Dream coin acquired: Domitian and Pegasus

[Salomons Cat]

Domitian, as Caesar, AR Denarius. Rome, AD 76-77. 3.53g, 19mm, 7h.
Obverse: CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS, laureate head to right.
Reverse: COS IIII, Pegasus standing to right, foreleg raised. RIC II.1 921 (Vespasian); BMCRE 193 (Vespasian); RSC 47. 
Good Extremely Fine.
Previously acquired from Noonans; Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, August 2003, RM1476.

The reverse design mirrors a coin of Augustus and potentially hints at Domitian's engagement with poetry. The story of Pegasus was a favorite theme in Greek art and literature.

(Johfra Bosschart - Pegasus)

In Greek mythology, Pegasus is a winged horse that sprang from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa when she was beheaded by the hero Perseus. With assistance from Athena (or Poseidon), Bellerophon captured Pegasus and rode him in his fight against the Chimera. When Bellerophon visited the court of Argolis, Stheneboea, the daughter of King Jobates of Lycia, fell in love with him and tried to seduce him. However, she was rejected, which infuriated her, and she lied to her husband Proetus, claiming it was Bellerophon who made advances towards her. Proetus did not want to violate the hospitality rule and kill a guest, so he sent Bellerophon to Jobates. Jobates gave him a series of impossible tasks meant to lead to his death, but the hero successfully completed all of them. Bellerophon ended up prospering in Lycia, overcoming all the dangers that Jobates put in his path, and eventually Jobates married off Stheneboea’s sister, Philonoe, to Bellerophon. The news of this marriage resulted in Stheneboea committing suicide, fearing that her previous lies about Bellerophon would now be exposed. Bellerophon later attempted to fly to Mount Olympus on Pegasus but was thrown off and either killed or lamed, depending on the account. Some tales claim that they were punished by Zeus for trying to reach Olympus. Afterward, the winged horse became a constellation and served Zeus. The spring Hippocrene on Mount Helicon was said to have been created when Pegasus's hoof struck a rock.

And here’s a little novel about my acquisition of this coin. Just skip over it if you’re not interested in reading a long text about how someone tries to buy a coin 😊

The story began about a year ago when I first spotted this coin on MA-shops and was immediately stunned by its beauty. The only thing that prevented me from buying it was – of course – the price. I really don’t want to complain; the price was fair, probably about $3500 if I remember correctly. It was absolutely in line with what could be expected on the market. It’s not generally a rare type, but it is very rare in this condition. There’s a handful of specimens in similar condition documented on acsearch, and they usually hammered for $3000+ in the past. In other words, everything indicated that a coin like this was completely out of my reach.
But then… Surprise! The coin appeared at Roma Numismatics in November 2023, at one of their last auctions. Of course, I had to try for it. On the evening of the auction, I was out with a friend. I told her that we had to interrupt our dinner because I urgently needed a specific coin that was being auctioned at the moment. For someone without any interest in ancient coins, she was really understanding while she watched me bid in £100 steps for this coin. Meanwhile, I had obviously ordered the cheapest food to save a bit of money – priorities. My maximum bid was set at $1500 total. Anyway, the coin hammered for $2076 without fees, and I wasn’t even the direct underbidder. At this point, I thought that the story about me and this coin was definitely over.

But it wasn’t. Half a year later, I spotted it again on numisbids. This time, it was being auctioned by Heritage Auctions USA! Why Heritage Auctions?! I had never won a coin there before. In my mind, Heritage Auctions attracted a different kind of clientele – collectors with deep pockets that would spend absurd amounts of money for coins in NGC slabs. Luckily, the rigorous eye of the assigned NGC employee had apparently spotted a flaw on this coin. A brush stroke! That was enough to reduce its rating from MS or AU to Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, ChXF, “brushed”. Perfect! That was my chance.

It hammered for only $1200 and I won it. And today I received it. Is there a brush stroke? It’s not visible in the photos from Roma Numismatics or Heritage Auctions. It’s barely visible in artificial light. But I can see it when I hold the coin at a certain angle in bright daylight. It’s very small and it’s located to the left of the bust of Domitian. The rest of the coin and the reverse are completely flawless. I’ve never been so glad about a brush stroke on one of my coins 😊

For me, it’s one of the best specimens of RIC 921 that exist. The relief is high and clear, the reverse is perfect, and Pegasus looks proud. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a nicer Pegasus on a Roman denarius.

Please share your Domitian coins or any of your dream coins that you were thrilled to acquire unexpectedly.

Edited May 31 by Salomons Cat

[Dafydd]

What a fabulous coin @Salomons Cat

 

 

[CassiusMarcus]

Fantastic write up!

Domitian is an awesome and underrated Roman figure in my opinion, an excellent Emperor and I always rate him among the top A tier, below the greats of course but still good in his own right. 

Denarius I got from CNG not long ago, did you know he had some of the highest purity of silver coins? Or so I was told 😛 

 

[CPK]

An absolutely spectacular coin, @Salomons Cat!

[rasiel]

That is one amazing coin. Friggin' theft at only $1,200! Well done bandido :- )

ps. Get it? Made out like a bandit? Ah boy... need to find me some better memes

Rasiel

[rasiel]

Would be happy to use that rev as plate coin in the next ERIC if you can email it or upload it to Coryssa.

[Salomons Cat]

45 minutes ago, rasiel said:

Would be happy to use that rev as plate coin in the next ERIC if you can email it or upload it to Coryssa.

I will do that!
I really like ERIC and it would be an honor to contribute a plate coin 🙂

[Phil Davis]

Great coin and terrific write-up. Congrats!

[MrMonkeySwag96]

A couple of my Republican denarii depicting Pegasus:

[ambr0zie]

Great aqcuisitions. 

I was extremey glad to buy a Corinth stater with Athena/Pegasos, one of my old targets. Certainly not the best example, but very budget friendly (surprisingly)

[Qcumbor]

Fabulous coin @Salomons Cat and great writeup

Did the engraver hire Quentin Tarantino as a model ?

😄 Q

[Severus Alexander]

Maybe you should name your collection “The Brush Strokes Collection.” 😁 Full of “flawed” coins that are actually perfect! Big coingrats, what a gem!

No brush strokes on this coin, difficult to slab though:

Rome, AE cast semis, c. 270 BCE, Crawford 18/2. 53mm, 154g.

Edited June 1 by Severus Alexander

[DonnaML]

An absolutely spectacular example, @Salomons Cat. I'm very happy to see someone benefit from the unhealthy obsession of some slab aficionados with barely visible "defects"!

My own comparatively mediocre example of the type, together with the three other Pegasi I own:

Domitian Caesar (son of Vespasian), AR Denarius 76 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, bearded, CAESAR AVG F • DOMITIANVS (Counter-clockwise beginning at 5:00) / Rev. Pegasus stepping right with left foreleg raised, wings curling to right, COS IIII above (with line above IIII to signify numerals) [Domitian COS IIII = AD 76; see table at Sear RCV I p. 308]. 19 mm., 3.43 g. RIC II.1 Vespasian 921 (2007 ed.), old RIC II 238 (1926 ed.), RSC II 47, Sear RCV I 2637 (ill. p. 485), BMCRE 193. Purchased from cgb.fr, March 2022.*

 

Corinth AR Stater. Circa 375-345 BC. Obv: Pegasos [Pegasus] flying left, Q below / Rev: Helmeted head of Athena left. Control-symbols behind head: Retrograde N and Ares standing left holding shield and spear. Pegasi 376 var. [“N” not retrograde] [Calciati, R., Pegasi Vol. I (Mortara, 1990)]; Ravel 1056 [Ravel, O.E., Les "Poulains" de Corinthe, I - II (Basel, 1936; London, 1948)]; BCD Corinth 121 [Numismatik Lanz, Münzen von Korinth: Sammlung B, Auction 105 (Munich, 26 Nov. 2001)]; SNG Copenhagen 121 [Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum, Copenhagen, The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Part 15, Corinth (Copenhagen 1944)]. 21mm, 8.46 g., 6h. Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd. Auction IX, 22 March 2015, Lot 168.

Roman Republic, Q. Titius, AR Denarius, Rome 90 BCE. Obv. Head of Mutinus Titius[?] [ = Priapus] right with beard & winged diadem / Rev. Pegasus springing right, “Q TITI” on tablet below. RSC I Titia 1, Crawford 341/1, Sear RCV I 238, BMCRR I Rome 2220. 18.5 mm., 3.8 g.

Gallienus, Billon Antoninianus, 267-268 AD, Rome Mint, 1st Officina, 10th emission (Göbl & Reinhardt). Obv. Radiate head right, GALLIENVS AVG /Rev. Pegasus springing right, about to take flight. SOLI CONS AVG; A offset to right in exergue. RIC V-1 283 (p. 155), RSC IV 979, Sear RCV III 10362, Wolkow 26a1, Göbl MIR Band 36, No. 712b [ill. at http://www258.pair.com/denarius/coinage.htm & in Reinhardt at p. 120, no. 1]. 21 mm., 3.12 g, 11 h.  

[David Atherton]

On 5/31/2024 at 4:06 PM, Salomons Cat said:

Domitian, as Caesar, AR Denarius. Rome, AD 76-77. 3.53g, 19mm, 7h.
Obverse: CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS, laureate head to right.
Reverse: COS IIII, Pegasus standing to right, foreleg raised. RIC II.1 921 (Vespasian); BMCRE 193 (Vespasian); RSC 47. 
Good Extremely Fine.
Previously acquired from Noonans; Ex Spink Numismatic Circular, August 2003, RM1476.

The reverse design mirrors a coin of Augustus and potentially hints at Domitian's engagement with poetry. The story of Pegasus was a favorite theme in Greek art and literature.

(Johfra Bosschart - Pegasus)

In Greek mythology, Pegasus is a winged horse that sprang from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa when she was beheaded by the hero Perseus. With assistance from Athena (or Poseidon), Bellerophon captured Pegasus and rode him in his fight against the Chimera. When Bellerophon visited the court of Argolis, Stheneboea, the daughter of King Jobates of Lycia, fell in love with him and tried to seduce him. However, she was rejected, which infuriated her, and she lied to her husband Proetus, claiming it was Bellerophon who made advances towards her. Proetus did not want to violate the hospitality rule and kill a guest, so he sent Bellerophon to Jobates. Jobates gave him a series of impossible tasks meant to lead to his death, but the hero successfully completed all of them. Bellerophon ended up prospering in Lycia, overcoming all the dangers that Jobates put in his path, and eventually Jobates married off Stheneboea’s sister, Philonoe, to Bellerophon. The news of this marriage resulted in Stheneboea committing suicide, fearing that her previous lies about Bellerophon would now be exposed. Bellerophon later attempted to fly to Mount Olympus on Pegasus but was thrown off and either killed or lamed, depending on the account. Some tales claim that they were punished by Zeus for trying to reach Olympus. Afterward, the winged horse became a constellation and served Zeus. The spring Hippocrene on Mount Helicon was said to have been created when Pegasus's hoof struck a rock.

And here’s a little novel about my acquisition of this coin. Just skip over it if you’re not interested in reading a long text about how someone tries to buy a coin 😊

The story began about a year ago when I first spotted this coin on MA-shops and was immediately stunned by its beauty. The only thing that prevented me from buying it was – of course – the price. I really don’t want to complain; the price was fair, probably about $3500 if I remember correctly. It was absolutely in line with what could be expected on the market. It’s not generally a rare type, but it is very rare in this condition. There’s a handful of specimens in similar condition documented on acsearch, and they usually hammered for $3000+ in the past. In other words, everything indicated that a coin like this was completely out of my reach.
But then… Surprise! The coin appeared at Roma Numismatics in November 2023, at one of their last auctions. Of course, I had to try for it. On the evening of the auction, I was out with a friend. I told her that we had to interrupt our dinner because I urgently needed a specific coin that was being auctioned at the moment. For someone without any interest in ancient coins, she was really understanding while she watched me bid in £100 steps for this coin. Meanwhile, I had obviously ordered the cheapest food to save a bit of money – priorities. My maximum bid was set at $1500 total. Anyway, the coin hammered for $2076 without fees, and I wasn’t even the direct underbidder. At this point, I thought that the story about me and this coin was definitely over.

But it wasn’t. Half a year later, I spotted it again on numisbids. This time, it was being auctioned by Heritage Auctions USA! Why Heritage Auctions?! I had never won a coin there before. In my mind, Heritage Auctions attracted a different kind of clientele – collectors with deep pockets that would spend absurd amounts of money for coins in NGC slabs. Luckily, the rigorous eye of the assigned NGC employee had apparently spotted a flaw on this coin. A brush stroke! That was enough to reduce its rating from MS or AU to Strike 5/5, Surface 4/5, ChXF, “brushed”. Perfect! That was my chance.

It hammered for only $1200 and I won it. And today I received it. Is there a brush stroke? It’s not visible in the photos from Roma Numismatics or Heritage Auctions. It’s barely visible in artificial light. But I can see it when I hold the coin at a certain angle in bright daylight. It’s very small and it’s located to the left of the bust of Domitian. The rest of the coin and the reverse are completely flawless. I’ve never been so glad about a brush stroke on one of my coins 😊

For me, it’s one of the best specimens of RIC 921 that exist. The relief is high and clear, the reverse is perfect, and Pegasus looks proud. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a nicer Pegasus on a Roman denarius.

Please share your Domitian coins or any of your dream coins that you were thrilled to acquire unexpectedly.

One of the best I have ever seen. Nicely done!

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

It is indeed a dream coin; the condition, the toning, and the reverse type all combine to make a very special coin.

[Valentinian]

On 5/31/2024 at 1:06 PM, Salomons Cat said:

On the evening of the auction, I was out with a friend. I told her that we had to interrupt our dinner because I urgently needed a specific coin that was being auctioned at the moment. For someone without any interest in ancient coins, she was really understanding while she watched me bid in £100 steps for this coin.

If she tolerated that and any subsequent events like it, she might be a keeper!

[Postvmvs]

Congratulations on an excellent coin! I also enjoyed reading the little novel pertaining to the acquisition.

I am curious about the "brushed" spot on the coin since I see nothing in the photo. Is it something you are able to capture in a photo?

[Salomons Cat]

19 hours ago, Postvmvs said:

I am curious about the "brushed" spot on the coin since I see nothing in the photo. Is it something you are able to capture in a photo?

I've tried it, but I couldn‘t capture it with my mobile phone camera. To see the brush stroke I really had to hold it in a strange angle in very bright light.
The photo above was taken by Gil Southwood for Roma Numismatics, and I think it captures everything that is visible in normal light without a microscope.

However, I just realized that NGC offers some ultra high resolution photos. You might have to click on it to make it bigger, to see what I mean.

This here is the brush stroke that I was able to see:

In contrast, here is the less "flawed" reverse 🙂

Edited June 3 by Salomons Cat

[Postvmvs]

@Salomons Cat Interesting. Thanks!

[mc9]

Here 4 more winged horses, two Romans and two Greek.

[MrMonkeySwag96]

My denarius of Domitian as Caesar. However the horse on the reverse lacks wings

DOMITIAN, as Caesar under Vespasian, AR silver denarius. Rome, 73 AD. CAES AVG F DOMIT COS II, laureate head right. Reverse - Domitian, togate, riding on horse prancing left, holding sceptre in left hand and raising right. Cohen 664, BMC Vespasian 129, RIC Vespasian 608. Very scarce. 19mm, 3.3g.

 

Edited June 4 by MrMonkeySwag96

[GERMANICVS]

That is an absolutely stunning denarius, @Salomons Cat . CONGRATULATIONS.

This is an example of the type I found many years ago. As expected, the condition is not the best. 

Edited June 4 by GERMANICVS
grammar

[Limes]

An absolutely fantastic specimen, well done! And going from 3500 to 1200 is quite the drop. Even more satisfying I imagine. Below is my budget version of the type 🙂

[Homer2]

Very nice coin and I'm in awe of the details on your RIC 921.

I quite honestly got this as an impulse buy after winning an earlier coin because I wanted a Pegasus. Have University to pay for in a few short weeks for the oldest, so I'm a budget collector. It is scratched and stained, but details on this 921 are still discernible. I'll call it a place filler for now, but could hardly go wrong for the price.

 

Edited August 8 by Homer2