I haven't been able to buy many coins lately and the future looks slow too, nevertheless I managed to get this one and add to my group of crossed cornucopiae, five now.
I don't have many silver ancients and had a heck of a time photographing this one. Finally had to cut down the light from my window a bit to get the details to show, that's why it's a little dark. Commodus, silver denarius, Rome, struck 190 AD Laureate head of mature Commodus r. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT PP Two crossed cornucopiae, winged caduceus between, TEMP FELIC PM TRP XV COS VI 18mm, 2.8g, RSC 719, RIC 209
I see the crossed cornucopias very nice. What interests me is that other device between the two. Looks like a staff with two snakes- the caduceus? I have seen this device on earlier coinage of the east. I believe it was the large elephant bronze unit from Bactria during the time of Demetrius I 205-171 BC.
I haven't been able to buy any coins in a while either, so I look to all you folks to get my coin fix. This is a very nice looking coin. I'm not sure if it's an offical issue though, it looks a bit crude.
The cadeuceus was a symbol of Mercury/Hermes who is shown carrying it regularly in art. You may enjoy researching how it came through error to be associated with the medical profession and how/why many medical uses have been changed to the correct device the Rod of Asclepius (one snake, no wings).
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