Antoninus Pius sestertius Victoria flying

[Charles S]

Just received this extarordinary sestertius of Antoninus Pius, with beautiful reverse, which I like to share with you.

Æ Sestertius (25,48g, Ø 31mm, 5h). Rome, ca. AD 140-144.
Obv.: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right.
Rev.: VICTORIA AVGVSTI around, S C, Victoria wearing towered headdress, winged, draped, flying left, holding an open wreath in both hands.
RIC 655 (scarce); BMC 1329; Cohen 1087 (6 fr.); Strack 867; Banti 513 (4 spec.)
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-122631

It must be very rare, missing from Wildwinds, only one example in acsearch of the same reverse die, found in only two collections by Strack (two more with different bust type).  It belongs to a series celebrating the victories in Brittain in AD 142.

[okidoki]

hello Charles,

it is beautiful, i would like to see it here as well

[Charles S]

hello Charles,

it is beautiful, i would like to see it here as well

Thank you Eric.  You are right, I forgot to upload it here.  I rectified it.

[Diederik]

There is nearly nothing not nice about this sculpted Victoria; it's just her feet which lack any detail. That is surprising because the rest of her is exquisit! Please DO click on the image for magnification and you will see a world of detail.
I already personally congratulated you, but will do that here as well!


Frans

[Charles S]

There is nearly nothing not nice about this sculpted Victoria; it's just her feet which lack any detail. That is surprising because the rest of her is exquisit! Please DO click on the image for magnification and you will see a world of detail.

Frans, Thank you very much.  I too had noticed the lack of detail on her feet and found it surprising just like you.  On the other hand, it would probably have made this coin even more unaffordable than it already was, so I will not complain !  

I'm not as happy with the obverse, where deposits hide details of especially eye and mouth of the portrait which must be intact underneath.  However, these few encrustations seem very hard and will probably be difficult to remove without damaging the patina.  Any advice is welcome.

[curtislclay]

Here's mine with a different obv. legend,

ANTONINVS AVG - PIVS COS III P P,

ex CNG E113, 13 May 2005, lot 275, their pictures.

This coin is Strack 910, citing BM 1329 and a second spec. in Vienna. The Vienna spec., Strack pl. XI, is from the same dies as mine; the BM spec., BMC pl. 31.11, is from a different rev. die, obv. die unknown because only the rev. is illustrated.

[Charles S]

Here's mine with a different obv. legend,

ANTONINVS AVG - PIVS COS III P P,

ex CNG E113, 13 May 2005, lot 275, their pictures.

This coin is Strack 910, citing BM 1329 and a second spec. in Vienna. The Vienna spec., Strack pl. XI, is from the same dies as mine; the BM spec., BMC pl. 31.11, is from a different rev. die, obv. die unknown because only the rev. is illustrated.

Curtis,
What a beautiful specimen !  

I have uploaded the photo of the specimen in the  BM showing both sides of BM 1329 for comparison.  No die match for rev. but obv. looks as coming from the same die.

[curtislclay]

Thanks for confirming what I was expecting: that the BM spec. too would be from the same obv. die!

[ancientdave]

What a lovely reverse! Great find!

[Akropolis]

Splendid!!!
PeteB