Sesterzio di Commodo SC evidenziati

[romanus]

Salve 

Vi posto questo sesterzio di Commodo  nel quale le S C di SENATUS CONSULTO sono evidenziate tra due ovali

oltre che avere una dimensione maggiore rispetto al normale, almeno cosi mi pare. Questa particolarità non

l'ho mai vista su nessun altro sesterzio, e allora mi chiedevo se potesse avere un significato particolare, politico?

voi cosa ne pensate? Ringrazio per le eventuali risposte.

romanus

[cliff]

In questo sesterzio l'incisore del conio ha pensato bene di posizionare l'SC sui due scudi presenti ai piedi della Vittoria. Credo sia piu' che altro una questione di spazi disponibili sul tondello e centralità della scritta. Resta il fatto che è stata una soluzione curiosa e direi riuscita a livello funzionale ed estetico:

 

Modificato 13 Maggio, 2017 da cliff

[fabietto83]

Moneta curiosa,anche l'ultima postata da cliff,che in realta' lo spazio per incidere le due lettere ci stava,ma l'incisore le ha volute lo stesso creare all'interno....Mi piacerebbe credere in qualche significato,si sa che lo scudo e' simbolo di protezione,che volesse far passare il messaggio di dar in qualche modo protezione al senato???ora passo la parola agli esperti storici se riescono a dar un loro pensiero?

[Illyricum65]

Ciao,

esiste pure il denario e l'aureo con questa iconografia.

COMMODUS AR silver denarius. Rome mint, 186-189 AD. M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT, laureate head right. Reverse - VICTORIAE FELICI, Turreted Victory advancing left, holding wreath in both hands over two shields set on a low base inscribed C V P P. RSC 952, RIC 196. Rare. 18mm, 3.5g.

The cippus inscription 'C V P P' is short for 'Clupeus Virtutis, Pater Patriae', and shows Victory placing a new clupeus virtutis (shield of Virtue, for Commodus' supposed bravery and virtue) alongside the Augustan shield of Virtue awarded to Augustus in 27 BC.

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/incitatus_coins/79/product/commodus_ar_silver_denarius_rome_186189_ad_victoriae_felici_turreted_victory_advancing_altar_with_two_shields_set_upon_it_commodus__augustus_clupeus_virtutis_shields/539042/Default.aspx

Essendo per l'appunto un denario non presenta il S C  che invece spetta al sesterzio. In effetti strana la scelta di includere il S C nella superficie interna degli scudi. C V P P invece è la forma contratta di COS V P P presente sul sesterzio.

Per completezza l'aureo:

Aureus 186-189, AV 7.21 g. M COMM ANT P – FEL AVG BRIT Laureate head r. Rev. VICTOR – I – A – E – FELICI Victory, turreted, flying l., holding diadem in both hands; below, two shields and tablet inscribed C V P P. C – cf. 952 (denarius). BMC –, cf. 240 (denarius). RIC –, cf. 196 (denarius). Biaggi 1022 (this coin). Coin Hoards II p. 66, fig. 15, 6 (this obverse die). Calicó 2360 (this coin).
Exceedingly rare, apparently only four specimens known. A very interesting and
fascinating issue, well-struck on a very large flan and extremely fine


Provenance
Sold by Ars Classica auction 16, Lucerne, 3 July 1933, lot 192.
Sold by Münzhandlung Basel (Basel), Erich and Herbert Cahn experts, auction 8, 22-23 March 1937, lot 836, estimated CHF 800, for CHF 755.
Leo Biaggi de Blasys (1906-1979) Collection, sold privately in 1978 to Bank Leu (Zurich) and a partner.
Sold by Ader-Picard-Tajan auctioneer, Jean Vinchon expert, auction, Paris, 20 November 1992, lot 124.
Gilbert Steinberg Collection, sold by Numismatica Ars Classica & Spink Taisei Numismatics, Zurich, auction 16 November 1994, lot 510.
Sold by Fritz Rudolf Künker auction 29, Osnabrück, 8 March 1995, lot 2240.
Inventory of Robert Kokotailo – Calgary Coin Gallery (Alberta, Canada), sold on 1 February 2002.
When this aureus was struck, sometime after his fifth consulship on January 1, 86, Commodus must have had a fresh and wary perspective on the hazards of being emperor. The previous year had begun well enough: on the heels of a swift victory in Britain, Commodus began to celebrate the vows for his decennalia, or tenth year of power; he even went so far as to describe the event as the dawn of a new golden age, which he inaugurated with the Primi Decenales games. However, the celebratory atmosphere was quickly tarnished with the revolt in that same year of his praetorian prefect Perennis, who intended to replace Commodus as emperor with his own son. It was a serious coup that shook his confidence, and that required him to pay a largess to the army (which he honoured with special coin types, including one depicting the emperor haranguing the troops). This fiasco was followed in 186 with a guerilla war in Spain and Gaul led by a deserter named Maternus, who in the following year came to Rome in disguise to murder Commodus, and who might have succeeded had he not been betrayed the day before he intended to strike. With so much treachery about his person, Commodus could hardly have been enjoying his lot as emperor, and the rather festive appearance of this aureus, inscribed C. V. P. P. for Consul V Pater Patriae, represented the bright side of his otherwise perilous life.
 

Ciao

Illyricum