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Author Topic: Rare Nerva COS IIII  (Read 1815 times)

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Offline timka

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Rare Nerva COS IIII
« on: August 12, 2017, 05:12:20 pm »
Hi!

I was looking for a Nerva COS IIII denarius for couple of years with little success. Have not seen even single one on sale yet. Though recently I stumbled upon a COS IIII cistophorus with temple of Diana, which I could not miss. It is not recorded by RIC, but it is in RSC as RSC 53b. I was able to find only one more coin in cng. That is it. So, it seems to be very rare type given the fact that COS IIII lasted for about a month in Jan 98th before death of Nerva.

I posted it here as style-wise it looks and feels Roman, not eastern/provincial.

NB.-???? - RSC suggests the obverse legend that ends with PPP. But this coin and cng coin have only two PP in the end. It must be a mistake in RSC.

Ob. IMP NERVA CAES AVG GERM P M TR POT P P, laureate head right /
Rev. COS IIII Temple of Diana of Perga: distyle temple set on two-tiered base; within, cult statue of Diana of Perga; DIANA PERG across entablature.

8,97g - 26mm - 7h

RIC II -; RSC 53b

Thank you for your time!

Z.

Offline OldMoney

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2017, 01:42:49 am »
It is somewhat surprising that these "COS IIII" pieces (as a whole,
denarii and cistophori) are more common than you would expect.

Your (rather light!) piece is listed in RPC here:
http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/1306/
(they accidentally omit 'GERM')
. . and the obverse die is very similar to yours (possibly a match?).

Walter
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Offline timka

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2017, 03:03:09 am »
Walter, thank you for this input! So, two known to RPC coins (cngs coin is already there) and one mine, all derived from the same obverse die. I only wonder now how many coins were known to Woytek...did he see other coins?

...and yes, there are other two types with legionary eagle/standards and another kind of distyle temple known for COS IIII cistophori according to RPC (thank you for this resource!). RPC recorded 9 coins with standards and 7 with another distyle temple. So, generally speaking, yes COS IIII are abundant given very short minting period.

My coin is light as it's very crystallized, - it feels like glass).

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2017, 03:42:10 pm »
RPC cites Woytek's article on cistophori, so presumably also lists all of the specimens that Woytek knew.

As Walter commented, Nerva's denarii as COS IIII are also surprisingly common for such a short period of issue (28 days). COS IIII denarii in Reka Devnia hoard:

Cohen 86, Fortuna standing: 1 spec., plus a second specimen supposedly with error COS II instead of COS IIII in rev. legend (I'll believe it when I see such a coin).

C. 89, Libertas standing: 4 spec.

C. 91, Aequitas standing: 6 spec.

C. 96, Clasped hands: 2 spec.

C. 95, Sacrificial implements, and C. 98, Clasped hands before legionary eagle on prow: none in RD hoard.

These denarii with rev. legend IMP II COS IIII P P do turn up for sale now and again, so it's likely Timka will be able to acquire a specimen or two with patience!
Curtis Clay

Offline timka

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2017, 04:38:40 am »
Curtis, thank you for adding RD facts to this topic!

Very interesting that the mint delivered at least 6 various types of denarii in less then a month. May be this is how the mint was organized and planned in that period. My gut feeling was that about 3-4 various types of denarii are usually delivered within one flight, or within a very short period of time like a month, which I judged upon Aurelius and Commodus, whose denarii I know a bit better.  

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #5 on: August 15, 2017, 11:21:54 am »
It seems clear that all six of those denarius types of Nerva were being struck simultaneously at the mint, since all six of them are also known in the two main issues of the preceding year 97 AD, with titles TR P COS III and TR P II COS III respectively.

It is true that in the very rare final issue of 97, with titles GERM / IMP II COS III DESIGN IIII, only three of those six denarius types are reported in BMC (p. 9), but one of the missing types, Fortuna standing, turned up in 2011 and is in my collection, and it seems very likely that the other two types, Clasped hands with and without aquila behind, were also struck and will eventually turn up. The Clasped hands with aquila type is in fact already known on an aureus of this issue. BMC also reports a Ceres standing denarius in this issue, from Cohen 82 and the Wiczay Collection, but I don't doubt that this was merely a misdescribed Libertas standing, the cap held by Libertas being misinterpreted as wheat ears.
Curtis Clay

Offline timka

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2017, 03:26:27 pm »
Curtis, thank you for additional information on DESIGN IIII issue from 97...very interesting!...Noted!

Offline Truebr1t

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2017, 04:35:34 pm »
I've only just started posting and picked up this thread.  I have a COS IIII sestertius with Libertas reverse.

Offline timka

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2017, 04:59:36 pm »
I've only just started posting and picked up this thread.  I have a COS IIII sestertius with Libertas reverse.

So, you are welcome to post your sestertius over here! Let us also see it!

Offline Truebr1t

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2017, 05:58:42 pm »
I didn't show it as you were discussing silver and it's late over here.  I've done a couple of photos but they are rushed and don't show the coin to advantage.  If I have time tomorrow I will uploed better ones.

Offline Truebr1t

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Re: Rare Nerva COS IIII
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2017, 06:01:51 pm »
Sorry hare is the reverse.

 

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