rasiel Posted August 3 · Member Share Posted August 3 An ode to minimalist design! For Roman coins the naked bust was the default in the early days of the empire. The adornments, typically spiky crowns, helmets or laurel wreaths, became increasingly common past the Julio-Claudian age. By the 2nd century the trend was fully reversed and by the 3rd bare heads were altogether a rarity. Constantius Gallus and Julian II would be (I think) the last to be featured without headgear - by then an iconographical choice laden with political significance. Here's three from my collection. Share yours! Rasiel 19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientCoinnoisseur Posted August 3 · Member Share Posted August 3 (edited) I don’t have any bare heads of an emperor, maybe the truly bare heads in my collection are Libertas (but she has something in her hair) or Juno Moneta, probably she is the only one that qualifies! i just wanted to say that your last coin would be perfect for @TIF’s “Totally looks like”, because he reminds me of Mozart: Edited August 3 by AncientCoinnoisseur 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanxi Posted August 3 · Supporter Share Posted August 3 (edited) Here are three of mine (or two, if the wig of Otho doesn't count): Constantius Gallus AE2, Constantinople Obv: DN FL CL CONSTANTIVS NOB CAES/ Bust of Constantius Gallus, bareheaded, draped, cuirassed, right Rev: FEL TEMP RE-PARATIO, Soldier, helmeted, draped, cuirassed, advancing left, spearing fallen horseman with right hand and wearing shield on left arm; shield on ground to right MintMark: Γ•/-//CONSZ AE, 4.36g, 22-23 mm RIC 7, p.456, 107 Marcus Aurelius AR Denar, Rome Obv.: AVRELIVS CAES ANTON AVG PII F, head bare Rev.: TR POT XIII COS II, Spes advancing left, holding flower, raising skirt Ag, 3.32g, 16.2mm Ref.: RIC III (A.P.) 479 Otho Denarius, Rome, AD 69 Obv.: IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TRP, Bare head right Rev.: SECVRITAS PR, Securitas standing left, holding wreath and sceptre Ag, 3.28g, 19x17mm Ref.: RIC² 8, RIC 8, Kankelfitz 3 Edited August 3 by shanxi 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GERMANICVS Posted August 3 · Member Share Posted August 3 (edited) I have a few bare heads, it seems most are from the period before the dude became emperor, so maybe they did not have the right to be seen with headgear? Of course, some of them never became emperor, like Drusus or Germanicus, for example. Edited August 3 by GERMANICVS 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expat Posted August 3 · Supporter Share Posted August 3 (edited) Some bare heads Geta Antoninus Pius Edited August 3 by expat 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maridvnvm Posted August 3 · Member Share Posted August 3 Constantius Gallus - AE2 Obv:– DN CONSTANTIVS IVN NOB C, Bare, bust draped and cuirassed right Rev:– FEL TEMP REPARATIO, Soldier spearing fallen horseman, who is bare headed, reaching backwards Minted in Antioch (Gamma | _ // ANA), A.D. 350-355 Reference:– RIC VIII Antioch 134 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qcumbor Posted August 3 · Supporter Share Posted August 3 Some beautiful portraits out there. Some of mine Q 10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Victor_Clark Posted August 3 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted August 3 Constantine I A.D. 313 Half follis 18mm 1.3g IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; bare head right. GLORIA PERPET; Two victories advancing right, both holding wreath and palm frond, standard between them In ex. RS RIC VII Rome 14 Constantine I A.D. 313 Half follis 15mm 1.7g IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; bare head right. FVNDAT PACIS; Mars advancing right with trophy over left shoulder, dragging captive. in ex. RT RIC VII Rome 12; Mazzini V, pl. XX, 157 (this coin) Constantine I A.D. 313 14mm 1.1gm quarter follis IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; bare head right. SAPIENTIA PRINCIPIS; Altar with owl, spear across altar, shield to left and helmet to right. in ex. RS RIC VII Rome 16 topic on these coins-- https://www.constantinethegreatcoins.com/pacis/ 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor DonnaML Posted August 4 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted August 4 (edited) I was rather surprised to discover that out of all my Roman Imperial coins with bare-headed busts of emperors on the obverse (not counting Divus types), almost half were issued by Hadrian -- most of those from the Travel Series -- and the latest one I have was issued by Marcus Aurelius. Edited August 4 by DonnaML 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happy_collector Posted August 4 · Member Share Posted August 4 Coins on young Marcus Aurelius have bare-headed busts. Here are 2 in my collection. 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor DonnaML Posted August 4 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted August 4 (edited) I had assumed that all the Divus issues were bare-headed (at least up to the point that coins began showing deceased emperors veiled), given that after their deaths emperors were no longer "the" emperor. So I left them out from my original post. But that's not actually true, it seems: my Divus Augustus bronze is laureate, as is my Divus Vespasian denarius. So here are my three bare-headed Divus issues: I'm still leaving out my bare-headed Octavians, and all my bare-headed Caesars! Edited August 4 by DonnaML 7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Victor_Clark Posted August 4 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted August 4 Constantius II A.D. 328- 329 Ӕ nummus 18x19mm 2.9gm FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C; bare- headed, draped and cuirassed bust left. PROVIDEN-TIAE CAES •; camp gate with two turrets and star between them. in ex. SMNΔ RIC VII Nicomedia -- Not in RIC for the bare-headed bust 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange Julius Posted August 4 · Member Share Posted August 4 5 minutes ago, Victor_Clark said: Constantius II A.D. 328- 329 Ӕ nummus 18x19mm 2.9gm FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C; bare- headed, draped and cuirassed bust left. PROVIDEN-TIAE CAES •; camp gate with two turrets and star between them. in ex. SMNΔ RIC VII Nicomedia -- Not in RIC for the bare-headed bust Although scarce, I have one of those too! The only bareheaded bust campgate. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc9 Posted August 4 · Member Share Posted August 4 (edited) here some more campgate coins with bare heads, all from Nicomedia: Edited August 4 by mc9 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Ancient Coin Hunter Posted August 4 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted August 4 (edited) Lucius Verus AE As Decentius Caesar AE2 Magnentius AE1 Edited August 4 by Ancient Coin Hunter 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mc9 Posted August 4 · Member Share Posted August 4 Some more bare heads : Augustus, Divus Augustus, Drusus, Germanicus, Claudius I, Marcus Aurelius and Maximus 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edessa Posted August 4 · Supporter Share Posted August 4 Roman Asia Minor. Ionia, Uncertain mint (Ephesus?). Claudius, AD 41-54. AR Cistophorc Tetradrachm (26mm, 10.31g, 6h). Uncertain mint in Asia, struck circa AD 41-42. Obv; TI CLAVD CAES•AVG; Bare head to left. Rev: Distyle temple inscribed ROM ET AVG, containing figure of emperor standing to left, holding spear, being crowned by female figure holding cornucopiae; COM-ASI across fields. Ref: RPC I 2221; BMCRE 228 (Ephesus); RIC I 120 (Pergamum); RSC 3. Near Very Fine. Ex Roma 99 (7 Jul 2022), Lot 714. Roma 99 Note: The obverse of this coin is die-linked to following Lot 715 which is attributed to the mint of Ephesus, made clear from the reverse legend. This link may mean that this coin too can be attributed to Ephesus, however we cannot rule out the die travelling between different mints. In this instance it would have travelled from the uncertain mint to Ephesus as the die wear on Lot 715 is a little more advanced than seen here.  2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Ancient Coin Hunter Posted August 4 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted August 4 (edited) I forgot this one above - Marcus Aurelius, Drachm of Alexandria Edited August 4 by Ancient Coin Hunter 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benefactor Victor_Clark Posted August 4 · Benefactor Benefactor Share Posted August 4 Romulus A.D. 309- 312 22x23mm 5.8g DIVO ROMVLO N V BIS CONS; bare head right. AETERNAE MEMORIAE; Eagle with wings spread on domed shrine, with no columns, doors ajar. In ex. MOSTS RIC VI Ostia 34 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heliodromus Posted August 4 · Member Share Posted August 4 3 hours ago, mc9 said: here some more campgate coins with bare heads, all from Nicomedia: I'm not sure what they were thinking at Nicomedia - some weirdness there at the end of the campgate series with the bust types for the caesars, not seen elsewhere! It seems that when the busts for Constantine I first transition from laureate to diademed, then from diademed head-only to diademed draped-and-cuirassed busts, Nicomedia wanted to change-up the busts for the caesars too, and did it in this odd way. It seems first they changed to diademed busts (unlisted & unexpected) for both of the caesars Constantine II and Constantius II, then following that(?) switched to the bare headed bust for Constantius II only, which would normally be taken as sign of junior status, but a bit odd given that he had already appeared with a laureate bust! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expat Posted August 4 · Supporter Share Posted August 4 Marcus Aurelius 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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