Featured Sol and the RING OF FIRE

Many amateur astronomers had the chance to observe Sunday in the sky of East Africa, for the summer solstice, a rare solar eclipse of the type "ring of fire".
This astronomical phenomenon, which occurs only once or twice a year, began shortly after sunrise in central Africa, crossing the Democratic Republic of the Congo , South Sudan, northern Ethiopia, before taking the direction of Asia, to finish in the Pacific Ocean, south of the island of Guam, at 9:32 GMT. In this type of eclipse, the Moon passes in front of the Sun, in an alignment with the Earth sufficiently perfect to hide it. But not entirely, as during a total eclipse: the Moon not being close enough to Earth, it is an annular eclipse, that is to say that at its maximum, there remains a ring around the Sun, called "ring of fire". Only 2% of the Earth's surface was affected by the total phase of the eclipse, which makes the phenomenon exceptional. So it's been a while since we had a thread about our friend Sol. Feel free to show us your favorite coin featuring the "sun god".



Gordian III

Gallienus

Severus Alexander

 

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Here's a Sol coin photographed by the light of an annular eclipse in late December last year. I'm convinced it brought out a bit of extra luster.

PROBUS
AE Antoninianus. 3.31g, 22mm. Rome mint, circa AD 276-282. RIC 202; Cohen 644. O: IMP PROBVS AVG, Bust radiate left, almost half-length, seen from front, wearing consular robes and holding eagle-tipped scepter. R: SOLI INVICTO, Sol raising right hand and holding globe and whip in left, in quadriga of horses leaping left; in exergue, crescent flanked by R and B (officina 2).
Ex Phillip Davis Collection

 

My very first ancient....

Licinius I (RIC VII#155 Arles)-Unlisted-
Licinius I AE Follis 20mm/3.43gr (Emperors name Misspelled)
Obverse-IMP LICINVS PF AVG- laureate, cuirassed bust right
Reverse-REV SOLI INVICTO COMITI- Sol standing right, looking left, chlamys across chest and over his left arm, holding globe and raising right hand. C-S across fields
Exergue-PARL- minted 313-318AD Arles

 

I'll ride the Sol train with this Sol Invictus:



Aurelian AD 270-275.
Roman silvered billon Antoninianus, 3.60 gm; 21.7 mm, 6 h.
Rome mint, officina 9, issue 11, early – September AD 275.
Obv: IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: ORIE-N-S AVG, Sol walking r., holding olive branch in r. hand and bow in l. hand, l. foot resting on a captive in oriental dress kneeling on the ground to r., head turned l., r. hand raised; * in left field, XXIR in exergue.
Refs: RIC 64; MER/RIC temp 1834; RCV 11569; Hunter 23; Cohen 159; La Venera 1321-32.

 

Two of my favorite Sol reverses:


Severus Alexander, AE sestertius. (28mm, 19.2g.), Rome, 235 AD. Laureate, draped & cuirassed bust right./ Rev. Sol standing left with whip. RIC 538.


Aurelian, Antoninianus. Rome mint. (23mm, 3.61g), IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right / ORIENS AVG / A / XXIR, Sol advancing right, holding branch and bow, trampling captive. RIC 64. Partial silvering.

 

Here's my best Sestertius showing Sol. Gordian III. Cohen 43.

 

Nice and interesting


Mamaea, Alexandria tetradrachm - AD 231-232 (year 11),
IOY MAMAIA CE MHTE CEB K CT , Diademed and draped bust of Mamaea right
Radiate and draped bust of Helios right. in front, palm-branch and behind LIA.
12.67gr.- 23.5mm
Ref : Emmett # 3205 (R4)
From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.

Q

 

These are the SUN and POOP GODS, as portrayed on this Roman Republic Denarius...


RR
Mussidius Longus
42 BCE
AR Denarius
Radiant Sol
The shrine of Venus Cloacina; a low circular platform surmounted by two statues of the goddess, each resting right hand on cippus, the platform inscribed CLOACIN and ornamented with trellis-pattern balustrade, with flight of steps and portico on left; L•MVSSIDIVS•LONGVS above
S 494 Cr494-42

Comments: This denarius celebrates a shrine to one of the more unlikely patron deities of the Roman pantheon: Venus Cloacina - the Venus who protected the sewer system (the Cloaca Maxima) of Rome. The Cloaca Maxima was said to have been built under the Etruscan kings, Tarquinius Priscus and Tarquinius Superbus, as a means of draining the swampland around the city’s seven hills. In order to protect the drainage system the Sabine king Titus Tatius was said to have erected a shrine to honor Cloacina, the spirit of the sewer who came to be identified with Venus in the Republican period. By some bizarre twist, the composite goddess Venus Cloacina was ultimately recognized as having two spheres of authority: the protection of the sewers, and the protection of the marital bed.Apparently the Roman Republican mind spent more time in the gutter than is usually admitted.

 

Perhaps we, who have never lived without proper sewage disposal, underestimate the significance of Venus Cloacina in making Rome what it was. If any of us did time travel and visited cities of any size before the last century or two, our noses would be able to pick out the places which were favored by running water. Even with the sewers, Rome suffered from pandemics now and then but they realized that lacking sunshine and running water it could have been much worse. We all need one of these:

 

Gordian III is about it for me I'm afraid.

 

Appropiately perhaps, the heads of the sun and moon

 

..it's so aggravating not being able to upload pics......

 

A couple additions from a recently purchased mixed lot...

(Seller's Pics)


Elagabalus (AD 218-222) AR Denarius Rome Mint
O: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate draped bust of Elagabalus right
R: PM TR P II - COS II P P, Sol standing left with right hand raised, holding whip in left hand
RIC IV 17




Probus (AD 276-282) Antoninianus Ticinum Mint
O: IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, radiate, draped bust right.
R: CONSERVAT AVG, Sol standing front, head left, right hand raised in salute & left hand holding globe, TXXT in exergue.
RIC 348.

 

Two of my favorites.
I no longer own this top coin:

Probus
Sol in approaching quadriga


Constantine I
Sol, facing.

 

CONSTANTINE II
Rome mint
CONSTANTINVS IVN N C: Bust of Constantine II, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right, seen from behind
CLARITAS REIPVBLICAE: Sol, radiate, chlamys draped across left shoulder, standing left, raising right hand and holding globe in left hand

 

Venus Cloacina reminds me of a piece of late 19th century doggerel, said to have been written on the door of a toilet in an Oxford college:

Fair Cloacina, goddess of this place,
Soft upon thy throne may our oblations flow
Not rudely swift, nor obstinately slow.

UK prime minister Harold McMillan used the last line in the House of Commons, reviewing the progress of some on-going negotiations

 

LOL, excellent!

 

This one came yesterday. Sol with captive.