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RR Denarius No. 34, with a question regarding the identity of the obverse portrait
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<p>[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 4900102, member: 110350"]This coin arrived today from Sweden (I bought it from [USER=100445]@Michael Stolt[/USER]), and I'm very happy with it. The one thing about it that makes me curious is that none of the authorities seems to have any clear idea of the identity of the portrait on the obverse. So I'm wondering if any of you has any ideas.</p><p><br /></p><p>Roman Republic, C.. Allius Bala, AR Denarius, 92 BCE, Rome mint. Obv.: Diademed female head (Diana?)* right, wearing necklace; BALA behind, control mark "R" below chin / Rev.: Diana in biga of stags right, holding sceptre and reins in left hand and flaming torch in right, with quiver over shoulder; control-mark (grasshopper) below stags; C•ALLI in exergue; all within laurel wreath. Crawford 336/1b; RSC I Aelia [Allia] 4 (ill.), Sear RCV I 221 (ill.), Sydenham 595, BMCRR 1742-1771 [no control-letter "R"]. 17 mm., 3.88 g.**</p><p><br /></p><p>Seller's photos:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1182386[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>My own attempt to take a couple of photos that show a bit more close-up detail:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1182390[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1182391[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>* Varying identifications of obverse head: Crawford ("female head r., wearing diadem"); RSC I ("female head (Diana?)"); BMCRR (same); Sear RCV I ("female deity").</p><p><br /></p><p>** Moneyer otherwise unknown. See BMCRR p. 238 n. 2: "This type may refer to the annual festival in honor of Diana held on the Aventine, where her temple stood, and at which torch races occurred. . . . C. Allius Bala was apparently the first moneyer to introduce a symbol as a mint-mark in conjunction with a letter."</p><p><br /></p><p>As you can see, the two earlier authorities (Grueber in BMCRR, and H.A. Seaby in RSC I) tentatively identify the obvious portrait as Diana, although each appends a question mark. But the two more recent authorities (Crawford and Sear) don't even attempt to identify the portrait, other than saying it's the head of a female or female deity.</p><p><br /></p><p>So my question is, why the reluctance to try to identify the obverse figure, especially since it's obviously Diana on the reverse? Is it because most portraits of Diana on Roman Republican coins (and reverses on Imperial coins, as well as Provincial coins portraying Artemis) are accompanied by objects that clearly identify her, such as bow, arrow, and/or quiver, or hound (as on my coins of A. Postumius, C. Postumius, and C. Hosidius), or, in her lunar association, a torch (as on my Gordian III/Diana Lucifera coin)? And because on this coin there's no such object to identify her?</p><p><br /></p><p>But if it isn't Diana, who else could it possibly be? Any ideas?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 4900102, member: 110350"]This coin arrived today from Sweden (I bought it from [USER=100445]@Michael Stolt[/USER]), and I'm very happy with it. The one thing about it that makes me curious is that none of the authorities seems to have any clear idea of the identity of the portrait on the obverse. So I'm wondering if any of you has any ideas. Roman Republic, C.. Allius Bala, AR Denarius, 92 BCE, Rome mint. Obv.: Diademed female head (Diana?)* right, wearing necklace; BALA behind, control mark "R" below chin / Rev.: Diana in biga of stags right, holding sceptre and reins in left hand and flaming torch in right, with quiver over shoulder; control-mark (grasshopper) below stags; C•ALLI in exergue; all within laurel wreath. Crawford 336/1b; RSC I Aelia [Allia] 4 (ill.), Sear RCV I 221 (ill.), Sydenham 595, BMCRR 1742-1771 [no control-letter "R"]. 17 mm., 3.88 g.** Seller's photos: [ATTACH=full]1182386[/ATTACH] My own attempt to take a couple of photos that show a bit more close-up detail: [ATTACH=full]1182390[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1182391[/ATTACH] * Varying identifications of obverse head: Crawford ("female head r., wearing diadem"); RSC I ("female head (Diana?)"); BMCRR (same); Sear RCV I ("female deity"). ** Moneyer otherwise unknown. See BMCRR p. 238 n. 2: "This type may refer to the annual festival in honor of Diana held on the Aventine, where her temple stood, and at which torch races occurred. . . . C. Allius Bala was apparently the first moneyer to introduce a symbol as a mint-mark in conjunction with a letter." As you can see, the two earlier authorities (Grueber in BMCRR, and H.A. Seaby in RSC I) tentatively identify the obvious portrait as Diana, although each appends a question mark. But the two more recent authorities (Crawford and Sear) don't even attempt to identify the portrait, other than saying it's the head of a female or female deity. So my question is, why the reluctance to try to identify the obverse figure, especially since it's obviously Diana on the reverse? Is it because most portraits of Diana on Roman Republican coins (and reverses on Imperial coins, as well as Provincial coins portraying Artemis) are accompanied by objects that clearly identify her, such as bow, arrow, and/or quiver, or hound (as on my coins of A. Postumius, C. Postumius, and C. Hosidius), or, in her lunar association, a torch (as on my Gordian III/Diana Lucifera coin)? And because on this coin there's no such object to identify her? But if it isn't Diana, who else could it possibly be? Any ideas?[/QUOTE]
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RR Denarius No. 34, with a question regarding the identity of the obverse portrait
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