Post Your Favorite Sestertius!

What a great assemblage! This is a good representation of why I love sestertii. Big format, nice portrait details and a host of fantastic patinas. I know, many just dont see what others do in a bronze (brass, copper, whatever, I use bronze synonymously though erroneously and wont stop now). And this photo represents a period of time in which is really interesting, often neglected and misunderstood. To boot they are often half the price of similar coins just 100 years or so earlier. How long did it take you to get the Gallienus and Salonina? Few are as nice as those.

 

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Thanks for the kind words @Ken Dorney .
Both Gallienus and Salonina were instant buys rather than the result of focussed hunting. I found the Galienus at a coin fair and the Salonina from a Jacquier fixed price list, a few years back.

Q

 

Hmm. It's an interesting idea but the result, to me, looks pretty distracting. Maybe it would be better if the reflections were made more transparent so they didn't have the same visual weight?

 

Thanks for your input and advice TIF. The intensity of the reflection can be adjusted with a masking layer so I'm sure I'll continue to tweak these results

I really like the effect of the white light from above used to reflect the coin on the black surface in some of your and others photos here but since I prefer a white background for my coin photos I thought I'd do some experimenting with an effect that is more suitable to that format. Overall I'm pretty satisfied with the results but like all things it can use some refinement.

I might try losing the ripple and going with a universal roughness of the water and I'll definitely go back and try and tone down the glossiness and intensity of the reflection.

 

Don't have too many Sestertius' but here is one I like

 

Ummm, well I've already posted my favourite sestertius on page 1 ...

=> but here are several more of my humble examples to toss into this cool thread:

Divus Augustus Sestertius






Diva Julia Titi Sestertius




Antoninus Pius Sestertius




Antoninus Pius Sestertius





Lucilla Sestertius





Lucius Verus AE Sestertius





Commodus AE Sestertius






Philip II (as Caesar) Sestertius





... just a bunch of humble ol' pond-skippers, eh? (I love 'em)

 

I find it difficult to post only those sestertii I like best...when in fact I like them all

So, if you will bear with me, here are a few more of mine:


Sestertius in the name of Julia, daughter of Augustus. Rome. circa 22-23 AD



Sestertius under Tiberius in the name of Drusus, son of Tiberius.
22-23 AD. Confronted heads of two little boys on crossed cornucopiae with caduceus.


Galba, 68 – 69 Sestertius. Rome. Late summer 68. Libertas Publica.

 

Some sestertii of Nero and a Nerva:

Nero Sestertius. Struck at Lugdunum. - Decursio.



Nerva. AD 96-98. Æ Sestertius. Rome. Struck AD 96. Libertas Publica

 

Sestertii of Domitian and Trajan:


Domitian. AD 81-96. Æ Sestertius. Rome. Struck AD 86.
Domitian riding on horseback right, trampling foe (Germanic warrior).


TRAIANUS, 98-117. Sestertius, about 103-111. Rome. Emperor in military attire on horseback, brandishing spear at Dacian warrior.


TRAIANUS, 98-117. Sestertius. Rome. Fortuna Reduci.

 

Great Trajan sestertii

Q

 

I'm with @Ken Dorney I love big bronze!

 

Sestertii of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Faustina.


Hadrian (AD 117-138). Sestertius. Rome, AD 118. Hadrian seated left on raised platform with attendant distributing coins to a togate citizen climbing steps of platform; Liberalitas standing left behind attendant.


Antoninus Pius augustus, 138 – 161. Sestertius. Rome. Pius seated on platform. Citizen r. mounting steps.


Diva Faustina I Æ Sestertius. Rome, after AD 141. Ceres standing left holding two torches.


Divus Antoninus Pius. Æ Sestertius. Struck under Marcus Aurelius in Rome, after AD 161. Funeral pyre of four tiers decorated with garlands. Quadriga.
.

 

Two early sestertii. Caligula and Trajan.

Gaius, (Caligula) 37 – 41. Sestertius circa 37-38. Rome
S·P·Q·R / P·P / OB·CIVES / SERVATOS in wreath


Trajan, 98 – 177
Sestertius 103-111, Laureate head r., drapery on l. shoulder. Rev. Roma seated l. on cuirass, holding Victory and sceptre

 

Wow, apparently you have quite a few of those, eh Eduard?

=> fantastic examples!

 

I'm not even sure which of your coins I want to praise the most. I love the Nero and the Trajan! Glad you decided to share more than just your favorite

 

My biggest congratulations!!! That is exactly what I am working on, but I would have the hardest time if I tried to match the quality of your portraits :-D



Since I bought many sestertii last year it would be hard to choose a favorite, but in terms of rarity it would surely be this RRRR Salonina - apparently the second known example:



CORNELIA SALONINA AVG / PUDICITIA S C
Sestertius, Rome ca. 262
28 mm, 11,66 gr
RIC: -, C: -, BRMC: -, Sear: -, ERIC II: -, Göbl: -

 

Steve, Curtisimo, Thanks!
Yes, I do like the big, historical chunks of copper!
(I do have a few more I could post........)

 

Thanks to both of you for posting and attributing the above coin, which is possibly my favorite sestertius, but I have a number that are also in the top tier. One of them is my other Caligula sestertius:



GAIUS (CALIGULA) 37 - 41 A.D.
AE Sestertius (28.01 g.) Rome c. 37 - 38 A.D. RIC 32
C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT Laureate head left.
Rev. ADLOCVT Gaius, bare headed and togate, standing l. on platform, r. hand extended to five soldiers with shields and parazonia, rearmost pair carrying an aquila; in exergue, COH.
Ex. Luc Girard.

 

Gorgeous sestertius of Gaius! Thanks for posting.

I am curious about the reverse attributes: "parazonia, rearmost pair carrying an aquila".

Does the word "parazonia" represent gladius, the Legionary's short sword?

And, the attribute states a "pair" aquila (eagle)... however, I see 4 Legionary standards topped with aquila? Am I completely misinterpreting the attribute?

Thanks for your kind help.