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Author Topic: unique Verus sestertius ?  (Read 374 times)

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Offline Eric M

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unique Verus sestertius ?
« on: January 17, 2023, 08:13:11 am »
I have had this sestertius for a long time and always hoped to find a comparison piece. Unfortunately without success. It is not found in RIC, MIR18, BMC or acs. Is this piece unique?
Would be grateful for help.

Obverse :...AVRELVERVSAVGTR.....
Reverse : COSII PROFECT AVG
22,21g
6h

Greetings from Germany
Eric

Offline Frans Diederik

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Re: unique Verus sestertius ?
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2023, 04:17:18 pm »
 RIC III 1323, plate xii 249
Rare but certainly not unique. Also to be found on Acsearch.

Frans

Offline Eric M

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Re: unique Verus sestertius ?
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2023, 04:36:34 pm »
sorry but you are wrong.
As i said , it is not PROFECTIO.
It is PROFECT (dot) AVG

Offline Curtis JJ

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Re: unique Verus sestertius ?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2023, 08:25:16 pm »
Eric M, you seem to be correct, that this is different from the RIC 1323 (PROFECTIO) type.

I wonder if this could be "COS III"? If so, there may have been an example published by John Evans over 150 years ago: "NOTE ON A HOARD OF COINS FOUND ON PITSTONE COMMON, NEAR TRING, 1870," Numismatic Chronicle Vol. 10 (1870), pp. 125-132. Available in PDF for free download from JSTOR: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42680874 OR on Google Books [LINK]

I am not sure of the ultimate disposition of these coins (BM?), but with a little effort maybe it can be tracked down. Not sure why it wouldn't have been cataloged in later references. There was no illustration given then. He gives no weight but describes it as AE1 (i.e., what was called "First Brass" back then, I believe, or Sestertius).

His description (Page 129/30):

Quote
Lucius Verus.
Obv. L. AVREL. VERVS AVG. ARMENIACVS. Laureate bust to right.
Rev. PROFECT. AVG. S.C. (in exergue) COS. III. above the Emperor in military costume on horseback to right. In front, a soldier looking towards him, with helmet, spear, and shield ; behind, two others. Unpublished AE1.

I would've suspected that it was just a typo and he meant "PROFECTIO," but he specifically comments on PROFECTIO as being the previously known type with an "almost similar legend," and this one being different (Evans 1870, p. 126):

Quote
There are, however, among them one or two rare coins, of which one, in fair condition, presents a new type of Lucius Verus. There are coins known of this emperor with a similar device and an almost similar legend on the reverse, but struck during a different consulate, and probably relating to a different expedition. These coins have the legend PROFECTIO AVG, and the second and third years of the Tribunician Power and the second consulate of the emperor, and probably refer to the expedition against the Parthians in A.D. 163. The coin now brought to light bears the third consulate, and cannot be earlier than A.D. 167, so that the expedition referred to is probably one of those against the Germans, though, as these were undertaken jointly by Aurelius and Verus, it seems strange that only one emperor should be represented on the reverse.
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Offline Eric M

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Re: unique Verus sestertius ?
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2023, 04:22:18 am »
Thank you for your very interesting comments.
I have attached here again an enlargement of the consulate information.
I think one can rather assume a II than a III despite the damage.

 

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