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Help Me Solve A Mystery Coin

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Sap's Avatar
Australia
16873 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2007  10:01 am Show Profile   Bookmark this topic Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Message Number of Subscribers
OK, I like to think I'm pretty good at solving these ancient Roman coin IDs, but this one recently bought in the same sale as my Hadrian sestertius has humbled me.

Though it appears to have been zapped (cleaned by electrolysis) long ago, there's quite a lit of legible detail left, which should give plenty of hints as to who, what and when. Only none of my usual tricks have worked.

Help-Me-Solve-A-Mystery-Coin

Obverse:
The bare head of the Emperor(?) ("bare" as in without laurel wreath or radiate crown). The portrait is early (pre-200 AD), but I can't pick it - I can't even tell if this guy has a beard, or just some corrosion on his chin. The combination of wear and poor centring means the only legible part of the legend is "...C CAESAR...", which doesn't really help much, except to say it's definitely Latin - so it's from either Rome proper or a Latin-speaking Roman Provincial.

Reverse:
Roman high-priestly implements, from left to right: a secespita, or sacrificial knife; an aspergillum, a whip-like object for sprinkling water; a praefericulum, the jug which stored sacrificial wine; a lituus, a spiral-shaped short staff used to divine omens from the flightpath of birds; and a simpulum, a ladle-like object used to sample and pour out liquids being sacrificed. Apart from the big bold SC, the reverse legend is mostly gone, but probably says either PM T... or PONT... on the left hand side.

What really puzzles me about it is the contradiction between the obverse and reverse. The high priestly office (Pontifex Maximus) was almost always held by the Emperor himself, while the bare head and use of the full word "caesar" indicate to me the portrait isn't that of a reigning Emperor, but the heir-designate or other family member.

All opinions welcome.
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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amac44's Avatar
United States
3242 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2007  10:20 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add amac44 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
SAP if U do know what is we all are in trouble!
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t360's Avatar
United States
2703 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2007  10:26 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add t360 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Looks like Marcus Aurelius, I have a sestertius like this one, will scan it or try a photograph.
Edited by t360
09/22/2007 10:43 am
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Sap's Avatar
Australia
16873 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2007  11:03 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add Sap to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
AH, that's the ticket. Looks like I've got a dupondius/as (apparently even the experts are undecided which denomination it is!), Sear 4834, circa 142 AD. Example number 2 on this Wildwinds page is a fine match:

Help-Me-Solve-A-Mystery-Coin

Thanks, t360!
Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise, you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. - C. S. Lewis
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t360's Avatar
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 Posted 09/22/2007  11:45 am  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add t360 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
Glad you found it!

Better late than never, I had trouble with the camera and dead batteries. So here is a scan of my sestertius (which is "stuffy" but the best I can do right now)

Help-Me-Solve-A-Mystery-Coin

Help-Me-Solve-A-Mystery-Coin

I think all three bronze denominations (as, dupondius, sestertius) had this design, issued during reign of Antoninus Pius. Mine is a large thick heavy coin, undoubtedly a sestertius.
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t360's Avatar
United States
2703 Posts
 Posted 09/22/2007  12:53 pm  Show Profile   Bookmark this reply Add t360 to your friends list Get a Link to this Reply
ERIC by Suarez lists only the as and sestertius having the "priestly implements" reverse type.
He has only five reverse types on dupondii listed for Marcus Aurelius, and all of them are paired with the obverse type "radiate head facing right", which is also an older looking bust type. So according to Suarez you have a very nice lowest denomination bronze coin (have to be careful with that name).
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