, the idea of "rippling water" reflections is interesting. I think it might look better if the obverse and reverse didn't have the same ripple pattern (make one ripple for the lower part of the composition).

 

I hate to bring bad news, @alde, but this coin is a cast modern fake, roughed up and given a fake sandy patina

More examples of this particular fake:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=72


http://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?album=search&cat=0&pos=32

 

I was confused, but I assumed it was intentional.

 

I really don't think the one I posted was my favorite. Maybe it is. I love them all so here's the rest of mine:

My first empress coin! Big thanks to you @stevex6

Faustina the Younger, Rome, AD 128-175
AE, 31mm, 23.72g; Rome mint
Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA; draped bust right wearing circlet of pearls
Rev: IVNONI REGINAE S-C; Juno, veiled, standing left, holding patera & scepter; peacock standing left at feet, head reverted

This was my first.

Gordian III, AD 238-244
AE, sestertius, 25.46g, 32.5mm; 12h; Rome, AD 238-239
Obv.: IMP CAES MANT GORDIANVS AVG; laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: VICTORIA AVG; Victory advancing left, carrying wreath and palm; S-C

This one I thought was nice on both sides, the portrait is not so bad as the image suggests and it is a Virtus reverse.

Postumus, AD 260-269
Ӕ Sestertius, 31x29mm, 19.2g, 12h; Lugdunum mint, AD 261
Obv.: IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: VIRTVS AVG, Mars standing right holding spear and leaning on shield.

The portrait was too good to pass up and I even though the galley is beat up, I still love it.

Postumus, AD 260-269
AE “Double" Sestertius, 33mm, 24.9g, 12h; Colonia Agrippinensis or Treveri mint.
Obv.: IMP C M CASS LAT POSTVMVS P F AVG; Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: LAETITIA AVG (AVG in exergue); Galley left, four rowers and steersman

 

NERO CLAUDIUS DRUSUS
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP - Bare head left
REVERSE: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TRP IMP Exe: SC - Claudius seated left, holding branch; weapons on floor
Rome 41BC-2 AD
28.6g, 36mm
RIC 93

HADRIAN
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P, laureate bust right, draped far shoulder
REVERSE: HILARITAS P R S-C, COS III in ex, Hilaritas standing facing holding palm & cornucopia, two small children flanking her
Struck at Rome, 128-134AD
25.30g, 35mm
RIC 970

MAXIMUS
AE Sestertius
OBVERSE: MAXIMVS CAES GERM - Bare-headed, draped bust right
REVERSE: PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS - Maximus standing left, holding baton and spear, two standards behind
Struck at Rome, 236-238 AD
18.3g, 28.5mm
RIC 9, C 14

OTACILIA SEVERA
Æ Sestertius
OBVERSE: MARCIA OTACILIA SEVERA AVG, diademed and draped bust right
REVERSE: SAECVLARES AVGG, SC in ex, Hippopotamus standing right, head raised
Struck at Rome, 248 AD
18.6g, 30mm
RIC 200a, Cohen 65
ex Warren Esty