Marcus

@Marsyas Mike: I think this is RIC 875 (HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS only, no P P). The bust type C2 is missing by mistake in the list Heads on p. 134. Here the BM specimen: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-9437

It's from 1986, second unchanged edition 1989.

The bust types for each reverse type have to be looked up in the concordance table at the end. There all known types to Szaivert are listed, and he only knew the BM specimen with laureate head right (p. 263 - sorry can't take pictures at the moment).

Thank you @Marsyas Mike for giving me the opportunity to use my library 🙂. Caracalla has the most voluminous and varied coinage for Trajanopolis, and this is an interesting specimen, as this precise combination of obverse legend, bust type and reverse type is known neither to Varbanov nor to Schönert-Geiss (so please submit to RPC). Varbanov (with the specimens as he cites them) 2764: ΑΝΤΟΝΕΙΝΟC ΠΙΟC ΑΥΓΟ - laur. hd. r. (Moushmov 5026, S-G 98) 2765: ΑΝΤΟΝΕΙΝΟC ΠΙΟC ΑΥΓΟ - rad., dr. and cuir. bust r. (Private coll.) 2766: ΑΝΤΟΝΕΙΝΟC ΠΙΟC ΑΥΓΟΥ - laur. hd. r. (S-G 93) 2767: ΑΥΤ Κ Μ ΑΥΡ CΕ ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟC - laur., dr. and cuir. bust r. (BM 179,20) He is a bit imprecise in his attributions: 2764: Moushmov 5026 is actually S-G 115 and has the ΑΥΓΟΥ variant (i.e. Varbanov 2766). S-G 98 has specimens in Berlin and Bukarest, S-G 103 also belongs here 2765 is unusual (and probably a mistake) as there are no radiate obverse dies for this small denomination, but 31 (!) with laureate head/bust. 2766 is also S-G 111-115 in addition to S-G 93 2767 is S-G 104 https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_1840-0921-312 Yours is: ΑΥΤ Κ Μ ΑΥΡ C(Ε(Υ)) ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟC, laur. hd. r. which fits to V54, V55, V57, V59-V65, V67 in S-G, none of them really match apart from V65 (Paris) which looks similar, maybe it's also a new die. The reverse type has the dies R89, R91, R98-R102. I am pretty sure it’s R100 (SNG Aarhus 494 cited in S-G, which I don’t have to compare).

That's a nice find indeed. Yours is also a different die combination (V10 / R-) from the numbers 16 (V9 / R14) and 17 (V9 / R15) in Schönert-Geiss: Die Münzprägung von Augusta Traiana und Traianopolis. V10 is e.g. also the obverse die for https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/171914.

Woytek is listing this variant separately in his MIR volume on Trajan (so I suppose he will also do so in RIC). He knows one specimen with your bust type v (an obverse die match to yours, but the specimen is neither yours nor the Heritage one, so there are three in total up to now):

Oh, sorry - I need another cup of coffee ...

If I may intrude: isn't this RIC 1106?

Maybe more details regarding the "steps" question can be found in E. Christiansens: The Roman Coins of Alexandria (1987), which RPC seems to have relied upon. The only hint in RPC is the following bit: "With the addition of the aegis to the radiate portrait later in that year (say, early 65), however, the 'steps' hairstyle was dropped and the previous hairstyle, with the hair combed forward over the forehead, was resumed". I suspect steps is supposed to describe the fact that the hairline over the forehead consists of two almost linear parts slightly angled to each other, whereas in the regular portrait the hairline is curved.

I am looking for a picture of no. 448 in the above catalogue, a scarce Commodus As (RIC 1535). This catalogue was auctioned off last year at Solidus, but I missed it unfortunately. If someone could help, I'd be very grateful.

Here's my denarius RIC 339a (your first variant) 17mm, 3.34g ... and the corresponding dupondius RIC 1092 (with the struppus you mention) 26mm, 10.99g

https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4.4/2763 This specimen #2 actually: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coin/112870 Citing Aiello: Private collection, USA; duplicates sold by Alex Malloy XIV (1979) - otherwise unpublished

Thank you very much for this highly interesting post. Especially the following is important and as both Antoninus Pius and Commodus had coins minted with a Juno Sospita reverse. My contribution: Commodus as Co-Augustus (2nd emission Oct - 9 Dec 177) L AVREL COMMODVS AVG GERM SARM laur. hd. r. IVNONI SISPITAE TR II IMP II COS PP / S-C Juno Sospita, adv. r., with shield and javelin, snake in lower field right. RIC 1583 var., Banti 162 var., BMCRE 1669 var. (head instead of draped or draped and cuirassed bust) 31 mm, 26.5 g I think this is the last time that she appeared in Roman coinage.

This is one of my favourite sestertii: Nerva 96-98 IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P COS II P P laur. hd. r. CONGIAR P R / S C Nerva seated on platform, in front of him, attendant seated right, making distribution to citizen, standing left, foot on steps up to platform, holding out hand; in background, center, Minerva standing left, holding owl(?) and spear, on right, Liberalitas standing left, holding abacus. RIC 56, BMCRE 87 22.88 g, 33 mm, 6º ex CNG 126/300 and CNG 103/157 The reverse is not that well preserved, but I like the portrait and the overall appeal - and it is untouched.

Thanks a lot for looking it up! And sorry for being unclear: A151 and A152 are the shortcuts Varbanov uses for citation purposes, and I hoped he just got it wrong by one, as it seemed probable that the coin was purchased in the US. That doesn't seem to be the case unfortunately.