Identification Fun: 10 Romans Join My Legion. Can We Get Them All?

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Author	Replies: 10 / Views: 1,578
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 09/07/2018 11:02 pm I mainly bought this lot of 10 Romans for what appears to be a Victorinus antoninianus, but it will be fun to try to identify them all! The pricing was quite reasonable. Let's have a go at this. I'll post my guesses (1-10) -- feel free to correct me or help me identify the ones I cannot. #1 - Appears to be an AE sestertius. Obverse has a partial legend, perhaps TIVS or INVS, with an unadorned right-facing bust of a younger/youthful appearance. Reverse looks like Abundantia, Annona or Concordia. #2 - AE. Obverse has a right-facing bust, with a very rectangular profile, and possibly ANTIN or RATIA. Reverse has a facing standing unadorned figure and what looks like a crude REIPUB. Could this be barbarous? #3 - AE. Obverse has bust facing right. IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS PF AVG = Constantine? Reverse has figure standing facing right, holding a scepter or staff, and possibly VATORI or PATORI. Looks like SMT (Thessalonica) in ex. #4 - AE. Obverse laureate/cuirassed bust right, (A?)C...INUS PF AVG? Reverse figure standing facing right, possibly the prisoner/captive type, and REIPVB; looks like TRP (Tripoli?) in ex. #5 - Silvered AE ant. IMP C VICTORINVS PF AVG. Radiate & cuirassed bust right. Rev: Salus standing right feeding serpent in arms. SALVS AVG. My guess is Victorinus, RIC V.2 67. #6 - AE. Obv cuirassed bust right. Reverse figure standing facing left, right arm extended towards a big blob, looks to be draped, with a shield? and globe or orb in left hand. Possibly (RE)IPVB or (EXERC)ITVS reverse. Mint in ex. cannot be clearly read, might end in a T. #7 - AE. Diocletian? IMP C VAL DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG? Radiate and cuirassed bust right. Reverse: Figure seated(?) facing right, 2nd figure standing facing left holding a scepter, perhaps holding an orb, over a Greek letter Delta between the two? Legend is hard to read but looks like CONSERVATORI. Possibly mint or XXI in ex. #8 - AE. Weird bust facing right, perhaps STAN...IVS, one of the Constantines? Rev: two figures standing facing banner, looks like GLOR(IA) (EXER)CITV(S). Cannot read ex. #9 - AE. A hooded? bust facing right, the worn legend more off the flan than on it. Rev: a chariot/biga and what appear to be three or four horses, no legend that I can see, no exergue line. #10 - AE. Bearded, radiate bust facing right, partial legend on left side. Similar to Claudius (II?) or Tetricus? Rev: Possibly a figure standing facing right, holding cornucopia with left arm. Oval flan and no discernible reverse legends. Thanks for taking the time to look @ these. Let's see what we can come up with! Coins 1-10 (seller) Closer shots of 7-10 (seller) Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Edited by paralyse 09/07/2018 11:29 pm Report this Post to the Staff

echizento Moderator United States 23731 Posts	Posted 09/07/2018 11:19 pm #1 Hadrian 2 Valentinian? 3 Constantine The Great 4 Another Valentinian 5 Victorinus 6-8 can't tell 9 Constantine memorial 10 ? Report this Post to the Staff
Kushanshah Pillar of the Community United States 1554 Posts	Posted 09/07/2018 11:39 pm #10 is a "barbarous radiate", obverse prototype probably Tetricus I. Reverse looks like Fortuna with rudder and cornucopiae. Report this Post to the Staff
Finn235 Pillar of the Community United States 6130 Posts	Posted 09/08/2018 1:45 pm 2 is Gratian, REPARATIO REIPVB, emperor raising kneeling woman 4 is Magnus Maximus, same type 6 is also the same type, but I believe Theodosius? 7 is a Diocletian antoninianus 8 I think is Constantine, but the legend is fuzzy enough that it's a tough call to make. Constantine and his three sons all issued that type as Augustus. Agreed on 9 and 10. IMO, the Constantine posthumous is the prize of the lot; nice patina, good details, and you can see the Manus Dei too! Report this Post to the Staff
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 09/08/2018 11:52 pm Looking good so far, thanks to CCF. I did not have any coins of Magnus Maximus or Victorinus, and only had a denarius of Hadrian (no copper), so this fills out the collection a bit more. Combining the information so far: #1 - Hadrian. Sestertius. Can we nail down the reverse? Based on the bust with the long, long neck and triangular nose, I think it's Hilaritas w/cornucopia and two children, as in RIC II 970, I think I can see the traces of the exergue line as well. #2 - Gratian. AE2. Looks very much like RIC IX Arles 20a based on the very crudely executed reverse. #3 - Constantine. AE Follis. IMP C FL VAL CONSTANTINVS PF AVG / IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter holding eagle and Victory; the mint is SMK (Kyzikos/Cyzicus) and there is a letter in the right field, S or Z, as in RIC VII Cyzicus 3S. #4 - Magnus Maximus. AE2. DN MAG MAXIMVS PF AVG / REPARATIO REIPVB. Mint is actually Trier (TRP) as in RIC IX Trier 85. I see this is listed as "scarce" or "rare" depending on the sources, but no idea if that's true, or not. #5 - Pretty much nailed down. #6 - I think Theodosius w/REPARATIO REIPVB is correct, but the reverse throws me a bit, since the MM in ex. appears to read "NAT" which isn't a known mintmark that I can find; might this be an imitative issue that blundered an ANT MM? #7 - Diocletian AE ant. Probably IMP CC VAL DIOCLETIANVS PF AVG / IOVI CONSERVATORI AVG (Wildwinds states "Diocletian standing right receiving Victory from Jupiter standing left, holding long sceptre; Δ between" and attributes to Antioch mint) as in RIC V 324. #8 - I think now Constantius II, GLORIA EXERCITVS rev w/2 soldiers and banner, but cannot read MM to narrow it down further. #9 - AE4, DV CONSTANTINVS PT AVGG?, mint is off flan but similar to Cyzicus issues. I think Finn may be right on, this does look like a nice coin. #10 - I agree w/barbarous radiate of Tetricus I / Fortuna reverse. Thanks so far to those of you have helped out! Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Edited by paralyse 09/08/2018 11:58 pm Report this Post to the Staff
Kushanshah Pillar of the Community United States 1554 Posts	Posted 09/09/2018 02:01 am The mm on #6 could be [S]MRT, Rome, 3rd officina. RIC IX, 43(d); LRBC II, 753. http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/..._RIC_43d.txt Edited by Kushanshah 09/09/2018 02:05 am Report this Post to the Staff
Finn235 Pillar of the Community United States 6130 Posts	Posted 09/09/2018 03:05 am The reverse deity on the barbarous is holding a palm, not a rudder; She's Hilaritas, not Fortuna. Compare vs. my official issue: Edited by Finn235 09/09/2018 03:06 am Report this Post to the Staff
antwerpen2306 Pillar of the Community Belgium 1194 Posts	Posted 09/09/2018 09:49 am A barbarous Hilaritas of Tetricus II . albert Report this Post to the Staff
Kushanshah Pillar of the Community United States 1554 Posts	Posted 09/09/2018 2:23 pm Quote: She's Hilaritas, not Fortuna Yes, I agree. Report this Post to the Staff
Palouche Pillar of the Community Spain 2752 Posts	Posted 09/09/2018 5:51 pm Just seen this......Good call paralyse on 1 ....can see just with zoom...and add a bit of shadow etc... COS III in the exergue with line....HILA at 7-8 oclock...ANVS behind the portrait.....2 kids stand out more.....SPP at 5 oclock obverse......If this was my coin I'd be happy to attribute it to RIC 970.....Style is correct..... Paul Edited by Palouche 09/09/2018 6:00 pm Report this Post to the Staff
paralyse Bedrock of the Community United States 12057 Posts	Posted 09/09/2018 6:59 pm Thanks for the help so far. I paid $25 + ship for the entire lot, which I think is a fair price, but this is the first lot of ancients I've ever purchased. I have one other barbarous imitation (a Constantine VLPP with partially literate legends) so this will be the second one to enter my collection. Member ANA - EAC - TNA - SSDC - CCT #890 "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done." -- Louis D. Brandeis Edited by paralyse 09/09/2018 7:03 pm Report this Post to the Staff
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