Commodus Quadriga Sestertius RIC 1563 - searching for pictures or references

[Prieure de Sion]

Hello...

It is about a Commodus Sestertius "Quadriga Type" minted under Marcus Aurelius. As a picture attachment you can see my Sestertius.

Obverse:
Commodus youthful
IMP CAES L AVREL COMMODVS GERM SARM

Reverse:
Commodus in a quadriga
TR P II COS S C


In the RIC catalogue, this sestertius is available in two variants.

RIC 1563 - https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.m_aur.1563
"Head of Commodus, bare, right"

RIC 1564 - https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.m_aur.1564
"Bust of Commodus, laureate, draped, right"


And here there are several problems for me.

a) My sestertius is not a variant of either. It does not correspond to "bare" (1563) and it does not correspond to "laureate, draped" (1564).

b) It may be that RIC once again has an incorrect description (would not be the first time). But I cannot check this, because there is no example image for RIC 1563! For RIC 1564 there is an example picture from the University of Göttingen and so one can compare the description and the coin.

c) On Numista there is also a RIC 1563 entry - but there a completely wrong coin is shown: https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces264276.html


Conclusion

* My sestertius is only "laureate".

* Are there now three variants of this sestertius? Or...
1. Bare (RIC 1563 ?)
2. Laureate (my)
3. Laureate and draped (RIC 1564)

* ... or are there only two types BECAUSE the description of RIC 1563 is wrong?


The problem is - there is one or the other example for RIC 1564. At RIC the description and the picture is. Cohen also knows the type RIC 1564 with "Cohen Commodus 749" and "Son buste jeune laure et drape a droite" I have also found other specimens of the sestertius "laureate, draped".

Old Numiswiki Thread: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=56028.0
Oxford: https://hcr.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/hcr22883

 
But I need something to check my variant against. But I can't find anything - I've been searching for days. Only RIC knows different variants. Cohen knows only one variant (laureate, draped). Unfortunately I don't have Sear at home (maybe someone here can look for me please).

To make a long story short, in order to be able to check my variant, I would need an illustration of RIC 1563 (or of a Commodus quadriga sestertius WITHOUT laureate AND draped).


I am at my wits' end - if any of you have any clues, I would be very grateful.

[Pekka K]

Your coin is RIC 1564, as RIC gives Head r. laur or bust r. laur. draped.
Sear RCV II gives same information at #5572 with additional ref. ti MIR 382.

Pekka K

[Prieure de Sion]

First, thanks for your help!

Your coin is RIC 1564, as RIC gives Head r. laur or bust r. laur. draped.

At RIC 1564 i can't read an "or" at the description.
 
 

Sear RCV II gives same information at #5572 with additional ref. ti MIR 382.

Ok... I must take a look at this references.

MIR 382 means Szaivert MIR i think - or?
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Szaivert%20MIR


Problem ist - i find some examples with draped in the internet - but no one example with only laureate.
 

[Pekka K]

Shorthand for "or" in RIC is ";"

This is verified by Sear on p. 376: Unless otherwise stated, the obverse type is laureate head of
Commodus right, or Laureate, draped and/or cuirassed bust right.

Pekka K

[Prieure de Sion]

Shorthand for "or" in RIC is ";"

Ok - I think I know the mistake - you have the printed Book RIC?

I have only the Online RIC - and there is no ";" - and thats the problem, why I dont find that.
At the Online RIC Website it was written as: "Bust of Commodus, laureate, draped, right" - without any ";"
 
 

This is verified by Sear on p. 376: Unless otherwise stated, the obverse type is laureate head of
Commodus right, or Laureate, draped and/or cuirassed bust right.

Thats a useful Information. Next note for me - buy Sear Book too


Ok, fanstastic - so I have the RIC 1564 Variation with only laureate.

Only "problem" I have - I would compare my sestertius with another only laureate examples - but find nothing. So the searching will start again

Thanks for your help!

[Markus]

My suspicion is that RIC 1563 does not exist. It would be quite unusual for Commodus to be bare-headed this late in his career as Caesar. There are only very few examples as TR POT (the Minerva Asses RIC 1551 and 1552, and a single specimen of a Victoria denarius RIC 624 var, sold many years ago by Dr Brandt), and none as TR POT II.

Banti has a comment as follows: „Cohen no. 750 mentions a specimen with the Obv / bare head r., but he does not mention the source (=RIC 1563)“

RIC 1564 (laureate head) is Banti 410 („A. Hess 1933“, see below - not your specimen though) and MIR 382-16/30 („Schulman, Amsterdam, Juni 1924, 862“, no picture).

RIC 1564 (draped laureate bust) is in reality draped and cuirassed. Banti 411 („Parigi“, no picture), Hunter Coin Cabinet 30, MIR-, and one in my collection  (see below).

[Prieure de Sion]

...

Hello Markus, i find your "old" thread about this Type - thanks for your answer today.
 
 

My suspicion is that RIC 1563 does not exist. It would be quite unusual for Commodus to be bare-headed this late in his career as Caesar. There are only very few examples as TR POT (the Minerva Asses RIC 1551 and 1552, and a single specimen of a Victoria denarius RIC 624 var, sold many years ago by Dr Brandt), and none as TR POT II.

I have come to think so too. It also seems illogical to me to depict a triumphal procession on the reverse - and a Commodus without a laurel wreath on the front. That would make no sense from my point of view.
 
 

RIC 1564 (laureate head) is Banti 410 („A. Hess 1933“, see below - not your specimen though) and MIR 382-16/30 („Schulman, Amsterdam, Juni 1924, 862“, no picture).

RIC 1564 (draped laureate bust) is in reality draped and cuirassed. Banti 411 („Parigi“, no picture), Hunter Coin Cabinet 30, MIR-, and one in my collection  (see below).

Thank you! Finally I have a picture of a second specimen. And a real reference that this type "only laureate" really exists in reality (not like RIC 1563, where doubts are appropriate). Then there are (at least) two more known specimens and I don't have a "fantasy sestertius".

Thank you, that helped me a lot!

[Markus]

Some additional information:

Luckily the Schulman catalogue is online, and the coin sold there (no. 862) is the same specimen as pictured in Banti from the Hess sale (which is again the same one mentioned in the BMCRE note p. 669)

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k30434764/f70.item
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k30434764/f127.item

Therefore yours seems to be at the moment the second known.

[Prieure de Sion]

Some additional information:

Luckily the Schulman catalogue is online, and the coin sold there (no. 862) is the same specimen as pictured in Banti from the Hess sale (which is again the same one mentioned in the BMCRE note p. 669)

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k30434764/f70.item
https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k30434764/f127.item

Therefore yours seems to be at the moment the second known.

Thanks again Markus - thats very useful informations for me! I am very happy get this informations!

I edit the informations in my gallery: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=181516