Since today is Valentine's Day, I thought it would be fun to post which figure from history you would pick as your Valentine. It can be anyone from history & time period. Just post a coin or a few & why you pick the person. My pic is Orbiana. With many empresses I have acquired over the years, I always found Orbiana to be one of the most attractive. I think it may have to do with the cheekbones seem to be more raised/fuller than other empress portraits. Orbiana (225 - 227 A.D.) AR Denarius O: SALL BARBIA ORBIANA AVG, draped bust right. R: CONCORDIA AVGG,Concordia seated left holding double cornucopia and patera. Rome 19mm 3.8g RIC IV 319, RSC III 1, BMCRE VI 287, SRCV II 8191
Nice portrait to me on this Salonina tet of Alexandria: EGYPT, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm, 23mm, 9.8 grams, 12h Dated RY 15 (A.D. 267-268) Obverse: KOPNHALA CAAONEINA CEB; Diademed and draped bust right. Reverse: Eagle standing right, holding wreath in beak; palm in left field, L IE to right Reference: Koln 2983; Dattari 5346; Milne 4189; Curtis 1642; Emmett 3854
Considering the way he felt about her, you might have been able to run away with her with his blessing. Caracalla was fine with her exile in 205 and executed her immediately after the death of Septimius in 211. I suspect Caracalla would have sold her as a slave had Septimius allowed it. What was the going rate for a low mileage ex wife? How are we to know if this paper is history or historical fiction? https://research.ncl.ac.uk/histos/documents/2017AA02DavenportTheSexualHabitsofCaracalla.pdf
Mine for ancients/ Lucilla Present/ Grace Kelly wife of Prince Ranier III Monaco 1966 issue. Non coin/ Helen of Troy from recent movie.
Hilarious thread idea @Mat! And Orbs is a beauty. But my heart belongs to a nymph. I'm obsessed. You might say I'm a nymph-omanic. Her name...Arethusa: Dionysios I Sicily, Syracuse Æ Hemilitron, circa 405-400 BC. Head of Arethusa left; laurel branch behind / Dolphin right; cockle shell below, ΣVPA between. CNS 24; SNG ANS 417; HGC 2, 1480. 3.63g, 18mm SICILY, Syracuse Second Democracy (465-405 BC). Ae Trionkia. Obv: ΣYPA. Head of Arethusa right, dolphin to left and right. Rev: Octopus; three pellets around. HGC 2, 1428. Condition: Very fine. Weight: 3 g. Diameter: 15 mm SICILY. Syracuse. DeinomenidTyranny 485-466 BC. AR Tetradrachm (24mm - 17.45 g). Struck circa 480-475 BC. Charioteer driving walking quadriga right, holding kentron and reins; Nike flying above crowning horses / Diademed head of Arethusa right, surrounded by four dolphins swimming clockwise. Boehringer 134 (V60/R93); SNG ANS 38 (same dies); Randazzo -. rev sl off-ctr, sl surface imperfections,most notably a horizontal scratchlike flaw in obvright field. Sicily, Syracuse Deinomenid Dinasty (485-425), Litra, c. 470 BC, AR (g 0,78 mm 10), Laureate head of nymph Arethusa r., wearing earrings and necklace, dotted border, Rv. Σ-V-R-A, wheel with four spokes. Boehringer 402 SNG Copenhagen - SNG ANS 124-126. Rare CILICIA, Mint Uncertain 400-350 BC. Obol (Silver, 10 mm, 0.58 g, 1 h). Female head facing, turned slightly to left, wearing earrings, necklace and flowing hair (Arethusa?). Rev. Facing head of Bes. Göktürk 44. SNG Levante 233. SNG France 486. Fine metal and attractive on both sides. Very fine. Ex: Leu auction 4 Ex: Nomos Obolos 14
Mine is still Julia Domna....But after reading @dougsmit link.....Hmm.......................... Still brains are sexy!
Seeing as this one arrived this morning, she has to be my valentine. Yes I know I am not her type but then again who is ? Artemis, Gallia - Massalia picture courtesy of www.navillenumismatics.com
When I showed this to a non-coin collecting friend, he said "Who's the doll?", so I guess Ceres should be my Valentine: (Obv. of Cr. 427/1 denarius of 56 BC). ATB, Aidan.
I have always liked a woman with backbone, so Athena: TARAS, CALABRIA AR Diobol OBVERSE: Head of Athena in crested helmet left decorated with Skylla REVERSE: Herakles kneeling right, strangling lion Struck at Taras 380-334 BC 1.2g, 11mm Vlasto 1316
This is probably my best female portrait coins. I bought the coin this month, just because of the lovely portrait and the nice hair style: Faustina Junior // VENVS
