Julius Germanicus

It's THAT time of the year, so here are my ten favourites (of the 13 coins I bought this year). Please choose your favourites and let me know why you picked them! I wish you all happy holidays and a better 2023!!! JG 1. Agrippina Minor A holy grail coin for me. Even the British Museum apparently does not have a Sestertius of the younger Agrippina. AGRIPPINA AVG GERMANICI F CAESARIS AVG - Draped bust of Agrippina Junior right / (no legend) – Carpentum left, drawn by two mules, the cover supported by standing figures. Sestertius, uncertain Balkan mint, AD 51-54 (struck under Claudius) 32mm / 26.99 g / 6h Cohen -; BMCRE Claudius p. 195 note and plate 37.3, RIC I (Claudius) 103 (R3); Sear 1910; H.-M. von Kaenel “Britannicus, Agrippina Minor und Nero in Thrakien”, SNR 63 (1984), p. 130 ff, Type A (7 specimens) and plate 24, 30 (same obverse die); Cayon “Los Sestercios del Imperio Romano” Vol. 1 (1984), 1 (80.000 SFR) and plate p.74 (same reverse die) ex CNG E-Auction 525 (19.10.2022), lot 1045 2. Hadrian My first “Travel Sestertius” and, after completing the one-Sestertius-per person series, hopefully the start of a Hadrian sub-collection HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP - Bare-headed draped bust of Hadrian right AEGYPTOS - Ægyptos reclining left, leaning left elbow on a basket of fruit, holding up sistrum in right hand, ibis on column in front Sestertius, Rome 130-133 AD 32 mm / 24.86g RIC (old) 838c = RIC (new) 1595; BMCRE 1692; Cohen 110; Sear 3572; Banti 42 (3 specimens), Cayon 81 (800 SFR) ex Dix Noonan Webb Auction 257 (13,07.2022), lot 990 3. Caracalla Caesar Rare and with a nice youthful portrait of the later tyrant M AVR ANTONINVS CAES - Bareheaded and draped juvenile bust of Caracalla Caesar to right, seen three quarters from behind SEVERI AVG PII FIL S C - Pontifical and augural implements: lituus, secespita, patera, guttus, simpulum, and aspergillum Sestertius, Rome December 195 AD (4th officina, 11 th Emission of Septimius Severus) 30,0 mm / 16.31 g / 12 h RIC IV 400 (R2); BMCRE V 150, 611; Cohen 585; Sear RCV 6685; Banti 124 (6 specimens); Clay obv.die 313 / rev. die 459 ex CGB Monnaies 24 (24.06.2005) lot 450 and Auctiones eAuction 74 (12.12.2021) lot 60 4. Domitian GERMANIA CAPTA Iconic type. David Sear and Künker see no reasons for this not being genuine, and an X-Ray fluorescence analysis turned out a content of 83 % copper, 15 % zinc, and traces of tin and lead. This corresponds exactly with the copper-to-zinc-relation to be expected for a Sestertius of Domitian (even more than that of any other 1st century roman Emperor) according to this study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6722059/ IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XI CENS POT PP – Laureate bust of Domitian right, wearing Aegis on his left shoulder GERMANIA CAPTA S C – Germania, as mourning female captive, supporting head with right hand, elbow on knee, seated left on crossed shields at base of trophy of arms; German captive, his hands bound behind his back, standing right, wearing Chlamys, head left, shield to right, helmet on ground Sestertius, Rome mint, 85 A.D. 35 mm / 25,76 g 278 a (old) = RIC II 351 (new); BMCRE 325; Cohen 136; Sear 2765, Cayon 17 (6 specimens, 1.600 SFR) 5. Septimius Severus A super portrait L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP V – Laureate head of Septimius Severus right SAECVLI FELICITAS S C – Felicitas standing left, right foot on prow, holding caduceus and cornucopiae Sestertius, Rome 195 AD 31,5 mm / 23,53 gr / 12 h RIC 692a (R 1), BMCRE 560, Sear 6439, Banti 145 (3 specimens, same dies as illustrated) 6. Julia Mamaea An overall nice Sestertius for this Empress IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA - Draped bust of Julia Mamaea right FELICITAS PVBLICA S C - Felicitas standing facing, head left, legs crossed, holding caduceus in right hand and resting left arm on column Sestertius, Rome 228 A.D. 30 mm / 21,72 gr RIC 676, BMCRE 487, Sear 8228, Banti 7 (64 specimens) 7. Domitian IOVI VICTORI I like the Jupiter reverse and the pure Orichalcum colour IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XI CENS POT P P - Laureate bust of Domitian right, with Aegis on neck IOVI VICTORI S C -Jupiter seated left. holding winged Victory in his right hand and a scepter in his left hand 35 mm / 26,70 gr Sestertius, Rome 85 AD RIC (old) 279a, BMCRE 327, Sear -, Cayon 33 8. Antoninus Pius Nice portrait, metal and strike (too bad about the corroded reverse) ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XII - Laureate head of Antoninus Pius right COS IIII S C - Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae Sestertius, Rome AD 148 33 mm / 27,2 gr RIC 855; BMCRE 1823; Banti 100 (53 specimens) 9. Divus Lucius Verus Big and chunky, my first consecration Sestertius of a Roman Emperor DIVVS VERVS - Bare head of Lucius Verus right CONSECRATIO - Pyramidal crematorium of four storeys, with base adorned with draperies and three festoons, inward-opening door and four statues on second level, four statues on third and three on fourth level, the apex surmounted by statue of Lucius Verus in facing quadriga Sestertius, Rome, March-December 169 AD 34,5 mm / 26,69 g / 5 h RIC 1511 (R2), BMCRE 1366 var., Sear 5208 var., Banti 42 (5 specimens) 10. Sabina Worn but very rare with left facing portrait SABINA AVGVSTA HADRIANI - Diademed and draped bust of Sabina left, hair in plait down neck PVDICITIA S C - Pudicitia enthroned left, her right hand raised to mouth, left resting on hip Sestertius, Rome ca. 133-133 AD 32 mm / 22,9 gr RIC (old) 1032b = RIC (new) 2532 (R2, specimens in Paris and Vienna), Sear -; Banti 23 (one specimen = the Paris coin), Cayon 21 (950 SFR)

According to an X-ray fluorescence analysis and in the opinion of a major German auction company and a well-known american expert the coin looks (based on the photos) indeed to be genuine. I will send it out to certification and keep you updated.

Here is something that would speak for the authenticity of my coin: it has a different flan shape, but is from the same pair of dies as this coin that was deemed genuine and sold by CNG in 2017 (for 750 USD): https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=355715

Thank you for the info, Donna! Interestingly despite this being an old envelope and the writing being with an ink pen (both pointing to the 70s or 80s), the reference number noted (RIC 351) is taken from the NEW edition of RIC Vol.II which only came out in 2007 (the old reference number was RIC 278 a). Also the weight given by the seller (22,7 g) differs from the one listed on the envelope (26,64 g).

I don't see a seam, but could this (center left) be where the casting sprue was filed off? All pits and cracks are very shallow, I´d say less than 0,1 mm deep. I am tending towards cast now. The seller (has 100 % positive feedback) offered to take the coin back. Nevertheless I like it 🥲

Thank you very much for the info! Oh no, I hate to read things like that... Just checked the German forum - there are two opinions on the coin there, but I really don't want to take risks. I received it today from an Ebay seller in Norfolk, UK, as genuine. According to him "ownership history is available" and he accepts returns within 14 days. Are there any suspicious detail I should post enlargements of? Gruss aus Hamburg! J.G.

This Sestertius, worn but finely styled and on a large and almost medallic flan, is of a rare and historic type commemorating Rome's "victory" over the Germans during Domitian's campaigns of 83-85 against the Germanic peoples of the Chatti, Mattiaci, Vangiones, Triboci and Nemeti. Domitian pursued military actions in Germania and Dacia in an effort to shorten Rome's frontier with the barbarian tribes in order to improve the safety of the Empire until the construction of a border defense system of the Germanic-Rhaetian limes. IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XI CENS POT PP – Laureate bust of Domitian right, wearing Aegis on his left shoulder GERMANIA CAPTA S C – Germania, as mourning female captive, supporting head with right hand, elbow on knee, seated left on crossed shields at base of trophy of arms; German captive, his hands bound behind his back, standing right, wearing Chlamys, head left, shield to right, helmet on ground Orichalcum Sestertius, Rome mint, 85 A.D. 35 mm / 25,76 g RIC II 351 (new), 278 a (old), BMCRE 325, C 136, Cayon 17, Sear 2765 The iconography of this coin is a practical duplicate of the Judaea Capta series of Vespasian and Titus. Domitian certainly pursued propagandistic goals and was eager to display his military prowess, just as his father and brother had succeeded in Judaea, he wanted to be known as conqueror of the Germans. The personification of Germania shows an attitude of deep grief, unable to raise her eyes from the ground, and the German captive standing next to her is unable to shake off the Roman yoke, with his hands tied behind his back. The state of total surrender is also underlined by the presence of the trophy, weapons rendered inoperable by the defeat.Contemporary and modern historians have long cast doubts on the proclaimed successes of Domitian in Germany, which Tacitus commented with a dismissive 'in recent times we have celebrated triumphs rather than won conquests over them [the Germans]' (Tac. Germ. 37.5).On the other hand, we have to take into account the notorious hostility of the senatorial historiography towards the last Flavian emperor, which resulted in most of his achievements being downplayed. The fact that the upper Rhine region and the Agri Decumates saw no serious barbarian invasions in the century after his reign indicates that Domitian's campaigns and measures must have been quite successful.The coin came in an old A.H. Baldwin & Sons, Ltd. envelope and I would be thankful for any further information: Please post your CAPTA coins or anything relevant!

Here is my matching pair of Sestertii from the Rome mint: IMP CAES M OPEL SEV MACRINVS AVG - Laureate and cuirassed bust of Macrinus right, with beard of intermediate length / PONTIF MAX TR P COS P P around, S - C in field - Felicitas standing left, holding long caduceus and cornucopiae Orichalcum Sestertius, Rome, 1.Oct.-31.Dec.217 20,51 grams / 33,10 mm Clay (The Roman Coinage of Macrinus and Diadumenian), obv. die 2, rev. die 42 (this coin cited); RIC 139; BMC 120, note; Cohen 66; Sear (RCTV II) 7386 Ex collection of Friedrich Karl August, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, 1763-1812 (Münzhandlung Basel Auction 3, 1935, lot 730) M OPEL ANTONINVS DIADVMENIANVS CAES - Bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust of Diadumenian right / SPES PVBLICA S C - Spes advancing left, holding flower in extended right hand and raising drapery of her dress behind Sestertius Orichalcum Sestertius, Rome 218 a.D 23,46 g / 32.23 mm RIC 219; BMCRE 155-7 and pl. 84, 7 (same obverse die) Ex Ebay

I bought this one for around 75 Euros / Dollars six years ago and resold it for the same amount a couple of years later when I decided to concentrate on Sestertii:

What a great haul! I am still missing a Domitia (practically impossible to catch as a Sestertius)! Here are the Banti numbers and specimen counts for your Sestertii: Otaclilia Severa: Banti 12 (46 specimens) Crispina: Banti 10 (31 specimens) Lucilla: Banti 33 (70 specimens) Faustina No.2: Banti 141 (6 specimens) Faustina No.1: Banti 75 (8 specimens)

This was a "back to the roots" purchase for me: a nice big yellow Sestertius that cost me just 5 % of what I paid for my Agrippina Junior and nevertheless is much nicer in hand - the reverse has suffered from corrosion, but the obverse leaves little to be desired I think!Note that the roman mint never reached this level of quality control for AE coinage again: this coin is not only round, well struck, and obviously made of "pure" yellow Orichalcum, it's weight is also 100 % spot on: exactly 27,2 grams equaling one roman ounce, the nominal weight of a Sestertius! Show me a coin of Marcus Aurelius (or any later ruler, for that matter) that matches all these boxes :-D. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XII - Laureate head of Antoninus Pius right /COS IIII S C - Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiaeSestertius, Rome AD 14833 mm / 27,2 gRIC 855; BMCRE 1823; Banti 100 (53 specimens) Let´s see your coins of Antoninus Pius or Sestertii that come close to this in terms of quality control !

Actually I did it the easy way and printed stickers with the original inscriptions in Times New Roman font :-). The rest is 100 % Lego. No, I am doing this as a private hobby. I build the roman architecture models purely for my own enjoyment and am happy if someone wants to show them. When I do commissions, they always seek me out and mostly concern my other Lego area, which is historic ships, something that has many more fans in a harbour town like Hamburg than Roman triumphal arches. Sigh...

Great coins! I had no idea that there are so many depictions of her on provincials! Yes, she certainly is my rarest empress (or person, for that matter) on a Sestertius so far, much harder to find than Aquilia Severa, Julia Paula, or the wife and daughter of Didius Julianus, but those combined did not have one percent of the historic relevance (and tragic life) of Agrippina minor. In fact I had to pay four (!) visits to the customs office before they would let me have it, and not before they had made an inquiry at the Ministry of Culture if it was a piece of world heritage that could not be legally imported into the EU (even though I do not understand why something that was made on EU territory should be kept in the US for cultural reasons - this lady was born in what is now Germany and was the founder of Cologne, so I would say she has much stronger cultural ties to this place 😄 ).

My latest architectural study in Lego was created especially for the exhibition "New Media in the Age of Augustus - Power and Media in Ancient Rome" currently shown at the Buccerius Kunst Forum in Hamburg. It is highly recommended: https://www.buceriuskunstforum.de/en/exhibitions/die-neuen-bilder-des-augustus The arch was granted to Augustus in 19 BC after he recovered the Aquilae lost in the battle of Carrhae and by Marcus Antonius. It can be reconstructed through detailed numismatic depictions - they show a three-gated ach (probably the first such structure built in Rome) with Augustus riding a chariot surmounting the central attic, flanked by two subjugated Parthians offering him standards over the side gates: My Lego recreation is in 1:50 scale: As a bonus, you may take a look at some of my other Lego arches at the exhibition until January 11 (if you happen to be in town): Sadly I do not have a coin featuring Augustus´ arch, but maybe you can show yours or anything related!

The most desirable reverse type of Maximinus Thrax celebrates his historic victories in Germania Magna: MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM - laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Maximinus right / VICTORIA GERMANICA S C - Maximinus, in military attire, standing left, his right hand raised, holding spear in left, German captive seated left at his feet, looking back, emperor crowned by Victory standing left behind him, also holding palm. Sestertius, Rome ca. September-December 236 32,34 mm / 21,64 gr RIC VI 93, BMCRE 198 and pl. 40; Cohen 114; MIR 26-5; Sear 8342; Banti 33

Volusian has lots of generic reverse types. And there is this round temple of Juno: IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG – Laureate bust right, seen from behind, wearing paludamentum / IVNONI MARTIALI S C- Temple of Juno: circular tetrastyle temple with Corinthian columns and ribbed dome, floral pattern at apex, large ornament below dome; within, statue of Juno, holding two grain ears in extended right hand, seated facing on winged throne; to lower left, peacock standing left; between columns, urns atop low pedestals AE Sestertius, Rome AD 252 29mm / 20.92 g / 6 h RIC IV 252a, Cohen 41, Sear 9788, BM R.4077 (same reverse die), Banti 12 (15 specimens)

For Otacilia Severa, only one reverse type is a must-have: MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG - Draped bust of Otacilia Severa right, seen three quarters from front, wearing Stephane / SAECVLARES AVGG, S C in exergue - Hippopotamus walking right, head raised Sestertius, Rome, 4th officina, 9th emission of Philip I, AD 248 30,25 mm / 18,37 g / 6 h RIC (Philip I) 200a; Cohen 65, Banti 13, Hunter 26 Ex CNG Electronic Auction 474 (12.08.2020), ex Jack A. Frazer collection, purchased from John Aiello, March 1976

Sestertius of Herennius Etruscus: Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C - Draped bust of Herennius Etruscus right PIETAS AVGG S C - Mercury standing left, holding purse in right hand, caduceus in left Sestertius, Rome (1st officina), 3rd emission of Trajan Decius, spring 250-mid 251 AD 28mm / 15.72 g, RIC IV 167a corr. (draped) (R 2); Cohen 12, Banti 1

Rare Sestertius of Hostilian as Augustus: IMP CAE C VAL HOS MES QVINTVS AVG - Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Hostilian right SECVRITAS AVGG S C - Securitas standing facing, looking right, her legs crossed, placing right hand on head and resting left arm on column. 14,69 gr / 28,37 mm Sestertius, Rome June-August 251 RIC (Decius) 225; Hunter p. 254, 3 and plate 81; Cohen 60; Sear 9593

Here is a (very small) she-wolf with twins, protected by the Dioscuri: IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG – Laureate head of Maxentius right /AETERNITAS AVG N MOSTΓ – The Dioskuri Castor and Pollux standing facing one another, each holding his bridled horse and resting on sceptre; between, she-wolf standing left, suckling the twins Romulus and RemusÆ Follis, Ostia mind, 3rd officina, AD 30925mm / 5,64 gr / 12hRIC VI 16, Cohen 10, Sear 14976, Drost 17 b

Thank you! I don´t have an online resource yet but you can see some of my earlier works on Cointalk. Here is my version to the Colosseum:

Yes, it was shown in a museum in Hamburg, Germany for three months. All of my ancient Roman Lego architecture (and that of other creators) can next be seen at the Buccerius Art Forum in downtown Hamburg from December 5 to January 7. https://www.buceriuskunstforum.de/en/die-neuen-steine-des-augustus

Thank you for the wonderful pictures 😍

Dear coin friends, some of you who were regulars on Cointalk may have run across my scale reproductions of ancient monuments in the medium of LEGO bricks. So by popular demand (courtesy of our dear member Ocatarinetabellatchitchix) I present to you a new creation. Note that while my buildings consist of 100 % original Lego parts, they are not commercially available as sets but own designs. At 32 meters, the so-called "Porte de Mars" at Reims (France) is the widest surviving arch of the Roman world. It is the only remaining of the four gates that gave access to the Gallo-Roman town of Durocortorum. The structure is estimated to date from the fist half of the third century A.D. and was later named after the nearby temple of Mars. I have reconstructed the now missing attic that was likely topped by a quadriga. Here is an old artist´s impression: My Lego works had the honour to be presented at the Ballinstadt Museum in Hamburg this summer: And to keep this coin related, here is my only coin featuring Mars, an unlisted Sestertius of Vitellius: A VITELLIVS GERMAN IMP AVG PM TR P - Laureate, draped bust of Vitellius right / S C - Mars, helmeted and naked but for cloak, advancing right, holding transverse spear in right hand and Aquila standard in left hand over left shoulder. Sestertius, Rome, July/August 69 aD 35,64 mm / 24,29 gr RIC 141 var. (trophy instead of aquila over Mars’ shoulder) = BMCRE 58 = RCTV I 2208; CBN 108 var. (trophy) = Cohen 79; CBN 104 var. (trophy and legend ends P M TR) = Cohen 79; Mazzini 80 var. (Mars holds aquila, but obv. legend ends P M TR) = Cayon (Los Sestercios del Imperio Romano) 29. Please post your coins showing Mars, or any cool Lego stuff 🙂