Finn's Top of 2022 - Roman

[Finn235]

2022 has been a somewhat subdued year for me, as double digit inflation + mandatory back-to office during $5 gas season + kids in competition dance classes has done a number on the coin budget! I have made a few calculated purchases to advance my Roman set, however, and am thrilled with the new additions.

For those who aren't familiar with my approach to collecting Roman Empire, I am one of those fools who is obsessed with getting every possible person who appears on (or issued) coins, from about the time of Sulla through Justinian. That includes Republican Imperators, Dictators, Emperors, their wives and children, and even the scant few governors and other important citizens of the provinces.

Worse, I also became obsessed with getting a variety of titles for each, including:

- As Caesar or a similar junior position beneath a reigning emperor

- As Augustus/Augusta

- Posthumous issues, whether specifically deified or not.

As may be expected 7 years into this journey, I don't have very many targets left to snag, certainly not without venturing into 4-digit territory for the first time. Therefore, any new add is thrilling, and nearly all are objectively rare coins!

First up, completely new Roman personalities:

1. Milonia Caesonia, with Julia Drusilla, wife and daughter of Caligula

Judaea, Caesarea Paneas, under Herod Agrippa II, 40-41

Easily my top acquisition of the year, an incredible rarity that I never dared dream I would own! Apparently included with the Damnatio Memorae, the overwhelmingly vast majority of this issue (being the only unambiguous image of Caesonia, and the only image of Julia Drusilla) were also lost or destroyed, leaving only a few dozen examples in the hands of collectors and museums today

2. Brutus, as Imperator

AR Denarius, military mint in the East, mid-42 BC

Easily my most overdue acquisition, I had always felt the lack of a proper Brutus as a gaping hole in my collection of ancient Rome, and this fit the bill quite nicely. While it won't win any beauty contests, the price was right, and it has full legends and nice centering on both sides. This also comes from the post-assassination period when Brutus was actively engaged in civil war with Antony and Octavian, rather than being from his moneyer phase as a junior politician in the 50s BC.

3. Sextus Pompey

AE As, Sicilian mint, ca 43 BC

As with Brutus above, my coverage of the Imperatorial period arguably could use a lot more attention than it has been getting! I got this one on the cheap in a group lot, with IMO decently strong details for the type. This is also a good stand-in for a posthumous Pompey the Great (the jury is still out on whether the Pompeiopolis provincial is lifetime or not) and also I believe is the last Janus/prow type As ever struck.

4. Annius Afrinus, governor of Galatia, ca 49-54

AE of Claudiconium

Many thanks to @Spaniard for assistance with shipping difficulties on this one! During the very early Principate, it was somewhat common for provincial governors to appear on local coinage with special permission from the emperor; Annius Afrinus was evidently the last to be granted this honor. He issued coins with his own name and portrait, as well as those of Claudius and Agrippina II, placing his governorship after their 49 AD marriage, and before the rise of Nero in 54, for whom he did not issue coinage. He then slips into over a decade of obscurity before appearing as suffect consul back in Rome in 66 AD under Nero, after which he disappears.

5. "Anonymous" AE quadrans, possibly depicting Annius Verus Caesar, younger brother of Commodus, possibly posthumous issue

The "four seasons" quadrans series is somewhat controversial, with some claiming the young boy is a representation of Commodus' younger brother Annius Verus, and others maintaining that he is nothing more than an allegory, and possibly that the coins were minted as early as the time of Trajan or Hadrian. Regardless, this "Winter" quadrans is quite rare and I am thrilled to have it, whether it represents Annius Verus or not.

6. "Germanus Indutilli L.", client king or Governor of post-Celtic Gaul

Another somewhat obscure issue, this semis dates from the early reign of Augustus, at a time where most Gauls over 30 remembered being free and autonomous Celts. The presence of a diadem indicates royalty, possibly indicating that the portrait is of a Gallic king who retained some local power acting as a Magistrate for Rome. The name Indutilli is Gallic in origin, whereas Germanus is not, leading some to question whether "Germanus Indutilli" is even a complete name, or whether Germanus was the freedman of Indutilli.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up, are some figures I already had in my collection, represented by new titles.

1. Volusian, as Caesar under Gallus and Hostilian, AE As

I consider coins like this to be the epitome of why I love rare titles - they serve as a testament to the most fleeting moments of ancient history, and stand as reminders that history was once "current events". Following the deaths of Decius and Herennius Etruscus at the hands of the barbarians they were supposed to be subduing, the panicked legions proclaimed the nearby Trebonianus Gallus as emperor, even though the title rightfully belonged to the young Hostilian back in Rome. In an unprecedented show of humanity, Gallus formally adopted Hostilian and named him co-Augustus, while he bestowed the title of Caesar on his adult son Volusian. Hostilian died less than six months later, apparently a victim of the plague that was ravaging the empire, and Volusian rose to become emperor for merely two years before being murdered along with his father in favor of Aemilian. Coins of Hostilian as Augustus are rare, but those of Volusian as his Caesar are exceptionally rare, seldom coming to auction in any denomination.

2. Matidia, niece of Trajan (mother of Sabina), as Augusta

While I purchased a posthumous Matidia a couple years ago, I have been on the hunt for a lifetime issue before snagging this one back in January. All coinage of Matidia is more or less equally rare, although her imperial denarii frequently stray into 4-digit territory, which made this provincial very appealing. 

3. Vespasian, as Usurper v. Vitellius

BI Tetradrachm of Alexandria, RY 1 (July-September 69)

I admittedly only learned of this distinction last year - Alexandria dated her emperors' regnal year according to the ancient Egyptian calendar, which marked the new year in about September in the Gregorian calendar. Thus, as Alexandria declared for Vespasian on 1 July 69, his "Year 1" coinage would have been minted for the last two months of the Egyptian calendar, with Year 2 beginning in September 69. Since Vitellius was the "official" emperor in Rome, this technically makes him a usurper; only Vespasian and Julian II minted coins during a time period where they were technically usurpers before becoming bona fide emperors.

4. Divus Nerva

AE of Perinthus, Thrace

Although Nerva was deified by Trajan when he assumed power, the coinage of the deified Nerva was restricted to only the reverse of special commemorative aureii, and a handful of provincial issues. He did not get a proper imperial consecration type for himself until a century and a half later, under Decius.

5. Posthumous Tiberius

BI tetradrachm of Alexandria, under Nero

Despite expecting to get the divinity treatment, Tiberius was passed over unceremoniously by Caligula, and did not appear on coinage at all until this issue under Nero from Alexandria, where he is simply presented as "Tiberius Caesar" and not "Divine Tiberius". He would again feature on Flavian restitution coins, which I need to get around to collecting someday!

6. Maximian, issued by Carausius from London

Not a beauty by any means, but still important and rare! The PAX AVGGG series was issued by Carausius from his base in Britannia while he was still attempting negotiations with Diocletian and Maximian to gain recognition and turn their then-duo into a proper threesome. Negotiations of course failed, and Carausius declared that London was Better Rome, anyway.

And that's a wrap for ancient Rome 2022! I'm waiting for a few more coins to hopefully arrive in time to make separate posts for the other categories. Which are your favorites?

[shanxi]

There are some interesting rarities. Congratulations. A successful year. 

[ambr0zie]

I really can't pick a favorite because all of these are true gems. I like your collecting strategy - you choose major rarities that most collectors will overlook, not realizing that this is something you might see once. Well done.

[Limes]

Splendid coins, and many rarities! Hard to pick a favorite, but I would vote for coins of the to me unknown governors. Not because they are the most handsome coins out there, but they give the opportunity to learn about these lives and show magistrates other then Emperors or their family members. Very interesting! 

[Qcumbor]

They're all most interesting acquisition. Should I be hard pressed to choose, I would go fo Caesonia, Brutus and Volusian as Caesar

Q

[DonnaML]

Congratulations! All completely fascinating to me. 

[Spaniard]

@Finn235

Wonderful selection of rare and lesser known personages Steve!

Very impressive and the Drusilla WOW!

Congrats!

[happy_collector]

Congrats on your additions, @Finn235. Your Julia Drusilla coin is my favorite. 🙂

[Hughie Dwyer]

Lovely purchases. All of them are very interesting to me. Congratulations.

[panzerman]

Congratulations on your new additions!

 

Up here gas was......$2.15 L=   $8.60 gal.!!!!!!

[SimonW]

On 12/14/2022 at 4:51 PM, Finn235 said:

The "four seasons" quadrans series is somewhat controversial, with some claiming the young boy is a representation of Commodus' younger brother Annius Verus, and others maintaining that he is nothing more than an allegory, and possibly that the coins were minted as early as the time of Trajan or Hadrian. Regardless, this "Winter" quadrans is quite rare and I am thrilled to have it, whether it represents Annius Verus or not.

Not as controversial as you think. It's widely accepted today that the four different types represent the four seasons rather than Annius Verus. Van Heesch conclusively refuted Cohen's thesis that this was Annius Verus in his article "UNE REPRÉSENTATION REMARQUABLE DES QUATRE SAISONS SUR SEMISSES DE L'ÉPOQUE ANTONINIENNE" (translated from French to English):

It is unlikely to be Annius Verus. There is not only a resemblance with this prince but the portraits can also be compared with those appearing on some aurei of Antoninus Pius and with the heads of Commodus caesar, Galerius Antoninus, Geta etc. All these heads of young boys are very similar. Moreover, semisses and quadrantes were no longer issued during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

Your piece is particularly interesting because it combines the obverse of the winter type (veiled head, crowned with reeds) with the reverse of the spring type (wreath of flowers). There are only very few pieces where the obverses and reverses have been incorrectly combined.

 

Edit:

I think that the four seasons Quadrantes were issued under A. Pius (like possibly all anonymous Quadrantes), the first emperor issuing coins with the legend TEMPORVM FELICITAS and showing the same youthful heads of two boys on two crossed cornucopiae:

Commodus later adopted the same legend on a medallion depicting all four seasons in the same image for the first time on a coin:

Edited December 20, 2022 by SimonW

[David Atherton]

On 12/14/2022 at 10:51 AM, Finn235 said:

2022 has been a somewhat subdued year for me, as double digit inflation + mandatory back-to office during $5 gas season + kids in competition dance classes has done a number on the coin budget! I have made a few calculated purchases to advance my Roman set, however, and am thrilled with the new additions.

For those who aren't familiar with my approach to collecting Roman Empire, I am one of those fools who is obsessed with getting every possible person who appears on (or issued) coins, from about the time of Sulla through Justinian. That includes Republican Imperators, Dictators, Emperors, their wives and children, and even the scant few governors and other important citizens of the provinces.

Worse, I also became obsessed with getting a variety of titles for each, including:

- As Caesar or a similar junior position beneath a reigning emperor

- As Augustus/Augusta

- Posthumous issues, whether specifically deified or not.

As may be expected 7 years into this journey, I don't have very many targets left to snag, certainly not without venturing into 4-digit territory for the first time. Therefore, any new add is thrilling, and nearly all are objectively rare coins!

First up, completely new Roman personalities:

1. Milonia Caesonia, with Julia Drusilla, wife and daughter of Caligula

Judaea, Caesarea Paneas, under Herod Agrippa II, 40-41

Easily my top acquisition of the year, an incredible rarity that I never dared dream I would own! Apparently included with the Damnatio Memorae, the overwhelmingly vast majority of this issue (being the only unambiguous image of Caesonia, and the only image of Julia Drusilla) were also lost or destroyed, leaving only a few dozen examples in the hands of collectors and museums today

2. Brutus, as Imperator

AR Denarius, military mint in the East, mid-42 BC

Easily my most overdue acquisition, I had always felt the lack of a proper Brutus as a gaping hole in my collection of ancient Rome, and this fit the bill quite nicely. While it won't win any beauty contests, the price was right, and it has full legends and nice centering on both sides. This also comes from the post-assassination period when Brutus was actively engaged in civil war with Antony and Octavian, rather than being from his moneyer phase as a junior politician in the 50s BC.

3. Sextus Pompey

AE As, Sicilian mint, ca 43 BC

As with Brutus above, my coverage of the Imperatorial period arguably could use a lot more attention than it has been getting! I got this one on the cheap in a group lot, with IMO decently strong details for the type. This is also a good stand-in for a posthumous Pompey the Great (the jury is still out on whether the Pompeiopolis provincial is lifetime or not) and also I believe is the last Janus/prow type As ever struck.

4. Annius Afrinus, governor of Galatia, ca 49-54

AE of Claudiconium

Many thanks to @Spaniard for assistance with shipping difficulties on this one! During the very early Principate, it was somewhat common for provincial governors to appear on local coinage with special permission from the emperor; Annius Afrinus was evidently the last to be granted this honor. He issued coins with his own name and portrait, as well as those of Claudius and Agrippina II, placing his governorship after their 49 AD marriage, and before the rise of Nero in 54, for whom he did not issue coinage. He then slips into over a decade of obscurity before appearing as suffect consul back in Rome in 66 AD under Nero, after which he disappears.

5. "Anonymous" AE quadrans, possibly depicting Annius Verus Caesar, younger brother of Commodus, possibly posthumous issue

The "four seasons" quadrans series is somewhat controversial, with some claiming the young boy is a representation of Commodus' younger brother Annius Verus, and others maintaining that he is nothing more than an allegory, and possibly that the coins were minted as early as the time of Trajan or Hadrian. Regardless, this "Winter" quadrans is quite rare and I am thrilled to have it, whether it represents Annius Verus or not.

6. "Germanus Indutilli L.", client king or Governor of post-Celtic Gaul

Another somewhat obscure issue, this semis dates from the early reign of Augustus, at a time where most Gauls over 30 remembered being free and autonomous Celts. The presence of a diadem indicates royalty, possibly indicating that the portrait is of a Gallic king who retained some local power acting as a Magistrate for Rome. The name Indutilli is Gallic in origin, whereas Germanus is not, leading some to question whether "Germanus Indutilli" is even a complete name, or whether Germanus was the freedman of Indutilli.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next up, are some figures I already had in my collection, represented by new titles.

1. Volusian, as Caesar under Gallus and Hostilian, AE As

I consider coins like this to be the epitome of why I love rare titles - they serve as a testament to the most fleeting moments of ancient history, and stand as reminders that history was once "current events". Following the deaths of Decius and Herennius Etruscus at the hands of the barbarians they were supposed to be subduing, the panicked legions proclaimed the nearby Trebonianus Gallus as emperor, even though the title rightfully belonged to the young Hostilian back in Rome. In an unprecedented show of humanity, Gallus formally adopted Hostilian and named him co-Augustus, while he bestowed the title of Caesar on his adult son Volusian. Hostilian died less than six months later, apparently a victim of the plague that was ravaging the empire, and Volusian rose to become emperor for merely two years before being murdered along with his father in favor of Aemilian. Coins of Hostilian as Augustus are rare, but those of Volusian as his Caesar are exceptionally rare, seldom coming to auction in any denomination.

2. Matidia, niece of Trajan (mother of Sabina), as Augusta

While I purchased a posthumous Matidia a couple years ago, I have been on the hunt for a lifetime issue before snagging this one back in January. All coinage of Matidia is more or less equally rare, although her imperial denarii frequently stray into 4-digit territory, which made this provincial very appealing. 

3. Vespasian, as Usurper v. Vitellius

BI Tetradrachm of Alexandria, RY 1 (July-September 69)

I admittedly only learned of this distinction last year - Alexandria dated her emperors' regnal year according to the ancient Egyptian calendar, which marked the new year in about September in the Gregorian calendar. Thus, as Alexandria declared for Vespasian on 1 July 69, his "Year 1" coinage would have been minted for the last two months of the Egyptian calendar, with Year 2 beginning in September 69. Since Vitellius was the "official" emperor in Rome, this technically makes him a usurper; only Vespasian and Julian II minted coins during a time period where they were technically usurpers before becoming bona fide emperors.

4. Divus Nerva

AE of Perinthus, Thrace

Although Nerva was deified by Trajan when he assumed power, the coinage of the deified Nerva was restricted to only the reverse of special commemorative aureii, and a handful of provincial issues. He did not get a proper imperial consecration type for himself until a century and a half later, under Decius.

5. Posthumous Tiberius

BI tetradrachm of Alexandria, under Nero

Despite expecting to get the divinity treatment, Tiberius was passed over unceremoniously by Caligula, and did not appear on coinage at all until this issue under Nero from Alexandria, where he is simply presented as "Tiberius Caesar" and not "Divine Tiberius". He would again feature on Flavian restitution coins, which I need to get around to collecting someday!

6. Maximian, issued by Carausius from London

Not a beauty by any means, but still important and rare! The PAX AVGGG series was issued by Carausius from his base in Britannia while he was still attempting negotiations with Diocletian and Maximian to gain recognition and turn their then-duo into a proper threesome. Negotiations of course failed, and Carausius declared that London was Better Rome, anyway.

And that's a wrap for ancient Rome 2022! I'm waiting for a few more coins to hopefully arrive in time to make separate posts for the other categories. Which are your favorites?

Personal favourite is the Alexandrian regnal year one Vespasian.