Roman Republican coin artistry

Lovely idea, and coins.
My plans for downsizing my collection are on their way, but the more I think the more it's obvious I will keep the roman republic coins : I love them so much !


Republic, Didrachm - Rome mint c. 269-266 BC
No legend, Diademed head of young Hercules right, with club and lion's skin over shoulder
ROMANO, She wolf right, suckling Romulus and Remus
7.29 gr
Ref : RCV # 24, RSC # 8



M. Atilius Saranus, Denarius - Rome mint, 148 BC
Helmeted head of Rome right, SARAN downwards behind, X below chin
Dioscurs riding right, M.ATILI in field, ROMA at exergue
3.66 gr
Ref : RCV # 92, RSC, Atilia # 8v.



M. Plaetorius M.f. Cestianus. Denarius - Rome mint, c. 69 BC
Male head right (Mercury ?) with flowing hair. Behind symbol
M·PLAETORI – CEST·EX·S·C Winged caduceus
18 mm, 3,86 gr
Ref : RCV #344, RSC Plaetoria # 5, Sydenham # 807, RBW # 1453, Crawford # 405/5
From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection



Sextus Pompeius and Q. Nasidius, Denarius
Mint moving with Sextus Pompeius, Sicily, 42-39 BC
NEPTVNI, head of Pompey the great right, trident before head, dolphin below
Q.NASIDIVS at exergue, galley sailing right, star in upper field
3.92 gr
Ref : HCRI # 235, RCV # 1390, Crawford # 483/2, Sydenham # 1350, Cohen # 20
Ex Freeman & Sear, Ex Barry Feirstein collection (NAC auction # 42/279)
Ex Roma Numismatics


And even poor ol' Marcus Antonius can play with this denarius of unexpected good style :


Marcus Antonius, Denarius - travelling mint, moving with Marcus Antonius in 41 BC
ANT AVG IMP III VI R P C, Head of Mark Antony right
Fortuna standing left, holding rudder in right hand and cornucopiae in left; at feet, stork; below, PIETAS COS
3,82 gr - 20 mm
Ref : Crawford # 516/2, Sydenham # 1174, HCRI # 241, C # 77
Ex. Auctiones.GmbH

Q

 

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Here are some artistic Republican coins from my collection




Anonymous. 210-206 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.86 g, 3h). Minted in Apulia.
Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) behind.
Reverse: The Dioscuri, each holding spear, on horseback right; two stars above; ROMA in exergue.
Reference: Crawford 53/2.
Provenance: CNG Electronic auction 408 (25 October 2017), lot 368, from the Andrew McCabe Collection. Ex Vecchi 13 (4 September 1998), lot 631.

Anonymous. 210-206 BC. AR Denarius (20mm, 4.65 g, 1h). Minted in Apulia.
Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) behind.
Reverse: The Dioscuri, each holding spear, on horseback right; two stars above; ROMA in exergue.
Reference: Crawford 53/2.
Provenance: CNG Electronic auction 433 (28 November 2018), lot 240.


L. Piso Frugi. 90 BC. AR Quinarius (14mm, 2.16 g). Rome mint.
Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo right, club (control mark) in left field.
Reverse: Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm-branch, L PI - SO across fields, FRVGI in exergue.
Reference: Crawford 340/2e.
Provenance: Naville Numismatics, Auction 42 (22 July 2018), lot 422. Ex Sternberg Auction 18 (20 November 1986), lot 323.



Marsic Confederation. 91-87 BC. AR Denarius (21mm, 3.75 g). Bovianum(?) mint, struck 89 BC.
Obverse: Laureate head of Italia left; VITELIV ( = ITALIA) retrograde in Oscan script behind.
Reverse: Soldier standing facing, head right, left foot on lorica, holding inverted spear in right hand and sword in left; to right, recumbent bull facing, head right; I in exergue.
Reference: Campana group 9b, 141 (D97/R118).
Provenance: Roma Numismatics Auction XVI (26 September 2018), lot 537. Ex Bolaffi Spa, Auction 29 (30 November 2016), lot 80.


L. Censorinus. 82 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.99 g, 6h). Rome mint.
Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo right.
Reverse: Marsyas standing left, raising hand and holding wineskin over shoulder; L•CENSOR downwards in left field; column surmounted by statue of Minerva(?) in right field
Reference: Crawford 363/1d.
Provenance: CNG 111 (29 May 2019), lot 613. From the Alan J. Harlan Collection, purchased from Edward J. Waddell, Ltd.


A. Postumius A.f. Sp.n. Albinus. 81 BC. AR Serrate Denarius (20mm, 4.13 g, 10h). Rome mint.
Obverse: Veiled head of Hispania right, HISPAN downward in left field.
Reverse: Togate figure standing left, raising hand, between aquila and fasces. A – POST•A•F – •S•N – ALBIN across fields and in exergue.
Reference: Crawford 372/2.
Provenance: CNG 106 (13 September 2017), lot 651. Ex Deyo Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 90, 23 May 2012), lot 1334. Stack’s (9 December 1992), lot 3177.


Q. Pomponius Musa. 56 BC. AR Denarius (20mm, 3.98 g). Rome mint.
Obverse: Laureate bust of Apollo (or Erato?) facing right with hair rolled back and in loose locks over the forehead, flower or rosette before ear and a flower on stalk (or a compound plectrum?) to left, possibly a lily.
Reverse: Erato, the Muse of Erotic Poetry, standing slightly right, habited in the stola — over which is the palla, — holding a kithara, and playing upon it with a simple plectrum held at her side; Q•POMPONI to left; MVSA to right.
Reference: Crawford 410/7b corr. (rev. type)


T. Carisius. 46 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.80 g). Rome mint.
Obverse: Head of Sibyl Herophile right, hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling, tied with bands.
Reverse: Sphinx seated right; T • CARISIVS above, III • VIR in exergue.
Reference: Crawford 464/1.
Provenance: Ex Aureo & Calicó Auction 319 – Alba Longa, vol. I (7 November 2018), lot 223, Ex Sotheby's "Greek and Roman coins" (28 October 1993), lot 1385.



T. Carisius. 46 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.61 g). Rome mint.
Obverse: Head of Roma right, wearing ornate helmet; ROMA behind.
Reverse: Scepter, cornucopia on globe, and rudder; T • CARISI below; all within laurel wreath.
Reference: Crawford 464/3c.
Provenance: Triton XXII (9 January 2019), lot 912. From the Alan J. Harlan Collection, purchased from Freeman & Sear. Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 33 (5 April 2006), lot 339.



C. Vibius Varus. 42 BC. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.67 g, 11h). Rome mint.
Obverse: Laureate and bearded head of Hercules right.
Reverse: Minerva, helmeted and draped, standing right, holding spear in right hand and Victory in extended left; shield at side, C • VIBIVS downward to right, VARVS downward to left.
Reference: Crawford 494/37
Provenance: Heritage Auctions - Long Beach Expo World & Ancient Coins Signature Auction Session 5 (September 5-9 2019), lot 155. Ex Stack's & Bower's - Coin Galleries: The Numismatic Review and Fixed Price List (May - June 1960), lot A371.

 

Okay I just got this guy recently. Some of you may have seen it. Denarius of Sextus Pompey 42-40 B.C. Obv. Head of Neptune r. Rv.Naval trophy set on Anchor. Cr 511/2b 3.88 grms 18 mm

 

Wow, full stop at your Marsic! Very nice

 

There are some truly beautiful coins in this thread. A lot of the Republican coins are a bit blocky in their iconography, but still capture striking imagery; those that display a grace and naturalism in their imagery are twice as cool! Here are some of my favorites, starting with one of my favorite coins period.


Anonymous denarius
Obverse: Bust of Roma right, X (mark of value) behind
Reverse: Mounted Dioscuri advancing right with lances, stars above, ROMA in border below
Crawford 44/5, Brinkman Group 6; ex Busso Nachf E-Auction 6

The obverse of this one has the characteristic blockiness of late Republican denarii, but I think the reverse is really strikingly executed with its use of perspective, as far as I know, an original Roman take on the iconography:


Quintus Sicinius and Caius Coponius denarius
Obverse: Q SICINIVS III VIR, diademed head of Apollo right
Reverse: C COPONIVS PR S.C, club of Hercules, arrow & bow, lionskin of the Nemean lion draped over top.
Crawford 444/1a, ex Ancient and Medieval Coins Canada Auction 1

I guess the alien arm on the reverse is a strike against it (this die, anyway), but I still find this a beautiful coin, and one that exemplifies Republican Rome:


Obv: Bust of Roma left, wearing plumed helmet and holding shield with horseman and spear over shoulder; above, crescent; behind, ROMA; before, ¬
Rev: Voting scene; above, P. NERVA; at top of coin, bar on which stands tablet bearing P
Crawford 292/1, ex Hildebrecht Hommel collection

And an obligatory one that I haven't posted yet that I think doesn't need another attribution in this thread

 

Quadrigatus 225-214 B.C. ObvJaniform head of the Dioscuri. Rv. Jupiter driving quadriga right. Cr 28/3 6.70 grms 22 mm

 

Good thread, Warren. Some of my favorites, style-wise.

Phil Davis

 

Those are five really wonderful obverses. Which RR issues had the best reverses? The Plautius Plancus would be one to consider but I don't know anywhere close to all the RR types..

 

Not a direct answer about which are "best", but here are some reverses I like:



(I know you appreciate this next one Doug; good taste!)

 

One more artistic obverse, although you may need some familiarity with the issue to see just how remarkable this coin is. Most dies of the type are, shall we say, "uninspired", depicting Vesta wearing her plucked chicken Halloween outfit, but this die is a real portrait of a real person. We'll never know who she is, but I like to imagine that the moneyer's favorite aunt or older cousin was a Vestal Virgin and he chose this route to secretly honor her. (An aside: this coin perfectly illustrates the truism that even the best photo can never substitute for viewing a coin in person. This appeared in NAC 33, lot 263, in 2006. I skipped right by it in both the print and online catalogues, paid it no attention at all, since I had a perfectly acceptable example of the normal scrawny chicken version. When I saw her in person though, in all her well-rounded high-relief wonder, she absolutely screamed "Buy me!" So I did. There's no arguing with an imperious Vestal Virgin!)

Phil Davis

 

One of my favorite RR reverse types, which I didn't see posted previously:


Rome, The Republic.
Pub. Lentulus P.f.L.n. Spinther, 71 BCE.
AR Denarius (3.85g; 18mm).
Rome Mint

Obv: Q•S•C; Hercules head right.

Rev: P•LENT•P•F / [L]•N; Genius Romani seated facing on chair, holding coruncopia and scepter, being crowned by Victory.

Provenance: ex Collection of a Director [Triton XX (10 Jan 2017) Lot 525]; ex Eton College Collection [Sotheby's (1 Dec 1976) Lot 219)].

The reverse depicts Genius of the Roman People exerting dominance over the world with one foot on the globe while being crowned victorious. The message may be related to the ongoing wars with Sertorius in Spain, Mithridates in the East and possibly the servile revolt led by Spartacus in Italy (if the 71BC date proposed by Hersh and Walker is accepted, see below). Other members of the Cornelia gens also depicted Genius of the Roman People on their coinages, so the cult of Genius may have been important to the family, or it may be coincidental that the Corneliae happened to strike these coins during strife when the message of the Genius of the Roman People would have been appropriate. Crawford agrees with the latter explanation. SC [Senatus consulto] in the obverse legend suggests it was struck by special decree of the Roman Senate.

The coin is scarce and missing from many major hoards, making it difficult to precisely date. In fact, it’s listed in only four hoards on Table XIII in Crawford’s Roman Republican Coin Hoards. Of those four hoards: in two hoards (Cosa and Palestrina), it’s deemed the final issue (terminus ante quem), lacking the context of later coins; in the third hoard (Tolfa), it’s the next to last issue with the last being a serrate denarius of Q. Creperei Rocus, which Crawford dates to 72BC; and in the fourth hoard (San Gregorio), it appears in the middle context in which Rocus is again the next latest coin. Crawford’s Roman Republican Coinage dates the coin 74BC, concurring with Grueber’s dating in the British Museum Catalogue. David Sear stuck with Crawford’s dating of 74BC in the Millennium Edition of Roman Coins and Their Values. However, in their 1984 analysis of the Mesagne Hoard (which contained no examples of this coin), Hersh and Walker revised the dating to 71BC, which lumps the Spinther issue with several other, non-serrate, “SC” issues of the late 70s. Hersh and Walker re-date the serrate Rocus issue to 69BC, where it is lumped with other serrate issues. In my collection catalogue, I’ve chosen to use the 71BC date proposed by Hersh and Walker, because it fits neatly with the fabric and special circumstances of the coinage and is consistent with the cursus honorum dates discussed in the following paragraph.

The moneyer was the Quaestor, P. Cornelius Lentulus, whose nickname was Spinther (reportedly because he resembled an actor by that name). It was a nickname that he clearly liked as both he and his son later used it on coins. Spinther, an aristocrat of the Cornelia gens, was liked by Julius Caesar and rose through the cursus honorum, beginning with his Quaestorship when this coin was struck. He was elected Aedile in 63BC and worked with Cicero in suppressing the Cataline conspiracy. The date of his Aedileship is important in that 6-8 years was the required waiting period between Quaestor and Aedile in the cursus honorum, the career path for a Roman politician, which is consistent with Hersh and Walker’s proposed dating of this coin issue to 71BC; Crawford’s dating of 74BC implied that Spinther failed to reach the Aedileship for several years after he qualified for the position (being elected in the first qualification year was an important distinction to the Romans, though certainly an accomplishment that many Roman aristocrats failed to attain). He was later governor of part of Spain. With Caesar’s help, he was elected consul in 57BC, when he recalled Cicero from exile. Thereafter he governed Cilicia, at which time Cicero wrote him a still-surviving letter. As relations deteriorated between Caesar and Pompey, Spinther sided with Pompey. Despite initial offers of amnesty by Caesar, Spinther would not remain neutral and was eventually killed or committed suicide during the civil wars. His son later allied with Caesar’s assassins and struck the well-known LENTVLVS SPINT coins for both Brutus and Cassius.

This example comes from the Eton College Collection, which was auctioned by Sotheby’s in 1976. Eton College initiated its ancient coin collection by acquiring a large group of British Museum duplicates in the 1870s, and Eton added to this collection in the ensuing years. By the mid-1970s, the ancient coin market was white-hot, and Eton decided to cash-out the lion’s share of its collection, keeping a representative core for study purposes. I’ve contacted the British Museum’s Department of Coins and Medals to link this coin to the original tranche of BM duplicates purchased by Eton. Unfortunately, before adoption of modern curatorial standards, the BM did not accession duplicates into the BM collection; rather, they simply put duplicates into the “duplicates cabinet” without cataloging them. These uncatalogued duplicates would be sold or traded from time to time to acquire needed specimens for the BM collection. There might be record of the transaction somewhere at the BM, but there would be no description of the duplicates sold. By 1980 or so, the BM began cataloguing all coins, even duplicates. There is an 1880s book published about Eton's Roman coin collection, but it describes only a representative sample of the collection and this coin is not included.

 

Very nice!

 

Not only is that a great coin, it is a great post! Thank you very much for your extensive comments. That coin type sure has an interesting history and the individual coin itself does too. Wonderful!

 

my favorite





Roman Republic, mint Rome, 125 BC, silver denarius
C. Caecilius Metellus Caprarius – moneyer
Obv. Head of Roma right, wearing Phrygian helmet; below chin, X and behind, ROMA.
Rev. Jupiter, crowned by Victory flying right, in biga of elephants left, holding thunderbolt in left hand and reins in right; in exergue: C. METELLVS.
Crawford 269/1

My photographing skills do not match the quality of this coin. Note the wrinkles on the elephant.

 

Hardly artistic but....... P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther Ar Cistophoros Apameia Stumph 73 56-53 B.C.12.19 grms 26 mm

 

Hmmm... this is a Roman Republic provincial...


RR Macedon occupation Alexander - Club Coin chest Quaestor Chair wreath Aesillas Quaestor AR Tet Thessalonika Mint BC 90-70
Greek legend obv, Latin legend rev

 

Since we are going into RR provincials, I may as well switch metal a little I think both of these show some fine style for being RR provincials even though a bit worn (these are rare, so extremely difficult to find them in high grade).



Fulvia, first wife of Mark Antony. Circa 41-40 BC. Æ (23mm 7.48 g). Zmertorix, the son of Philonides, magistrate. Minted in Eumeneia (as Fulvianon), PHRYGIA.

Obverse: Bust of Fulvia (as Victory) right.

Reverse: Minerva standing left, holding shield and spear; [ΦOYΛOYIANON] in right field, [Z]MEPTOPIΓOΣ/[Φ]IΛΩNIΔOΥ] in two lines in left field.

Reference: RPC I 3139

Mark Antony. 38-37 BC. Æ Tressis (32mm 25.78 g). Naval base in Greece (at Piraeus?); M. Oppius Capito, propraetor and praefectus classicus.

Obverse: M • ANT IMP • TERT • COS • DESIG • ITER • ET • TER • III • VIR • R • P • C - Conjoined bare heads of Mark Antony and Octavian right, facing draped bust of Octavia left.

Reverse: M • OPPIVS • CAPITO • PRO • PR • PRAEF • CLASS • F • C - Three galleys under sail to right. Γ (Gamma) and Triskeles below.

Reference: RPC I 1463

 

Jugate heads and vis-a-vis heads on one coin, and ships on the same coin! That checks a lot of "this is cool" boxes!

 

LOL, but... hmmm Fulvia with ANGEL WINGS??? ( I know, they are Victory wings )

My Fulvia that I liked because of the LION


RImp Marc Antony 43 BCE AR Quinarius 13mm 1.67g Lugdunum Winged bust Victory-probly Fulvia Lion DVNI LVGV Cr 489-5 Syd 1160

 

I picked this up a couple of weeks ago from Andy Singer just because I liked the look, even with banker’s marks but something about the reverse struck me as being well done.





Moneyer issues of Imperatorial Rome. Mn. Cordius Rufus. 46 BC. AR Denarius (17.9mm, 3.53 g, 6h). Rome mint. Conjoined heads of the Dioscuri right, wearing filleted pilei surmounted by stars / Venus Verticordia standing left, holding scales and scepter; Cupid on her shoulder. Crawford 463/1b; CRI 63a; Sydenham 976c; Cordia 1