expat

@ambr0zie and @Ryro thanks for sharing your wonderful examples. As mentioned, a truly iconic image. And as also mentioned above, it is incredible to think that the misguided deeds of their past are forever struck into the coinage. But the stories and mythology are great reading.

Interesting. Any help is greatly appreciated as coins of this type are completely unknown to me.

At Saturnalia my Santa sent me a coin of King Tatius. As I was not aware of this character some reading was needed. The coin I was gifted alluded to the rape of the Sabine women According to the Roman foundation myth, Titus Tatius, also called Tatius Sabinus, was king of the Sabines from Cures and joint-ruler of the Kingdom of Rome for several years. During the reign of Romulus, the first king of Rome, Tatius declared war on Rome in response to the incident known as The Rape of the Sabine Women. After he captured the stronghold atop the Capitoline Hill through the treachery of Tarpeia, the Sabines and Romans fought an epic battle that concluded when the abducted Sabine women intervened to convince the two sides to reconcile and end the war. The two kingdoms were joined and the two kings ruled jointly until Tatius' murder five years later. The joint kingdom was still called Rome and the citizens of the city were still called Romans, but as a community, they were to be called Quirites. Painting of the Sabine women intervening So, enchanted as I was with the story, I purchased another Tatius issue. This one is related to the story and the greed of a woman who saw riches in her future. L. TITURIUS L. F. SABINUS. Denarius (89 BC). Rome. Head of Tatius right, SABIN behind, A.PV before / L TITVRI in exergue, Tarpeia buried to her waist in shields, fending off two soldiers about to throw their shields on her. Tituria 5 sear5 #252,Cr344/2c, Syd 699a. ( 3.69 g. 19.4 mm ). In Roman legend, Tarpeia, daughter of the Roman commander Spurius Tarpeius, was a Vestal Virgin who betrayed the city of Rome to the Sabines at the time of their women's abduction for what she thought would be a reward of jewelry. She was instead crushed to death by Sabine shields and her body cast from the southern cliff of Rome's Capitoline Hill, thereafter called after her the Tarpeian Rock (Rupes Tarpeia). Please feel free to comment, show your Tatius coins or anything mythological related.

I looked at a selection of Sasanian coins on Numista. This appears to be closest. https://en.numista.com/catalogue/pieces409337.html

Received a coin today for my Birthday which was Tuesday. My friend was travelling around Europe and acquired a coin. He posted it to me but I have no clue at to what I am looking at. I have measured and weighed it, 4.11 g, 32.8mm. It appears to be silver and a very generous flan. Please help or give me some research references. Many thanks.

Valerian II Valerian II Billon Antoninianus. P LIC COR VALERIANVS CAES, radiate, draped bust right / VICTORIA PART, Victory standing right, presenting wreath to Valerian II, holding globe and spear. RSC 97; RIC 54 Antioch; Goebl 1604d; Sear 10742. Weight: 3,3gr

Two Victories holding shield Valerian I, Billon antoninianus, 253 AD. Antioch or Samosata mint IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / VOTA ORBIS, two Victories holding shield inscribed S C, palm tree behind. RIC V-I 294; Goebl 1682e Samosata; Sear 9966. Weight: 3,4gr, 24.7mm

Beards (plural) NEXT: Excessive facial hair

Mediolanum

Sol with globe

NEXT: More ancient riders on a galloping horse

Going back to the Swastika issue, any coin minted or hammered before the 20th Century, with an image of a swastika, should not be considered in the same light. The hooked cross with the hooks anti-clockwise, called suavstika, symbolise night, tantric aspects of goddess Kali and fertility. Clockwise hooks, called swastika, signify light, good fortune and wellbeing in many Eastern religions. The earliest image of a swastika found dates back to 10,000BC carved into a wooden bird. In the mountains of Iran are carvings in stone walls from 7,000 BC. Neolithic carvings in England while similarly found also in Africa, neolithic China and varying parts of the Caucasus. While I would probably not purchase one from the early 20th century onwards when the symbol was appropriated first in Bulgaria and then by the Nazi party, I would not hesitate to acquire one if it took my liking from earlier periods. Either of the two types would, in my mind, only convey thought of its meaning from prior eras. These are just my thoughts on a subjective image.

Lugdunum ( no longer my coin, one of the coins I gave as secret saturnalia)

PAX Probus, 276-282 AD. AR Antoninianus (4.98 gm; 23 mm). Lugdunum mint. IMP C PROBVS . P . F . AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right. PAX AVG, Pax standing left with branch in upraised hand and raising hem of skirt while holding sceptre; Officina D in left field. Pleasant toning. RIC 119(D.RC)

Corn ears Antoninus Pius AR denarius, Rome, AD 152-153. 18 mm, 3.35 g. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P XVI, laureate head right. / COS IIII, Annona standing left, holding corn-ears in left hand and resting right hand on modius set on prow to right. RIC 221; RSC 290; BMCRE 520

Fantastic restoration/cleaning job😁

Faustina I Faustina Sr AR Denarius, RIC 361, RSC 101a, BMC 417, SEAR 4583. DIVA FAVSTINA, with elaborate hairstyle and draped bust right / AVGV-STA, Ceres standing left, long hair tied behind, raising right hand & holding long torch with left. Rome mint, A.D. 141. 3,0 g - 15 mm

Old design, new coin NEXT: Same theme

Holding Victory on globe Maximianus, AE radiate fraction. 295-299 AD. Cyzicus. IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right / CONCORDIA MI-LITVM, Emperor standing right, receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter, standing left and holding sceptre. KΔ in lower centre. RIC VI Cyzicus 16B.

I think this is the smallest I have Kyzikos, Mysia. AE civic issue. 2nd-1st centuries BC. 10mm, 1.91 g. Bull's head right. / KY above, ZI below monogram ΡΔI within wreath. BMC 154. Now we come to your Marilyn Manson lookalike reverse. It could be Lady Gaga

Faustina the younger

Caligula RPC Volume: I №: 400 Reign: Caligula Persons: Caligula (Augustus) Magistrate: Gaius Cornelius Refec— (duovir); Marcus Helvius Fronto (duovir) City: Bilbilis Region: Hispania Province: Tarraconensis Denomination: Leaded bronze (27 mm) 11.92gr Obverse: G CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS IMP; laureate head of Caligula, right Reverse: MVN AVG BILBIL C COR(N) REF(EC) M HELV FRO(NTO); oak wreath containing II VIR Reference: Vives 139–10, GMI 552, NAH 1131 Specimens: 36

One tenuous link is the name of the band is very similar to the Emperor. Second, the title of the song echoes his feelings about Hercules Commodus, AR Denarius, 187-188 AD. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT, laureate head right / P M TR P XIII IMP VIII COS V P P, Hercules naked, standing front, holding patera and club. RSC 534; RIC 162. 17 mm, 2,91 g

Another fascinating episode of your highly enjoyable series. The only thing remotely relevant I have is an orichalcum of Faustina II Faustina II Orichalcum Dupondius, 13.55g, 27mm. Rome 161-164 CE. RIC 1671, Sear 5303, BMCRE 995, Cohen 201. FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, diademed draped bust right / SALVTI AVGVSTAE, SC below, Salus seated left on a low decorative chair, feeding from a patera a serpent coiled around and raising up from altar.

Vesta. Vespasian Denarius, Rome 72-73 AD. RIC 360, (RIC [1962] 50), RSC 574, BMC 71 SEAR 2316 IMP CAES VESP AVG P M COS IIII, laureate head right / VES-TA to either side of Vesta standing left, holding simpulum & scepter.