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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Roman Collector, post: 3316581, member: 75937&quot;]Hi, Brittany. The coin is about the size of a penny and was struck during the reign of Marcus Aurelius sometime between 161 - 180 CE.</p><p><br /></p><p>When this coin was <a href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=405465" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=405465" rel="nofollow">put up for auction in 2007</a>, the auctioneer specifically said it depicted the statue as displayed in the Louvre:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]879100[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;RÖMISCHE PROVINZIALPRÄGUNGEN</p><p>THRAKIEN</p><p>AUGUSTA TRAIANA</p><p>Objekt-Nr.: 1811</p><p>Marc Aurel, 161 - 180 n. Chr. AE Einer (3,90 g.), Vs.: AU KAI M AURH ANTWNINOS, Kopf r. Rs.: AUGOUSTHS TRA/IANHS, rechtshin lagernder Hermaphrodit vor angedeutetem Landschaftshintergrund. Schönert - Geiss, Augusta Traiana - ; A.Chadzikostov in FS Schönert-Geiss - ; Varbanov, GIC 855 (schwimmender Flussgott). RRR! Schöne dunkelgrüne Patina, gutes ss</p><p>Die berühmteste statuarische Fassung eines schlafenden Hermaphroditen ist im Louvre zu bewundern: Man erblickt den Körper einer auf dem Bauch ruhenden Frau, die ihren Kopf auf den verschränkten Armen gebettet hat. Im Schlaf ist ihr Gewand weit herabgerutscht und gibt den Blick auf runde, weibliche Formen frei. Erst wenn man die Figur umrundet, entdeckt man irritiert das männliche Geschlecht. Der reizvolle Typus ist für Augusta Traiana nur in wenigen Exemplaren nachweisbar.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>HOWEVER ... it&#039;s important to note that the coin has also been interpreted as depicting a river god swimming right, and a <a href="http://wildwinds.com/coins/ric/marcus_aurelius/_augustaTraiana_Varbanov_854.txt" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://wildwinds.com/coins/ric/marcus_aurelius/_augustaTraiana_Varbanov_854.txt" rel="nofollow">different auctioneer who sold the coin in 2002</a> described it as such:</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;Marcus Aurelius AE 17mm of Augusta Traiana, Thrace.</p><p><br /></p><p>AV KAI M AVR ANTWNEINOC, bare head right.</p><p>AYGOYCTHC TRAIANHC, river-god swimming right.</p><p><br /></p><p>Varbanov 854.&quot;</p><p><br /></p><p>There are many coins in antiquity depicting swimming river gods and this may well be one of them. But I was struck by the resemblance of the coin to the Sleeping Hermaphrodite statue and think the auctioneer may well have been right. The issue is far from settled, however. Unfortunately, I am unable to find another example of this particular coin online anywhere to compare its reverse to others out there.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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