Pius on horseback sestertii

[Diederik]

On the basis of the attached blurry pictures, I bought this sestertius: IMP CAES T AEL HADR AN – TONINVS AVG PIVS PP  , laureate head right
[tr POT XV] – COS IIII
Antoninus Pius, in military dress, on horseback pacing left, raising hand and holding ....
The coins of this type are apparently very rare and descriptions in catalogs are not clear as to what is depicted and what coins were indeed issued.

I assume my coin is a TR POT XV which is described in RIC 890a and b ‘holding spear’ resp. ‘holding parazonium’(Cohen 965)  BMC 1890 (spear, ill. 46-8 and the reference for RIC 890) = Strack 1067/1068 (ill. XIII-1068; Berlin, London, Munich?, Rome?) Strack 1067 = holding sword(Paris, Rome, Vatican)

Possibly the series was also issued the year before as TR POT XIIII = RIC 869=Coh, 953 as sestertii and as an as =RIC 879 = BMC 1874 (ill. 46-1) = Strack 1055 (ill. XIII-1055) same BM coin.
Strack, however, does not mention any sestertii of the year XIIII.
May we assume they were never there?



Frans

PS attached second picture

[Diederik]

bump

[Charles S]

I would not exclude TR POT XIIII right away :
Banti 447 (1 spec.) with plate Collez. Gnecchi, Antoninus on horseback l., same rev. type, rev. legend TR POT XIIII COS IIII = Coh. 953=RIC 869=BMC 309/+
Banti 452 (3 spec.), 452 (1 spec.), 454 (2 spec.): all with small bust variations, same rev. type, rev. legend: TR POT XV COS IIII .

What is called a sestertius in RIC 869, 'Grand Bronze' in Coh. 953, in Strack 1055 is an As... strange.  Banti 447 is a different coin, certainly a sestertius as Banti only deals with large bronzes and medaillons.

I'll try to compare the different plates to see if there is a possible die match of the rev. type, even though the Banti plates are often low quality print.

[Charles S]

I looked closely at the available plates and photographs of the reverse type of Antoninus Pius on horseback.   The B.M. specimen with TR POT XIIII is indeed an as, definitely not a sestertius.  

I think, although it is difficult to be 100% sure, that your sestertius is from the same reverse die as the one in the British Museum (and Stracks' plate XIII-1068).  Hereunder the reverse of the BM photograph compared with the reverse of Frans' sestertius.

[Diederik]

They look a lot alike, indeed! Only the form of Pius' head is different, but that may be due to wear and/or corrosion.
Thanks for taking this trouble, Charles.


Frans

[curtislclay]

I don't doubt that it's the same rev. die.

[antoninus1]

Here my specimen of TR POT XV. Bought on Ebay for a lot of money some years ago.
Same dies as Frans´ second specimen I would say.

[Diederik]

Same reverse die, no doubt, but different obverse. It looks as if the series was small; one die so far...


Frans

[Charles S]

Here my specimen of TR POT XV. Bought on Ebay for a lot of money some years ago.
Same dies as Frans´ second specimen I would say.

That is quite a good specimen, antoninus1, really amazing to find this on eBay.   It is certainly the same rev. die as the British Museum and Frans' specimen and it looks like there is also an  obverse die match with Frans' specimen.  Th BM obv. is quite different.

[Charles S]

Same reverse die, no doubt, but different obverse. It looks as if the series was small; one die so far...


Frans

Our posts crossed.  I notice we disagree.  I still think there is an obverse die match.

[Diederik]

I have looked at only one striking detail:  the tip of the bust and the very near proximity of the second P of PP - they are nearly one. Antoninus' coin seemed to be different, but that's a question he can resolve now, I suppose.


Frans

[Charles S]

Easier to judge with the two obverses same size, side by side.

[antoninus1]

I agree with Charles: also the same obverse die.

[Diederik]

I was careful, but now I am convinced: same obverse and reverse! Limits the size of the possible issue even more.
Thank you all for you input!


Frans