Your favorite republican design

Coins from the Roman Republic are wonderful. Each of them tell a story about the city, an event in the city, an event concerning a family of the city, etc.
As being the moneyer for a year often was the start of a political career, many moneyers chose to have a theme involving the greatness of their family on the coins. That is one of the reasons there are so many different and interesting designs.
As I went through my collection of Republican coins today, taking photos, I was struck by one coin in particular, this one:



C. Piso L.f. Frugi Denarius (AR; 18 mm; 3.89g; 7h) 67 bc. Head of Apollo to right, hair bound with fillet; behind, symbol, lituus, decorated with feathers (?). Rev. Horseman galloping to right, below, C PISO L F FRV

This is a beautiful coin design. Simple, but this makes the main design come out. The whole flan has not been exploited for texts and symbols like many others from the era. Just a young Apollo, and a young rider on reverse. Very high relief for a Roman coin, almost like a Greek coin. The reverse commemorates a sporting event for the youth of Rome, not a war. Among many great coins from the Roman Republic, I find this the most beautiful in my collection. What about you? What is your favorite coin design from the Roman Republic?

 

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Here is my favourite.

L Papius Denarius Serratus
Obv:– Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, Dolphin wrapped around anchor.
Rev:– Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, Hippocamp
Minted in Rome from . B.C. 79.
Reference(s) – RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311.
Symbol variety – RRC -. Babelon -. BMCRR -.

A previously unknown symbol pair and the only known example

 

That’s a very nice gryphon.

 

Both coins posted are truly amazing coins @svessien and @maridvnvm

L CALPURNIUS PISO FRUGI ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Laureate head of Apollo r., behind, point control, front, check letter
REVERSE: Horseman galloping towards r., holding a palm branch, above, symbol, and below Piso Frvgi / check letter
Struck at Rome 90 BC
4.0g, 18mm
Cr340/1, Sydenham 670d. bb/Calpurnia 11
Ex Timeline Originals

L CALPURNIUS PISO FRUGI ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Laureate head of Apollo right, number LV behind
REVERSE: Horseman galloping right, holding palm L PISO FRVGI below, ROMA monogram, number LXXII above
Struck at Rome 90 BC
3.75g, 18.4mm
Cr340/1, Calpurnia 12

And another type from the same moneyer a few years earlier

L CALPURNIUS PISO CAESONINUS & Q SERVILIUS CAEPIO ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS CALPURNIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Head of Saturn facing right, harpa and legend PISO behind, CAEPIO and symbol below, Q below chin
REVERSE: AD FRV EMV EX SC, the two quaestors seated left between 2 grain ears
Struck at Rome 100 BC
3.6g, 20mm
Crawford 330/1a; Syd 6031

 

I enjoy collecting Roman Republic coins. I have MANY favorites. Here is one:


Roman Republic
Anon Ca 240 BCE
AR Heavy Quinarius / Drachm
16mm 3.0g
Rome
Helmet Hd Mars r -
Horse’s hd - sickle
Craw 25-2 Syd 25 RSC 34a R

 

I found it too difficult to stop at just one though (I have more than 25!) .....

Here are two more as a sample

L Papius Denarius Serratus

Obv:– Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, Shoe.
Rev:– Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, Sandal
Minted in Rome from . B.C. 79.
Reference(s) – RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311.
Symbol variety – RRC -. Babelon -. BMCRR -.
3.78g. 19.71 mm. 180 degrees.

An unpublished symbol pair with five examples currently known. This is likely the best of the five examples. (Richard Schaefer)



Obv:– Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, owl
Rev:– Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, crow with open wings or eagle
Minted in Rome from . B.C. 79.
Reference(s) – RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311.
Symbol variety – RRC 76. Babelon 76. BMCRR 12.

Symbols of Athena

 

I also have the Piso/Capito coin, Bing. That one sticks out from the rest too, with the round, porcupine-like head of Saturn.
Looks like I have to look for a Papius too. With a nice gryphon.

 

Anonymous. 115 or 114 BC. 20 mm. 3.92 grams.
No distracting reverse lettering.
Beautifully composed with Roma seated on a stack of shields and a helmet, the wolf and twins, and birds flying. The centering is very important for the symmetry of the design, and remarkably, most of these are well-centered.

Most Republican designs are far less artistic than the best Greek designs, but this one comes with one of the better Republican reverse dies.

Crawford 287/1. Sear I 164.

 

I agree, Valentinian. That is a special one too. Rome looks a bit tired here, is she grieving?
The birds flying, do they have anything to do with augurs? Watching the flight of different birds were among the signs from the gods that the pontifs were looking for.

 

That is a lovely C Piso Frugi, Sveissen. The bust of Apollo is especially artistic.

One of the reasons why the one below is my favorite is precisely because every square millimetre of available flan space has been exploited to fit the design. However, I do think the chosen types are so unique that I imagine it must have made an impression even when it first rolled out of the mints back on the middle of the 1st century BC.


ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius. 4.03g, 18mm. Rome mint, 47 BC, L. Plautius Plancus, moneyer. Crawford 453/1c; CRI 29a; Sydenham 959b. O: L.PLAVTIVS, facing mask of Medusa with disheveled hair. R: Aurora flying right, holding a palm branch and conducting the four horses of the Sun; PLANCVS below.

 

One of my many favorite RR designs:
MN. FONTEIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS FONTEIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Jugate heads of the Dioscuri
REVERSE: Galley under oar
Struck at Rome 108-109 BC
3.9g, 20mm
Cr.307/1, Fonteia 7

 

Dazzling portrait on that op coin! And some real show stoppers in the thread, hubba hubba
Since my favorite design on an rr isn’t my best looking, I’ll share a few (and don’t you dare yuck my yum):

 

I’ve had my finger on the bid button for that one many, many times I want one with very little wear and well centered. The complex dies seem to have been clogged up many times on this type too; the reverse or parts of the gorgon (especially the hair) are often mushy. Yours is a very nice example.
While the Piso coin is beauty in simplicity, this is a design more complex than most roman coins. It is interesting to see how the engraver has tried to create dept and a feeling of three dimentions by using different scales on the three horses, the largest one to the left, and stacking them upon each other. We are used to this on the typical quadriga reverses, but they have a more standard symmetry, and the movement is most often in one direction. Here, there is movement in all directions. There are few examples of silver coinage with this style, from this coin was minted and for the next 15-1600 years, to my knowledge. I come to think of this modern example, combining neo-classical and art noveau:

 

I’ve always liked that discouri double portrait. Never hurts with a galley on reverse too.

 

My goodness, this coin checks so many of my boxes. A nightmare that turns into a dream on the reverse. If ever you need to send that coin off for safe keeping... well...


think of me

 

that's a nice friggy...and some lovely coins of the members..

 

I agree with Z but his is higher grade than mine. There is quite a difference in style quality on these so I am looking for a well struck and fine style coin with all four horses clear. Mine is poorly struck and has a lot of reverse flatness. Wish me luck.


What I really want is an upgrade on the variation which shows snakes at the side of the face. Mine is worn and on a small flan.

 

I haven't gotten seriously into Republican yet, but if I had to pick a favorite, it would be either the Plautius Plancus denarius, or one of the early pre-denarius didrachms.

From my own collection, I mostly go for aesthetic appeal, rather than history like I do for Imperial.

 

Roma has one with a really nice obverse and snakes as earrings for auction now. Reverse off-center, though. Good luck!

 

If you want to get into the history bit too, I recommend this book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roman-Republican-Moneyers-Their-Coins/dp/0713476729