Quadrighe

[gpittini]

DE GREGE EPICURI

Bighe e quadrighe sulle monete sono state introdotte dai greci (sia in madrepatria che in Occidente e in Oriente): basta pensare a Siracusa! Ma la monetazione romana ne ha sfornata una buona serie, ed alcune sono proprio imperdibili, soprattutto nei bronzi. Mi vengono alla mente Antonino Pio, Marc'Aurelio, Commodo, Alessandro Severo, e poi Probo (antoniniani) e altri...ma confido nel vostro aiuto. Io comincerei con questa dracma di Alessandria d'Egitto, di Adriano. Pesa 17,8 g. e misura 34 mm. Al R. una quadriga verso dx; su di essa, l'imperatore saluta una figura femminile (divinità?) che lo saluta a sua volta. Le dracme di Alessandria, così irregolari, così grandi e con temi così diversi sono fra le più belle monete provinciali.

[gpittini]

Rovescio.

[balkan]

I quadrigati repubblicani per esempio per me sono bellissimi:

foto presa da wildwinds moneta della CNG

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Concordo con Gianfranco sia per quanto riguarda il tema delle bighe e quadrighe (quando vedo una moneta con questo soggetto, se posso la compro), sia per quel che concerne le monete alessandrine che però hanno il difetto di essere molto ricercate e di costare conseguentemente più delle altre provinciali, specie se in buona conservazione (cosa tra l'altro difficile da ottenersi).

Comincerei pertanto anch'io con una dracma di Alessandria:

Domiziano su quadriga di elefanti ricolta a destra - RPC II 2723

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Altra dracma alessandrina:

Domiziano su biga di centauri rivolta a destra - RPC II 2704

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Questa invece è una Emidracma, sempre di Alessandria:

Domiziano su quadriga trionfale rivolta a destra (questa volta si tratta di normali cavalli :rolleyes: ) - RPC II 2678

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Cambiamo zecca restando in ambito provinciale:

Assarion in bronzo piombato di Balanea Leucas (Syria)

Quadriga al galoppo verso destra - RPC II 2036

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Sempre provinciale, ma d'argento, Didracma di Caesarea (Cappadocia), la mia preferita di quella zecca:

Domiziano su quadriga trionfale rivolta verso destra - RPC II 1666

[FlaviusDomitianus]

E infine zecca di Roma, asse dell'anno 71 (lo stesso rovescio c'è anche per Vespasiano e per Tito e si riferisce al trionfo celebrato per la vittoria nel Bello Judaico):

Vespasiano in quadriga trionfale rivolta a destra - RIC2, 2a edizione, 490 (Vespasian)

[Illyricum65]

"La quadriga è un cocchio (o carro veloce a due ruote) trainato da quattro cavalli.

Vista notturna della quadriga sulla Porta di Brandeburgo, Berlino.

La corsa delle quadrighe era una delle gare dei giochi olimpici e più tardi si tennero corse di quadrighe nei circhi. È il carro in cui sono spesso raffigurati dei ed eroi nella Grecia antica e nell'antica Roma.[1] Il dio Apollo guida nel cielo una quadriga che rappresenta il carro del Sole.

La quadriga è più frequentemente rappresentata di profilo, mentre successivamente compaiono anche viste frontali. Soprattutto in epoca romana diventano un tradizionale simbolo del trionfo o della vittoria e della fama e come tale compare spesso nelle raffigurazioni imperiali, come ad esempio nei gruppi scultorei che venivano innalzati sopra gli archi trionfali. L'uso è proseguito anche negli archi di trionfo moderni (vedi Porta di Brandeburgo)."

In età imperiale si trova infatti di solito

o nella scena monetale dove l'imperatore porta il carro del trionfo

o rappresentata su un arco o tempio, collegata alla vittoria dell'imperatore.

L'aureo e il denario di Augusto allegati ne sono un buon esempio:

Rome. Augustus, 27 BC - 14 AD. Gold Aureus (7.76 g), Lugdunum (Lyon), struck 13-14 AD. Laureate head of Augustus right. Reverse. Tiberius standing right in triumphal slow quadriga right, holding wreath in his right hand and eagle-tipped scepter in his left; counterclockwise from exergue, TI CAESAR AVG F TR POT XV. RIC 221; Biaggi 177; BMC 511; Calicó 294a; C. 299; Giard 89 (same obverse die as 87/3a, D 416). Sharply struck and finely centered on almost round flan, from fresh dies. Attractively toned, with russets and deep oranges in the recesses. Some minor marks, otherwise virtually as struck, with much residual luster. Very scarce. NGC graded About Uncirculated. .

As the founder and first ruler of Rome's new Imperial government and state, the former Octavian, now Augustus, of course had many issues and policies to set into place for the smooth functioning of the vast new complexities of Empireship. Not the least of these was the matter of succession of rule. After the decades of strife, anarchy, and civil war that accompanied the close of the Republic, misfortune in this arena could cause considerable unwanted havoc to the new State. Sadly, poor Augustus was most unfortunate regarding his heirs. One of his last hopes, his youngest grandson, Augustus was forced to banish (although the cause for his banishment may have been the result of Livia, the second wife of Augustus, and her purportedly infamous manipulations that tended to remove all obstacles that might impede the advancement of her own son by a previous marriage, Tiberius, from eventually claiming the throne as the heir of Augustus). In any event, Agrippa Postumus, the grandson, was promptly executed after the death of Augustus.

Meanwhile, all the rest of Augustus' other designated heirs also pre-deceased him (either through natural, or seemingly natural causes). Tiberius, whom Augustus loathed the most, kept hanging on and on. Eventually Tiberius was adopted as heir in 4 AD. Tiberius was fully aware of the antipathy felt towards him by Augustus, and so spent most of his time with the army on the frontier, only returning to Rome when he was to be given such honors that clearly marked him as inheriting the throne. Such is seen on this coin, which celebrates the triumph granted to Tiberius for his victories in Germany and Pannonia.

Octavian Augustus (31 BC - 14 AD)

d = 26 mm

Denarius, about 18 - 16, Colonia Patricia (?). Acid P • Q • R • Caesari - AVGVSTO. Head of Augustus right. Rs: QVOD - viae • MVN • SVNT °. Viaduct with eight arches, on the triumphal arch with two openings, the walls with prows (rostra) are decorated, riding on the bow Triumphalquadriga in step to the right, guided by Augustus, who holds the reins and is crowned by someone standing behind him, Victoria. RIC 144th C. 233rd BMC 433rd CBN 1257 (same die). Buildings of Rome 161st 3.49 g. Very rare.

Cleaning marks, otherwise excellent.

From Bank Leu AG, Auction 28 (5 / 6 May 1981, Zurich), No. 360th

G. Fuchs (architecture representations on Roman coins, AMUG I, Berlin 1969, p. 41) writes to reverse depiction of this issue: "The welfare of the princeps for the construction industry is on the coins of the era was not glorified by reproduction of the buildings erected, but by descriptions of honorary monuments, the Emperor had been donated from such occasions. To have the year 16 BC, the (.. .) Can be embossed Officials L. Vinicius represent a number of such monuments (...) Which relate to awards and thanked that the Senate and people of the Princeps to it that he had provided the money for a thorough improvement of the main country roads. Again, the same sense of connection is also on the imperial coinage in Spain were represented. In several variants have been shown as a powerful bridge, want to honor the various arches. On one of these types appear two equestrian statues adorned with arches at each end of the bridge, on another a double-arch decorated with rostra with a Quadriga (...). The thoughtless negligence in the performance of image designs can be no assessment of the real appearance of these monuments. ".

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Concludo con la moneta dei miei sogni, quella che spero un giorno di poter inserire in collezione:

Aureo con Domiziano in quadriga trionfale a sinistra - RIC2 700.

L'esemplare qui riprodotto proveniva dalla Collezione Gonzaga, come attesta l'aquila in argento incastonata dietro il collo dell'imperatore.

E' stato venduto mi sembra nel 2009 da CNG alla modica cifra di 16.500 dollari. In questo caso più della conservazione ha pesato il pedigree, per il quale è veramente il caso di definire questo esemplare "da museo".

[Illyricum65]

Altro esempio di trionfo è quello del dupondio di Germanico SIGNIS RECEPT:

Germanicus, Father of Caligula and brother of Claudius. (). Orichalcum dupondius (15.86 gm). Rome, 37-41 AD. GERMANICVS CAESAR in two lines across upper field, Germanicus holding scepter in quadriga of horses pacing right, on car Victory and large wreath / SIGNIS—RECEPT DEVICTIS—GERM in two lines across field, Germanicus, in military dress, standing left, right leg bent and with only toes touching ground, extending right hand and holding eagle-tipped scepter in left. BMCRE 93. CBN 140. Cohen 7 (3 Fr.). RIC 57. Far better than average for issue. Good very fine.

Displayed at Cincinnati Art Museum, 1994-2008, no. 171.

Nerone propone la quadriga di elefanti, ricollegata a funzioni funebri:

Nero Augustus, 54 – 68

d=18 mm

Denarius 55, AR 3.65 g. NERO CLAVD DIVI F CAES AVG GERM IMP TR P COS Jugate busts r. of Nero, bare-headed and with drapery at back of neck, and of Agrippina II, bare-headed and draped. Rev. AGRIPP AVG DIVI CLAVD NERONIS CAES MATER Quadriga of elephants l., bearing two chairs holding Divus Claudius, radiate r., holding eagle-tipped sceptre and Divus Augustus, radiate r., holding patera and sceptre; in field l., EX S C. RIC 7. BMC 8. C 4. CBN 13.

Very rare and among the finest specimens know. Two finely engraved portraits struck in high relief with an old cabinet tone, good extremely fine / extremely fine

Ex NFA sale XXV, 1990, 356.

This denarius honours mother and emperor on the obverse and the deified Claudius on the reverse: as such we may consider it a compilation of the two separate coinages of Nero’s accession issue. The reverse scene is of great interest as it depicts four elephants drawing a wheeled platform with two seated figures. Clearly this is a depiction of Claudius’ funeral. He was only the second emperor to be deified, and the scene is virtually identical to the one on Tiberius’ sestertii dedicated to Divus Augustus. The scenes differ in that on the coins dedicated to Claudius the elephants have no riders (undoubtedly because the format was smaller) and Augustus’ statue is joined by another, which we must presume to be that of his divine companion Claudius. Some have described the seated figures differently: Cohen questioned if they were Augustus and Livia, and it has also been suggested that they are Augustus and Fides Praetorianum. However, these should be dismissed considering the direct iconographic link to the Tiberian sestertii and the remark by Tacitus, who notes that Claudius’ funeral "…was modeled on that of the divine Augustus…". He further relates that the Senate placed his widow Agrippina in charge of his priesthood, and that in his funeral she imitated "…the grandeur of her great-grandmother Livia, the first Augusta".

[Illyricum65]

I Flavi:

Vespasiano collega le quadrighe ai trionfi nelle guerre giudaiche:

Vespasian 69 – 79

d=20 mm

Aureus, Lugdunum 70-71, AV 7.18 g. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG TR P Laureate head r. Rev. Emperor standing r. in quadriga, holding palm branch and eagle-tipped sceptre; behind, Victory crowning him. In the background, men standing r., blowing trumpet and before horses, a captive with hands tied behind his back, escorted by Roman soldier, holding spear. In exergue, TRIVMP AVG. RIC 294. BMC 397. C 657. CBN 301. Calicó 689. Henin 768. Kraay-Hirmer pl. 66, 229.

Extremely rare. A very interesting type with an appealing reverse composition. Light reddish tone, counter-mark on obverse, otherwise good very fine / very fine

Of all the Judaea types of Vespasian and Titus, the TRIVMP AVG aurei are perhaps the most highly regarded, not only for their great rarity, but for the lively character and historical import of their design. Clearly it represents the triumph that the senate awarded Vespasian and Titus, in which the spoils from the Temple in Jerusalem and a great many captives were paraded before all Rome. The scene on this aureus resembles one of the great panels on the Arch of Titus in Rome, and we should presume it is a compressed version of what spectators would have seen along the procession route. The most engaging element of the design is the scene of two men before the chariot: one is a Roman soldier who looks back at Vespasian as he marches forth at a pace that seems agonizingly fast for the exhausted Jewish captive, who is being pushed forward by his bound hands. This, combined with the trumpeting figure, the animated horses, and the emperor being crowned by Victory, makes a vital and intense scene that is rarely achieved on a coin of this size.

Vespasian, 69 – 79

d=20 mm

Denarius circa 71-72 (?), AR 3.38 g. IMP – VESP Victory standing r. on prow, holding wreath and branch. Rev. Titus in triumphal quadriga r., holding reins and sceptre; side-panel of chariot decorated with Victory standing r., holding wreath. In exergue, T CAESAR. RIC –, for type cf. 85. BMC –, for type cf. 149. C –, cf. 569. CBN –.

An apparently unique and unrecorded variety of the "Iudaea" series. Lightly toned and good very fine

This interesting denarius seems to be undocumented as an issue naming Titus, though it is based on a known issue of Vespasian that usually is inscribed IMP CAESAR beneath the chariot and VESP AVG in the fields to the side of Victory; instead, on this coin we have T CAESAR below the chariot and IMP VESP flanking Victory. It is not cited in the major references, and Buttrey does not describe it in his study "Vespasian as Moneyer" (NC 1972). It is tempting to assign this undated denarius to c. 71/72, and to associate it with the recent victory in Judaea, though we must acknowledge that the types were inspired by a denarius that Octavian struck prior to the Battle of Actium. But this is no stumbling block, for Vespasian routinely drew upon the designs of his predecessors. In this case it seems he chose a design that would be useful in celebrating the Judaean triumph, and that he took that opportunity to divide the inscription to honor himself and his eldest son, the two victors in the war.

[Illyricum65]

Tito invece le usa per commemorare il padre:

Divus Vespasian. Died AD 79. AR Denarius (3.41 g, 7h). Rome mint. Struck under Titus, AD 80-81. DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS •, laureate head right / EX S C in exergue, slow quadriga left; car ornamented with swag across front, two figures brandishing spears; Victories flanking quadriga above. RIC II 361 (Titus); BMCRE 122 (Titus); BN 95; RSC 146 var. (car in temple form). Choice EF, lightly toned.

Ex Triton VII (12 January 2004), lot 894.

e la versione "pachidermica" (splendida a mio avviso):

Divus Vespasian. Died AD 79. Æ Sestertius (26.62 g, 7h). Rome mint. Struck under Titus, AD 80-81. Legend around large S • C / Deified Vespasian seated right, holding scepter and Victory in cart drawn by a quadriga of elephants with riders. RIC II 257 (Titus). Good VF, two-tone brown surfaces, minor flan crack, shallow scratch across elephant to edge.

Ex Michael Weller Collection (Triton VIII, 11 January 2005), lot 1008; Numismatica Ars Classica 25 (25 June 2003), lot 419.

[Illyricum65]

E non poteva mancare Domiziano (per la contentezza dell'amico FlaviusDomitianus :D )

Domitian. AD 81-96. AV Aureus (7.66 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 92-94. DOMITIANVS AVGVSTVS, bare head right / GERMANICVS, COS XVI in exergue, emperor in quadriga left, holding branch in right hand and scepter in left; car decorated with Victory crowning trophy with wreath. RIC II 749; Calicó 852; BMCRE 213; BN 190. Good VF, underlying luster.

Ex Triton VII (12 January 2004), lot 906.

Domitian always stood in the shadow of his father and elder brother. Vespasian and Titus had been heaped with military and civic honors throughout their long and distinguished careers. When he became emperor in AD 81, Domitian sought to gain the glory that would equal or exceed that his father and brother had won in the Jewish War, and launched a series of moderately successful campaigns against the Germans and Dacians. This aureus proclaims him as Germanicus, a title he had assumed about a decade earlier, and serves as a memoir of his triumph in 89 AD.

E un esemplare di AR tetradracma di Adriano:

Hadrian. (117-138 AD). Silver cistophoric tetradrachm (11.35 gm). Lydia, Sardes. HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS P P, head bare right / COS III, Hades standing left in quadriga of horses leaping right, carrying away protesting Persephone and holding scepter and reins in left hand. Reverse variety of Metcalf Type 43 (1 specimen). Very rare. Overstruck on a COM—ASIAE cistophorus of Augustus, RPC 2217 or 2219. Extremely fine.

The reverse varies from the single specimen known to Metcalf: there is no cloak encircling Hades' head and no overturned basket of flowers on the ground below the horses. Our new coin, using an obverse die that is otherwise attested at Sardes (Metcalf, specimens 202-3), forces us to reattribute our coin and Metcalf's to that mint; Metcalf had erroneously assigned his piece to Nysa ad Meandrum, because the abduction of Persephone was said to have taken place near that city and the type of her abduction appeared often on Nysa's provincial coinage. The steps and the three leftmost columns of the undertype's temple, and COM of COM—ASIAE, are still clearly visible in front of, across, and below Hadrian's portrait on the obverse.

[Illyricum65]

Un contorniato di Antonino Pio:

Antoninus Pius sestertius with hammered-up edges (protocontorniate). Orichalcum, 28 mm (23.90 gm). Rome, 140-144 AD. ANTONINVS AVG—PIVS P P COS III, bust laureate, draped right / [VIC]TORIA [AVG S C] in exergue, Victory holding whip and the reins in quadriga of horses leaping right. BMCRE 1328. Strack 906, pl. XI (same dies). RIC 654 corr. ®. A rare variant because of the obverse legend, omitting the normal TR P, and the reverse type, showing Victory with a whip in her right hand, rather than holding the reins with both hands. Fine.

Ex M&M and Baldwin's, New York Sale V, 16 January 2003, lot 308. "Ex R. Alexander, F. Knobloch, and Duke of Argyll collections according to the coin's ticket, but this coin is not in Stack's, 1-3 May 1980, Knobloch, lots 1404-1406 (protocontorniates).

The edges of ordinary bronze coins were apparently hammered up to give them a distinctive appearance for use as New Year's gifts. The contorniates, introduced c. 357 AD, imitated these "protocontorniates" both in their raised edge with a groove below to emphasize the effect, and in their copying of reverse and especially obverse types from earlier sestertii and middle bronzes.

E un bel medaglione di Marco Aurelio:

MARCUS AURELIUS. 161-180 AD. Æ Medallion (38mm, 50.66 g, 12h). Struck 10-31 December 173 AD. M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXVIII, laureate and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / IMP VI COS III, VICT. GERM in exergue, Victory in triumphal quadriga left, holding reins in right hand. Gnecchi 58, pl. 63, 8 = Banti 496 (same dies); MIR 1059-1/36; Grueber 14, pl. XXII, 3; Froehner p. 100; Tocci -; Dressel -; cf. Toynbee pl. XLI, 7. VF, even dark green-black patina, surfaces just a touch rough, light edge bump. Well centered, bold strike. ($5000)

From the John F. Sullivan Collection. Ex Triton V (15 January 2002), lot 1996.

This reverse type commemorates the victories of Marcus Aurelius over the Germanic tribes along the Danube frontier in the early 170s AD. Unlike many emperors who took credit for the campaigns of their generals, in this campaign Marcus personally led his legions. Aurelius also wrote his famous "Meditations" during this time along the frontier.

Of particular interest is that both of these medallions, though of different metals, were struck from the same obverse die. In her book on Roman medallions, J. Toynbee addressed the nature of lead medallions: “Lead medallions appear to be ancient ‘proofs’ [struck] from bronze medallion dies. They ... must be taken into account as possibly affording evidence of lost originals... [some] are said to have been found together with lead replicas of ... sestertii; such ‘proofs’ may possibly have been collected in ancient times by persons interested in coins and medallions from the artistic or historical point of view.” Though a number of these lead pieces are known today, it is very rare that they are offered in conjunction with an official issue struck from one of their same dies.

[Illyricum65]

Macrinus. (217-218 AD). Copper As (10.90 gm). Rome, Ca. January 218 AD. IMP CAES M OPEL SEV MACRINVS AVG, bust laureate, cuirassed right, seen from front, with long beard / PONTIF MAX TR P II COS II P P S C, emperor holding branch and eagle-tipped scepter in quadriga left, crowned by Victory standing behind him. BMCRE 134, pl. 83.6 (same dies). Cohen 107 (30 Fr.). RIC 152 ®. Green patination. Extremely fine.

Displayed at Cincinnati Art Museum, 1994-2008, no. 154.

This type commemorates the consulship that Macrinus assumed on 1 January 218 while still absent in Syria. The legend calls Macrinus COS II, but this was an error: the emperor had decided to content himself with the title COS in 218, but the mint had not yet learned of his decision. See C. Clay, "Coinage of Macrinus," Numismatische Zeitschrift 93 (1979).

Elagabalus, 218-222 A.D.Aureus, 220-2 A.D. Rome. Laureate and cuirassed bust r. of the young emperor and high-priest of the eastern sun-god Heliogabal; IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG. Rv. Slow triumphal quadriga moving l. bearing the conical stone of Emesa which represented the sun-god surmounted by a Roman eagle, star above; CONSERVATOR AVG. Here the sacred black stone - thought to have been a meteor - is being conveyed from Emesa to the Palatine in Rome ushering in a reign of wanton depravity and perversity which shocked Roman traditional values and provided endless fuel for historians and writers through the centuries. 6.36 grams. RIC 61c (R-3), Cal.2987 (R-2) (this coin). Bold, attractive high-relief portrait showing the viewer an idealized, vital and strong youthful emperor. (Such portraiture soon devolved on Elagalabus' coinage to that of an insatiable, rather malicious image with a horn extruded from his forehead - telling numismatic imagery for this bizarre reign, which surprisingly lasted four years). Superb example. F.D.C.

[Illyricum65]

E per non deludere G.F.Pittini, non solo l'antoniniano ma pure uno splendido Aureo di Probo:

Probus, 276 – 282

d=21 mm

Aureus, Siscia circa 279, AV 6.78 g. IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG Helmeted, draped and cuirassec bust l., holding transverse spear and shield decorated with aegis. Rev. P – M TR I P Emperor, laureate and togate standing in slow quadriga r., holding eagle-tipped sceptre; in exergue, COS III. RIC –, cf. 579 (for reverse type). C –, cf. 453 (for reverse type). Calicò –, cf. 4177 (for reverse type).

Apparently unique and unpublished. A vigorous and interesting portrait well-struck in high relief on a very large flan. Exceptionally well-detailed on both sides, a minor mark in reverse field, otherwise almost Fdc

Probus’ predecessor, Aurelian, paid close attention to coinage, and at great risk and expense succeeded in reforming his empire’s ailing coinage by increasing purities, weights, and by re-introducing old denominations. Though Probus did not attempt any such reform of the core denominations, he more or less abandoned Aurelian’s re-introduced denominations. Probus’ coinage reform did not involve purity or weight, but rather design and tenor: Probus introduced the militant bust on a scale that never before had been seen on Roman coinage. Prior to his reign it was unusual to see an armored bust with spear and shield (for an example, see the Gordian III medallion in this sale), and especially to see the emperor wearing a helmet. Here we have the terrifying bust of an emperor ever-prepared to attack or defend on behalf of his empire. The helmet is elaborately decorated and crowned with a laurel wreath; the spear is in the prone position, and the shield is raised in defense. Furthermore, the shield bears the head of Medusa upon the Aegis – an ancient symbol of defense (see the discussion of Septimius Severus ‘aegis’ denarius earlier in this sale). The impact of this war regalia is amplified by the ‘heroic bust’ composition, which harkens back to earlier numisimatic prototypes. Probus’ intention, no doubt, was to demonstrate the strength of his regime and to show the possessor of this beautiful aureus that Rome’s future was secured by the strength of his command.

If the obverse was meant to communicate Probus’ unquestioned military supremacy, the elegant, noble reverse suggests the same level of confidence in the emperor’s legislative authority. Probus is shown in his chariot, holding an eagle-tipped scepter (scipio) and guiding the reins of four horses who move forward in perfect synchronicity – the foremost with its head held high. Here Probus celebrates an unspecified tribunician power, and his third renewal of the consulship. We must presume this coin refers to the third or fourth renewal of his tribunician power, even though it is not designated, as his sequence of honors would accommodate that. Tribunician power designations on the coins of Probus, though unorthodox, is consistent: TR P is paired with COS; TRI P is paired with COS II and COS III; TR P V is paired with COS IIII; and TR P VI is paired with COS V

PROBUS (276 - 282)

Antoninian, Serdica, undated. IMP CM AVR PROBVS PIVS AVG. Armored bust with crown of rays to the right. Perlkreis; Rev: SOLI INVICTO. Sol in quadriga en face, saluting with his right hand. In the section ΚΑ • Γ °. Perlkreis. RIC 865 var (vs. focus); Hunter -; Coll. Mazzini -; C. 684th 3.74 g. 6th St. Silbersud, excellent.

[Illyricum65]

Per concludere con una bella moneta di Costantino:

Constantine I, 307 – 337

Festaureus or medallion 1 1/4 solidi, Constantinopolis 326, 5.36 g. CONSTANT – INVS AVG Diademed head r. Rev. Emperor standing facing in quadriga, seen from front, raising r. hand and holding eagle-tipped sceptre in l. C 759 var. (laureate head). RIC 1. Depeyrot 20/1 (Ticinum). Toynbee pl. II, cf. 15. Mazzini dopo 459 (this coin). Biaggi 2040 (this coin).

Very rare. A very attractive and interesting issue struck on a full flan, minor marks

on obverse and a light scuff at five o’clock on reverse, otherwise extremely fine

Privately purchased in 1955 for 7’000 Swiss Francs.

The mint at Constantinople began to strike coins in 326, some four years before the city had its formal dedication on May 11, 330, and this ceremonial festaureus seems to have been produced in relation to one of those two occasions. Sutherland and Carson, in RIC VII, describe this issue as "...a reminder of the imperial largesses distributed during the major anniversaries..." and list it as the first gold coinage at Constantinople. However, they acknowledge that it may have been struck for the dedication ceremonies of 330. Constantine is shown standing in a chariot drawn by four rearing horses. In this procession the emperor is shown holding an eagle-tipped scepter (scipio) and raising his right hand to address what we must presume was an anxious crowd of spectators. Most (if not all) later examples of this type show the emperor tossing coins. In that regard this coin is more closely related to earlier types, such as the PACATORES GENTIVM issue of the first Tetrarchy and the FEL PROCES(S) CONS II AVG N coins of Maxentius. The placement of the type is difficult because it has no mintmark, and its attribution to Constantinople is based solely on the similarity of its reverse with one produced a decade later for Constantine and sons at Constantinople (RIC VII, nos. 103-106). The lack of a mintmark may indicate it was struck before mint signatures had been developed at the new facility, but at the very least it attests to the special character of this issue. Beyond its festive design and lack of mintmark, this gold piece is of interest for its weight. At 5.36 grams – approximately the Diocletianic aureus struck at 60 to the Roman pound – it is an unusual weight for this late in Constantine’s reign, when the standard gold coin was the solidus, struck at 72 to the Roman pound (c. 4.55 grams). These gold pieces are generally called festaurei, and they certainly were intended for ceremonial use. The relationship between the festaureus and the solidus is of some interest, for the festaureus is essentially a 1º solidus; thus four of these coins are equal in weight to five solidi. Since the accession bonus during the time of Julian II onward was fixed at five solidi and a pound of silver, we may have a meaningful antecedent for that convention in coins such as this festaureus of Constantine.

Spero di aver appagato gli occhi ed avervi dato qualche dato utile altrimenti... sarà appagata unicamente mia figlia, che adora i cavalli e l'equitazione. :D :D :D

Ciao

Illyricum

:)

PS: Gianfranco, se ieri per "princeps iuventutis" avevo un dato di 522 monete, la ricerca "quadriga" me ne dava 6.200, delle quali una marea di Repubblicane. ;)

Modificato 27 Dicembre, 2010 da Illyricum65

[massi75rn]

le monete raffiguranti le quadrighe sono molto belle,ma la cosa interessante e' che non vengono sempre trainate da cavalli,immagino come sia stato impegnativo ad addomesticare un elefante talmente bene da riuscire a portare l'imperatore trionfante in assoluta tranquillita' a spasso per una chiassosa roma.

https://www.kuenker.de/ShopDetail.kuenker?rownum=2&backid=ib634290894569332500&lager=00009&lfdnr=131703

[Illyricum65]

Ciao, sugli elefanti nella moentazione romana repubblicana ed imperiale ti segnalo la seguente discussione:

In genere gli elefanti fanno parte dell'iconografia di monete imperiali commemorative.

Ciao

Illyricum

:)

[brischetto]

Per restare alle quadrighe trainate da elefanti, ecco il mio esemplare del sesterzio di Tiberio citato da massi75rn:

[FlaviusDomitianus]

Molto bello, complimenti!

[Illyricum65]

Molto bello, complimenti!

Sottoscrivo completamente!

Ciao

Illyricum

:)

[brischetto]

Grazie, ragazzi! :D