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Author Topic: Silver Sestertius!  (Read 1329 times)

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Offline Marcelo Leal

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Silver Sestertius!
« on: August 01, 2018, 11:44:31 am »
Dear all,
I would like to present an interesting coin. It is a silver anonymous sestertius from the Roman Republica period.

This is the first type of sestertius struck by Roma.

Description:

Roman Republican
 
Anonymous, Rome, 211-208 BC. AR Sestertius (11mm, 0.84g, 6h).
Observe:Helmeted head of Roma r.; IIS behind.
Reverse: The Dioscuri, each holding spear, on horseback r.; two stars above. Crawford 44/7; RBW 176; RSC 4

Best regartds,

[MODIFIED BY ADMIN. PHOTO LINK REMOVED. PHOTO UPLOADED.]
Augustus1975
Non omne quod fulget aurum est

Offline Finn235

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2018, 03:23:11 pm »
Beautiful little coin! I have always wanted one of these.

Offline Meepzorp

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2018, 12:03:41 am »
Hi ML,

Nice coin! :)

Here is my example (scroll down, second coin):

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/meepzorp/rr_pt03.htm

Your example is much nicer than mine.

Meepzorp

Offline Marcelo Leal

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2018, 02:19:07 pm »
Thank you guys!

Augustus1975
Non omne quod fulget aurum est

Offline Carausius

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2018, 04:32:25 pm »

Offline JBF

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #5 on: August 02, 2018, 05:26:26 pm »
Could you please describe _why_ it is considered a sestertius, I am not disagreeing, I just always thought that sestertii were bronze (or brass(?)).

Offline Marcelo Leal

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #6 on: August 02, 2018, 05:44:13 pm »
Hi Michael, your specimen is excepcional for the type. Congrat.

JBF, during the Roman Republic the sestertius, or sesterce, (pl. sestertii or sesterces) was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. Sestertius means "two and one half" (note the interesting "IIS" value mark for two, II, and a half, or Semis), referring to its nominal value of two and a half asses, a value that was useful for commerce because it was one quarter of a denarius, a coin worth ten asses.


Best,
Marcelo.
Augustus1975
Non omne quod fulget aurum est

Offline Joe Sermarini

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #7 on: August 02, 2018, 09:03:12 pm »
Could you please describe _why_ it is considered a sestertius, I am not disagreeing, I just always thought that sestertii were bronze (or brass(?)).

A dollar was once silver. Now they are paper, but still a dollar. The first sestertii were silver. The orichalcum (brass) sestertius was much cheaper to produce and made a profit for the government.
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Offline OldMoney

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #8 on: August 03, 2018, 12:26:04 pm »
Since we are showing off our own AR Sestertii, I thought I'd offer my own
humble example. ex Bank Leu, and apparently ex Morgantina 1981 Hoard
(according to the tag). This was also my first non-AE sestertius.

In addition to the previous notes, the word 'sestertius' is derived from the
words semis and tertius, which were joined and contracted.
Semis, meaning a half, and tertius, meaning the third. Literally, this was a
half of the third (part). The denominational mark, IIS, indicates two whole
parts (in this case an as), plus a half of the third part, ergo a semis-tertius
(back when there were ten asses to a denarius, rather than the later 16).

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Offline stevex6

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2018, 04:08:50 pm »
 +++

Very cool little coins ... congrats, fellas (sadly, I don't have a silver sestertius to show-off)

 :Greek_Tau: :o: :Greek_Tau: :Aupsidedown: :gammareversed: :gammareversed: :Greek_Psi:   :reversedL: :Greek_Xi: :Greek_Alpha: :gammareversed: :Greek_Omicron: :U: :zig:


Offline JBF

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2018, 05:46:34 pm »
Interesting!
I assume the two riders with the stars above are the dioscuri.

Offline PMah

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #11 on: August 03, 2018, 10:44:56 pm »
Both are nice examples!  I have never found one I really liked and do not have any among my Republicans.  Not one. I was a bit surprised.  This post will probably end up changing that !
   Not a particularly  varied type .... The Dioscouri riding right, ROMA below....   Most specimens have much more wear than in these nice photos.
Be Well, Stay Healthy, Support your Local Numismatic Club

Paul 

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Offline Carausius

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #12 on: August 03, 2018, 11:00:43 pm »
It's a varied denomination if one includes the types struck during the Imperatorial era in the pool of potential specimens, many of which are extremely rare.  <sigh>, looks like I need to add a few more coins to my Forum gallery.   ;)

Offline Marcelo Leal

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #13 on: August 05, 2018, 10:39:25 am »
Thank you guys for the comments.

Best.
Augustus1975
Non omne quod fulget aurum est

Offline PMah

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #14 on: August 05, 2018, 09:30:37 pm »
Please do, Michael!
Be Well, Stay Healthy, Support your Local Numismatic Club

Paul 

My Gallery: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album

Offline Marcelo Leal

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #15 on: August 06, 2018, 10:42:12 am »
Quote from: Carausius on August 03, 2018, 11:00:43 pm
It's a varied denomination if one includes the types struck during the Imperatorial era in the pool of potential specimens, many of which are extremely rare.  <sigh>, looks like I need to add a few more coins to my Forum gallery.   ;)

Hi Michael, feel free to share your coins with us!!
Augustus1975
Non omne quod fulget aurum est

Offline Carausius

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Re: Silver Sestertius!
« Reply #16 on: August 17, 2018, 01:39:31 pm »
Sorry for the delayed response. I finally posted one of my later AR Sesterii from the Imperatorial era.  Link is below.  More will eventually follow.  I still need to add commentary to this one.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=34967&pos=0

 

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