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Author Topic: wondrous Pius special bust hybrid sestertius  (Read 913 times)

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Offline Frans Diederik

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wondrous Pius special bust hybrid sestertius
« on: January 07, 2019, 06:24:27 pm »
Just today I had the opportunity to buy this very special sestertius of Antoninus Pius. It is a coin from the beginning of his reign in AD 139.
ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP his laureate bust right and AEGIS on his breast (you can see the snakes crawling) This in itself is an extremely rare phenomenon, especially from so early in his reign.
The reverse is one that belongs to the earlier emission of the same year and reads: PM TR POT COS II around, S - C in the fields, Fides standing right, holding two ears of corn and a plate of fruits or the like.
Not a gorgeous beauty, but interesting proof of the relative chaos in the mint in AD 139.

Frans

Offline okidoki

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Re: wondrous Pius special bust hybrid sestertius
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2019, 03:34:19 am »
Dear Frans,

a very nice, and interesting discovery, goes with my topic https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=117426.msg712104#msg712104
i wonder if Strack knew this (have to check it later)

what is between TR and P looks like a large dot?

best

Eric
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Eric
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Offline curtislclay

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Re: wondrous Pius special bust hybrid sestertius
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2019, 08:27:27 pm »
The end of the rev. legend is somewhat unclear in the photo; I was wondering whether it might be COS II P P, which would be a new legend form for sestertii, and an additional hybrid element, since P P also appears in the obv. legend!

But no, it's just COS II on the rev., as shown by a coin in my collection from the same rev. die, on which the legend is clearly [P M] TR.P - O - T.COS.II S - C. The missing P M on my coin is nicely confirmed by your new acquisition. My coin is not a mule, however; it has the correct long obv. legend, with HADR AN - TONINVS, and bare-headed portrait right.

Your mule is indeed in Strack, as Okidoki suggested it might be: p. 321, no. 27, specimens in Naples, Bologna, and Vatican. Unfortunately Strack omits to tell us whether any of those specimens also have the aegis like yours, since he uses the same code letter for bust with fold of cloak or aegis on shoulder as for plain head without drapery or aegis.

A sestertius and a dupondius in my collection are similar mules to yours, combining the new shortened obv. legend of 139 with the old long rev. legend, but here with Pax standing rev. type, and no aegis on obverse. The opposite kind of mules, combining the old long obv. legend with the shortened rev. legend TR POT COS II S C, also occur: Strack 755-6 and 759 reports two such sestertii with the Fides standing type and one with Annona standing, plus two such dupondii with the Fides type and three with the Pax standing type.

Sestertii of Pius with aegis on shoulder are certainly exceptional! None are recorded in this ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P issue of 139 by BMC or in my handwritten additions to my copy thereof. Again we have to regret that Strack's bust code system doesn't reveal whether or not he saw any such sestertii.



Curtis Clay

Offline Frans Diederik

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Re: wondrous Pius special bust hybrid sestertius
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2019, 06:19:15 am »
New pictures, which only give a clearer view, but add nothing to what was already said.

Frans

Offline curtislclay

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Re: wondrous Pius special bust hybrid sestertius
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2019, 02:11:38 pm »
The coin looks considerably more attractive in your own photo than in the dealer's!
Curtis Clay

Offline Frans Diederik

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Re: wondrous Pius special bust hybrid sestertius
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2019, 06:28:19 pm »
Thank you, Curtis!

Frans

 

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