| Author |
 Replies: 15 / Views: 1,402 |
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 Spain
2752 Posts |
Just picked up this sweet looking Denarius of a young Caracalla. Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus Caracalla Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 200 AD Material: Silver Diameter: 20mm Weight: 2.71g Mint: Rome Reference: RIC IV Caracalla 30a Provenance: Ex Private Collection Germany. Sellers photo..  Obverse: You can see the right-facing draped, cuirassed bust of Caracalla with a laurel wreath. The inscription reads: ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS for Antoninus Augustus. Reverse: The god Sol is shown standing in front, naked except for a cloak that hangs over his left shoulder. The head is turned to the left, in the extended right hand he holds a globe, in the left hand a spear pointing downwards. The inscription reads: PONTIF TR P III for Pontifex Tribunitia Potestas for the third time. Comments: The man depicted on the reverse cannot only be related exclusively to the sun god Sol, but may also represent the young Augustus or at least a symbiosis of both. This is particularly evident in the portrait features that can be seen on an aureus of Caracalla. If the coins depict an identical Caracalla, the question arises why he was not clearly identified by a radiant crown, but sometimes even appears with a laurel wreath? Possibly - similar to the simple radiant crown without further Sol attributes - only a subtle adjustment should be made and at the same time the double legibility as Sol and Caracalla should be retained. With a crown of rays, the interpretation would have clearly shifted in the direction of Sol. Thus the lines between the young Augustus and the sun god become blurred. The motif of the inverted spear on this coin symbolizes the peace achieved through war in Roman iconography. The historical context is appropriate for this. The Parthians were defeated, Mesopotamia was pacified and the uprisings in Egypt were put down. |
|
|
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
7066 Posts |
Lovely coin, Paul. Excellent acquisition.
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
10034 Posts |
Unbelievable condition on this one! Beautiful  How much squash could a Sasquatch squash if a Sasquatch would squash squash? Download and read: Grading the graders Costly TPG ineptitude and No FG Kennedy halveshttps://ln5.sync.com/dl/7ca91bdd0/w...i3b-rbj9fir2 |
|
Valued Member
United States
319 Posts |
Splendid acquisition, Paul! Sharp portrait of Caracalla at a time in his life when perhaps he played happily with his brother Geta. A time in his life when innocence ruled over his passions. A simple depiction of a complicated man. Your commentary is particularly thorough and interesting. Wonderful!
Edited by circusmax120
11/20/2022 9:39 pm
|
|
Bedrock of the Community
United States
11880 Posts |
a beautifully centered obverse impression  IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS THE MAN IN THE ARENA, Theodore Roosevelt at the Sorbonne Paris on April 23, 1910: " It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." My coin website: https://fairfaxcoins.com |
|
Pillar of the Community
 Spain
2752 Posts |
Thanks for the kind Comments guys. Picked up the op coin to have a comparison between the Rome mint and the other youthful portrait I own from the Eastern mint of Laodicea ad Mare... Unintentionally I seem to have accrued a small sub-set of Caracalla's coinage...  Here are the 2 types showing just how different the engravers interpretation of Caracalla was..   |
|
Pillar of the Community
United States
7934 Posts |
That really is a striking portrait. And the comparison is pretty interesting.
It makes you wonder what the engravers were working from (had either of them seen him? Was it just some other youthful model?).
|
|
Valued Member
United States
319 Posts |
This is pure conjecture on my part, tdz...but speaking as an artist: I imagine the production of a bust (or a series of busts) with the imperial okee-dokee sent out to workshops throughout the empire. From which a standardized representation of the Emperor could be reproduced in various forms (such as statuary). I further imagine that the various mints would be similarly supplied. Perhaps someone among the membership has actual knowledge of this process?
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Spain
2752 Posts |
Thanks tdz and Mike...This is an interesting question..
Both these coins were minted within a year of each other when Caracalla was around 12 to 13 years old and still under the reign of his father Septimius Severus. As far as I know Caracalla hadn't visited the Eastern provinces at this time so as you've said probably busts we're sent maybe even line drawings? The only thing I can think, Mike as an artist maybe you can clarify, is that producing a 2D disc from a 3D bust brings in these anomalies?
Edited by Palouche
11/30/2022 07:11 am
|
|
Valued Member
United States
319 Posts |
Hmmm...this topic is intriguing to say the least. To address Paul's query: artistically speaking, creating an engraved relief from the study of a 3D sculpt, or a 2D drawing, is not particularly difficult. I would chalk-up the differences in depiction to the stylistic preferences of the engraver at each of the various mints.
I really do not know why I have the following scenario in my head: an official bust would be created (most likely in marble, for durability's sake) at an imperial workshop. From this bust, a mold could be made in order to produce multiple copies from a cheaper material. Perhaps terracotta clay, plaster, or even wax. These copies could then be shipped to mints and workshops throughout the empire.
Strange. *scratching head* I'm going to do a little digging. See if I can find something definitive.
|
|
Pillar of the Community
 United Kingdom
1168 Posts |
Another superbly detailed coin, Paul. Congrats. It is indeed interesting to see the different impressions of young Caracalla. |
|
Moderator
United States
187702 Posts |
Lovely examples! |
|
Valued Member
United States
319 Posts |
Regarding the artistic process of creating the portraits on ancient coins (like these nice images of Caracalla): Well...I did some online searching, annnnd...quickly got frustrated. There is a plethora of articles on the minting process, but every single one begins with the engraving process. The actual tooling of the dies. All fascinating, but I was looking for the step(s) preceding the cutting. What were the ancient engravers working from (if anything) in order to render the portrait? I'm willing to keep digging...but, man...making my head hurt. Hope I didn't rupture something!
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Spain
2752 Posts |
Thanks Jim, Mike and jbuck... Mike I'm on the hunt as well...  It is also interesting how the Emperors minted at Laodicea ad Mare have no defining features except for the obvious portrait portrayal being very distinct whereas the empresses such as Julia Domna and Plautilla amongst others always have the curl (for want of a better word) rising up from the bodice. The mint using this anomaly as like a signature to mark their work? Rome..  Laodicea...  |
|
Valued Member
United States
319 Posts |
Empress "curl": excellent stylistic observation, Paul. A standard technique in rendering clothing in a relief bust to suggest a draping over the far shoulder. This lends to the illusion of depth, as the neck and head of the subject would appear to be closer to the viewer.
As for "the hunt": I will continue to dig. I am not at all sure where I got the idea that the engravers would be working from sculpted busts. *scratching head* I think I will take a look through my bookshelves.
Edited by circusmax120
12/02/2022 2:49 pm
|
|
Pillar of the Community
Spain
2752 Posts |
Quote:
I am not at all sure where I got the idea that the engravers would be working from sculpted busts.
I've read the same somewhere but have yet to find/remember where?....I'll continue searching as I would like to unravel this question. It would be nice to reference someone. |
| |
Replies: 15 / Views: 1,402 |
|
Posted 11/20/2022 5:24 pm
