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 Replies: 10 / Views: 2,488 |
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CCF Advertiser
 United States
1306 Posts |
32 mm, 20.50 grams, The reverse makes it worth showing off. EX CNG Auc 299, Lot 561 from a lot of 10 sestertius apparently. Marcus Aurelius, as Caesar Sestertius. Rome AD 159-160. AVRELIVS CAESAR AVG PII F, bare head right / TR POT XIIII COS II, Mars advancing right, holding spear and trophy; S-C across fields. RIC 1352B(a)     |
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Moderator
United States
34425 Posts |
@lks, was this coin perhaps defaced intentionally as part of a damnatio memoriae? Just spitballin'...
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Moderator
United States
23731 Posts |
The reverse makes up for the obverse.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
1168 Posts |
The portrait is still recognisable, but the reverse is superb.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Marcus Aurelius was very popular and is known to history as one of the "five good emperors". It seems unlikely that the damage to the portrait is intentional.
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
My thoughts about the obverse is that this coin suffered from bronze disease, and the green stuff had to be mechanically removed, before chemical passivation to prevent bronze disease starting again.
The squared off edge is a little 'off putting' for me, and introduces some doubt, but I absolutely refuse to write it off as a fake.
Perhaps an XRF test looking for trace metals (not just a pure copper / tin / zinc alloy), may help to allay those small suspicions.
In terms of die cutting style, need to compare with other Marcus Aurelius sestertii. Even so, would need better professional opinions than my (unprofessional) opinion.
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Moderator
United States
34425 Posts |
Ok thx @ks. Since the damage is at least partially focused around his eyes and mouth I wondered if the damage wasn't personal.
"If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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CCF Advertiser
 United States
1306 Posts |
sel_691: Here is the CNG auction it came from. Perhaps the ten were put together as they were all very nice in some fashion but had some major issue and they did not want to sell the 10 separately. Someone thought they were a nice mix apparently of similar grade perhaps. Looking at the photo in the link below, mine is the one below the top right coin and with only 10 coins it is a shame they don't just show all ten for buyers. (You can just make out the top of the "T" from "TRP" but that is all. Still they "show" there is 10 coins, just not much of some of them.) 299, Lot: 561. Closing Mar 27, 2013 at 1:07:00 PM ET. ROMAN. Imperial. Lot of ten (10) Æ Sestertii from Trajan to Lucilla. Sold For $1100 (This amount does not include the buyer's fee.) https://www.cNGCoins.com/Search.asp...10000&PAGE=1Edited by louisvillekyshop
02/21/2020 07:05 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
My first impression was also BD which had been 'surgically' removed
The (apparent) depth of the scar makes simple pitting seem unlikely
The reverse looks like it may have received some tooling
The forepart of the right leg and both arms seem ...... odd
Almost childlike in depiction
The left arm especially seems wrong
Thin withered and curved
Something was done to this
Exactly what .......
Open for debate
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1554 Posts |
Were the same lot to come up today, it would almost certainly sell for far less. It's been a rough decade for the lower end of the market.
Edited by Kushanshah
02/21/2020 07:48 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3443 Posts |
Well searching online I see a few of this type with a poorly rendered left arm so perhaps I was bit hasty about that
But I do see some things that look like it has been a bit .....
"Improved"
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Replies: 10 / Views: 2,488 |
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Posted 02/20/2020 8:09 pm
