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<p>[QUOTE="TIF, post: 3752296, member: 56859"]When I first got into ancients I thought all Roman republican coins were cartoonish and un-artistic (and repetitive!). Eventually I saw some of the more interesting coins, although as a whole I don't think the Republican series is in the same league as Greek coins and first century Roman imperial coins in terms of artistry or workmanship. I find it hard to call any Republican coins "artistic" without adding the qualifying phrase, "for the type (Republican)".</p><p><br /></p><p>This does not mean I don't love them though <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie8" alt=":D" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p>The obverse of this coin is relatively artistic:</p><p><i><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/frugi-mercury-cr418-2b-rted-jpg.505197/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></i></p><p><b>ROMAN REPUBLIC, M. Piso M.f. Frugi</b></p><p>58 BCE (redated from Crawford's 61 BCE by Hersh and Walker, 1984)</p><p>AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.94 gm</p><p>Obv: terminal bust of Mercury right, wearing winged diadem; calix below chin; to left, star above wreath; dotted border</p><p>Rev: M·PISO·M·F / FRVGI above secespita (sacrificial knife) and patera; all within laurel wreath</p><p>Ref: Crawford 418/2b; Sydenham 825; Calpurnia 23</p><p>formerly slabbed, NGC</p><p><br /></p><p>This one isn't particularly artistic nor fine style, but it is a visually interesting design:</p><p><i><i><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/lentulustriskeles-cr445-1b-rt-jpg.512107/" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></i></i></p><p><b>Roman Republic, the Pompeians</b></p><p><b>L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus</b></p><p>Military mint in the East (Apollonia and Asia), 49 BC</p><p>AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.8 gm</p><p>Obv: Triskeles, with winged head of Medusa facing at center; stalk of grain between each leg</p><p>Rev: Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding thunderbolt in right hand and eagle on left; LE(NT) (MAR) upward to left, COS upward to right</p><p>Ref: Crawford 445/1b; Sydenham 1029a</p><p><br /></p><p>Since lettering is often sloppy and detractive, anepigraphic (or minimally epigraphic) Republicans are more appealing to me. This coin below is one of my favorite Republicans, although I still have to use the phrase "for the type" to qualify its good artistry. The <i>composition</i> is artistic; the rendering of the scene is sloppy and borders on cartoonish.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2Fae43f8_248654562c684705acf39ffdf771e233.jpg%2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_1000%2Ch_496%2Cal_c%2Cq_90%2Fae43f8_248654562c684705acf39ffdf771e233.jpg&hash=a3ac5b9ba51f29f22c7059cbcd955456" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>Roman Republic, Anonymous</b></p><p>Rome, 115-114 BCE</p><p>AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.91 g, 10 h</p><p>Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right, X behind, ROMA below</p><p>Rev: Roma, helmeted, seated on two shields, holding spear before her, she-wolf standing right at her feet, head turned back, sucking Romulus and Remus. In left and right fields, two birds flying towards her.</p><p>Ref: Crawford 287/1</p><p><br /></p><p>Here's one that is <i>definitely</i> not artistic, at least the obverse. The reverse is reasonably well rendered. Roma is often cartoonish and ugly on RR coins. </p><p><br /></p><p><img src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_2abd20b9b2494eeca102ec3358de445f.jpg/v1/fill/w_960,h_496,al_c,lg_1,q_90/ae43f8_2abd20b9b2494eeca102ec3358de445f.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><b>Roman Republic, L. Postumius Albinus</b></p><p>131 BCE</p><p>AR denarius, 19 x 21 mm, 3.8 gm</p><p>Obv: helmeted head of Roma right; flamen's cap behind</p><p>Rev: Mars in quadriga right; L POST (AL)B; ROMA in exergue</p><p>Ref: Crawford 252/1[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="TIF, post: 3752296, member: 56859"]When I first got into ancients I thought all Roman republican coins were cartoonish and un-artistic (and repetitive!). Eventually I saw some of the more interesting coins, although as a whole I don't think the Republican series is in the same league as Greek coins and first century Roman imperial coins in terms of artistry or workmanship. I find it hard to call any Republican coins "artistic" without adding the qualifying phrase, "for the type (Republican)". This does not mean I don't love them though :D. The obverse of this coin is relatively artistic: [I][IMG]https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/frugi-mercury-cr418-2b-rted-jpg.505197/[/IMG][/I] [B]ROMAN REPUBLIC, M. Piso M.f. Frugi[/B] 58 BCE (redated from Crawford's 61 BCE by Hersh and Walker, 1984) AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.94 gm Obv: terminal bust of Mercury right, wearing winged diadem; calix below chin; to left, star above wreath; dotted border Rev: M·PISO·M·F / FRVGI above secespita (sacrificial knife) and patera; all within laurel wreath Ref: Crawford 418/2b; Sydenham 825; Calpurnia 23 formerly slabbed, NGC This one isn't particularly artistic nor fine style, but it is a visually interesting design: [I][I][IMG]https://www.cointalk.com/attachments/lentulustriskeles-cr445-1b-rt-jpg.512107/[/IMG][/I][/I] [B]Roman Republic, the Pompeians L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus[/B] Military mint in the East (Apollonia and Asia), 49 BC AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.8 gm Obv: Triskeles, with winged head of Medusa facing at center; stalk of grain between each leg Rev: Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding thunderbolt in right hand and eagle on left; LE(NT) (MAR) upward to left, COS upward to right Ref: Crawford 445/1b; Sydenham 1029a Since lettering is often sloppy and detractive, anepigraphic (or minimally epigraphic) Republicans are more appealing to me. This coin below is one of my favorite Republicans, although I still have to use the phrase "for the type" to qualify its good artistry. The [I]composition[/I] is artistic; the rendering of the scene is sloppy and borders on cartoonish. [IMG]https://www.cointalk.com/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.wixstatic.com%2Fmedia%2Fae43f8_248654562c684705acf39ffdf771e233.jpg%2Fv1%2Ffill%2Fw_1000%2Ch_496%2Cal_c%2Cq_90%2Fae43f8_248654562c684705acf39ffdf771e233.jpg&hash=a3ac5b9ba51f29f22c7059cbcd955456[/IMG] [B]Roman Republic, Anonymous[/B] Rome, 115-114 BCE AR denarius, 20 mm, 3.91 g, 10 h Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right, X behind, ROMA below Rev: Roma, helmeted, seated on two shields, holding spear before her, she-wolf standing right at her feet, head turned back, sucking Romulus and Remus. In left and right fields, two birds flying towards her. Ref: Crawford 287/1 Here's one that is [I]definitely[/I] not artistic, at least the obverse. The reverse is reasonably well rendered. Roma is often cartoonish and ugly on RR coins. [IMG]https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ae43f8_2abd20b9b2494eeca102ec3358de445f.jpg/v1/fill/w_960,h_496,al_c,lg_1,q_90/ae43f8_2abd20b9b2494eeca102ec3358de445f.jpg[/IMG] [B]Roman Republic, L. Postumius Albinus[/B] 131 BCE AR denarius, 19 x 21 mm, 3.8 gm Obv: helmeted head of Roma right; flamen's cap behind Rev: Mars in quadriga right; L POST (AL)B; ROMA in exergue Ref: Crawford 252/1[/QUOTE]
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