special variant of Antoninus Pius RIC 179

[Diederik]

I just bought this rarity of which only a handful are known: ANTONINVS AVG - PIVS PP TR P XII laureate bust with aegis on breast left / COS - IIII  Fortuna standing left, holding rudder on globe and cornucopiae.
The commonest obverse type is laureate head right, but also described is laureate head left with drapery on far shoulder, but I doubt the description as many people, unfamiliar with an aegis, describe it as drapery. All specimen I have seen are from the same obverse die with a crokked 'G'  and a short and then a long 'I' of XII. The reverse sometimes shows a globe under the rudder, but not always.
Hope you like number 1345

Frans

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Nice rarity, congrats

Alberto

[curtislclay]

Mine, acquired from VAuction 217, 4 Dec. 2008, lot 111, is from that same obv. die, without globe on reverse.

Strack pl. II, 193: same obv. die, globe on rev., but different rev. die than yours.

[antoninus1]

Here is mine for comparison, acquired 1997. I think the two I of XII are of equal length.

[Diederik]

Thank you for sharing your specimen. The reverse is clearly different; the obverse has indeed two equal bars of XII, but the G looks very similar and the position of the 'O' too. One of the ribbons is attached to the 'X'  on all coins similarly. Dies do change slightly when in use, so the short 'I'  could be the result of cloggng silver in the die.
Thanks again and congrats on a nice clear rare coin!

Frans