Marcus Aurelius TR P XVIII denarii with PM on obverse - a new bust variety added

[timka]

Hi!

Finally, I came accross and got a second, now bare-headed variant of this type with PM on obverse. So I have both laureate head and bare head - see pics of the two together below (RIC 120/ C 869 and RIC 119/C 868 respectively). It is not a Pokemon - but this one  was very tricky to come accross!!!!  

RIC says this type is common - but it is not! - BM does not have anyone at all. Reka Devnia contained only 2 of C. 868 and 1 C. 869 specimens, whereas virtually the same type with Mars/Virtus but with PM on reverse is really, really abundant - 147 specimens of bare and laureate head were recorded in RD hoard.  

Was it just engraver's discretion where to put PM on reverse or obverse? Could this deviation from common types with PM on reverse indicate another mint location?

Also, do you happen to know why PM appeared only on TR P XVIII to TR P XX denarii of Aurelius, and never appeared on his later denarii until TR P XXXIIII?

Thank you very much for your time in advance!

RIC 120/Cohen 869
Ob. M ANTONINVS AVG ARMEN P M, laur, right
Rev. TR P XVIII IMP II COS III, Mars/Virtus
2,89 g - 18mm - 180'


RIC 119/Cohen 868
Ob. M ANTONINVS AVG ARMEN P M, bare, right
Rev. TR P XVIII IMP II COS III, Mars/Virtus
2,7 g - 18mm - 180'



Z.

[curtislclay]

Was it just engraver's discretion where to put PM on reverse or obverse? Could this deviation from common types with PM on reverse indicate another mint location?

Also, do you happen to know why PM appeared only on TR P XVIII to TR P XX denarii of Aurelius, and never appeared on his later denarii until TR P XXXIIII?

No, not engraver's discretion, nor indication of a different mint. The movement of P M from one side of the coin to the other was in all likelihood a chronological change indicating a new phase of the mint's production.

Notice that while P M was omitted from Marcus' denarii from TR P XV-XVIII, it was included on his bronze coins of the same period, after a short initial issue without P M probably produced before he had officially been elected to that position.

I don't know why P M was omitted from Marcus' entire coinage after TR P XX. Commodus continued the same anomaly: P M didn't appear on his coinage until 184 AD, four years after his accession as sole emperor in 180.

[timka]

Curtis, thank you for having a look at these two denarii of Aurelius with PM on obverse!

Have  a look at another denarius from this period. PM is missing on both sides - I did not see this very combination of obverse and reverse legends in RIC for this ARMEN type. There is RIC 85 with ARMEN in exe and TR P XVIII on reverse, and PM is supposed to be on obverse according to RIC 85, as well as it should be laur head. As you can see this denarius in bare head and no PM on both sides.

I do not have better pictures/dimensions as Im still waiting for this one in my mailbox. Also, when I have it in hand I will be able to see if it is solid silver, or silver-plated denarius - it is tricky to say from that pictures.  

ob. ANTONINVS AVG ARMENIACVS, bear head right
rev. ARMEN in exe TR P XVIII IMP II COS II, Armenia seated left

RIC - ?

Thank you,


Z.

[curtislclay]

I think that one is RIC 78 corr. = Cohen 8 corr.: well attested by 14 specimens in Reka Devnia. Cohen omits IMP II from the rev. legend.

But no, my mistake: those have P M in rev. legend.

[timka]

....an update!....I've just recieved this ARMEN denarius with the missing PM on both sides ... a bit better pictures from my night shooting are below...its dimensions are as follows: 18mm - 3,12 g - 7h.  I presume this is a new variant (without PM) that is omited by ALL major sources (!).

 

[curtislclay]

Though Strack's vol. 4 on Marcus and Commodus was unfortunately never published, so we cannot know whether or not he found such a coin in the many European museums and private collections that he visited!

[timka]

oh sure, Curtis, there are such coins like this ARMEN without PM somewhere out there for sure...It could be easely in someone's collection, but it is not so easy to spot the difference with regular type. Strack might had noted this unusual type - very probable!... but still, it must be rare, as BM has no one like this, having 11 various specimes with ARMEN in exe... there were more than a hundred of various weeping Armenia denarii in RD hoard, but none of this type.

thank you, Curtis!

[curtislclay]

It turns out that I have seen this variant before, I just came across my note in my copy of BMC: such a denarius was shown on Numismatikforum by brutus68 in January 2007.

Unfortunately a quick search of that forum didn't turn up the coin, and the printout I doubtless made won't be easy to locate.

[TenthGen]

I believe I've found the post you are referring to, Curtis.

http://www.numismatikforum.de/viewtopic.php?p=139836#p139836

I don't speak German but it seems to match what you were describing.

[timka]

TenthGen, thank you for finding this post!

Curtis, your BMC notes never let you down - you got it all!

That is great that second coin turned up! - as I thought that my coin could be some sort of mistake at mint. The coin from German forum has the same reverse die with my coin, but obverse is totally different - mine is bear head, 'german's' is laureate head! Both together represent a stand alone issue at the mint, when laur and bare busts were both employed for the same reverse type.  

Below is brutus68' coin

[timka]

Hi!

I started this thread with two rare variants of Marcus Aurelius denarii with PM on obverse a while ago . Today I would like to add even a deeper layer of rarity to the above two rare denarii from the very first post - a new one with PM on obverse but with cuirassed bust! I did not see this variant of the bust in reference books and internet for the type with PM on obverse.

ob. M ANTONINVS AVG ARMEN P M, laureate and cuirassed bust right
rev. TR P XVIII IMP II COS III, Mars standing right, holding spear and resting left hand on shield.

RIC -

18mm, 2,83 g

ex Savoca 5th Blue Auction

The more variants of various busts of Marcus Aurelius I encounter, the more I believe that virtually all types of busts were part of each regular mint/issue under Marcus Aurelius in Rome in particular periods. By saying 'all busts' I imply draped, draped/cuirassed, cuirassed on top of regular laureate or bare busts. The point is that those fancier busts were minted with very limited count, and probably not all of them survived. That is why there are still so many gaps in terms of fancy busts until now.    

Thank you for you time!

Z

[quadrans]

Great coin, and bust, congratulation, 

Q.

[timka]

THX MUCH, Q.!)))

[orfew]

That is a wonderful coin @Timka. I really like that portrait.