• Finest Quality Ancient Greek, Roman & Byzantine Coins
  • Renaissance & 17th Century Dutch Medals
  • Auctions & Private Treaty Sales

Nomos 22

22 June 2021
Zunfthaus zur Saffran, Zurich

overview

Unpublished bust variety

Estimate: 150 CHF
Hammer Price:  170 CHF
Lot 366

Licinius II, Caesar, 317-324. Follis (Bronze, 19 mm, 2.66 g, 6 h), Ticinum, T = 3rd officina , 319-320. LICINIVS IVN NOB C Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Licinius II to left, with aegis on his breastplate, holding Victory on globe in his right hand and the hilt of a short sword or dagger in a scabbard of curved form in his left, its bottom extending beyond his left shoulder and ending in a small globe. Rev. VIRTVS EXERCIT / (Chi-Rho)/TT Two captives seated at base of an upright spear bearing a banner inscribed VOT / XX; in field to left, monogram of ΧΡ monogram. Cf. RIC 119 (draped, not cuirassed, and holding mappa). Of great rarity and interest, with an unpublished bust variety. With an unusually attractive and detailed bust on the obverse. Some smoothing in the fields, otherwise, about extremely fine.



In the tabulated key to obverse busts, which appears on pp. 88-91 of RIC VII, I1 has a laureate and draped imperial figure holding Victory on a globe in his right hand and a mappa in his left; I2 is the same but the mappa is replaced by a scepter. However, it is suggested in note 1, p. 90, that the bust only holds a mappa since none of the then known specimens were distinct enough for us to be sure that the object held was, or was not, a scepter. In the present case, this coin is clear enough to show that the young prince is actually holding neither a mappa nor a scepter! We can see that there is a bulbous object just in front of Licinius II's left hand, which is clearly connected to a curved object that extends over his forearm and ends, beyond his left elbow, in a pellet. This is clearly either a dagger or a short sword in a scabbard! Additionally, Licinius is shown wearing an ornately decorated cuirass with only slight drapery (his cloak?) wrapped around his left arm. In short, what we have here is a bust variety unrecorded by the RIC (nor does it appear within Bastien's exhaustive study of the bust types on Roman coins)!

Online bidding closes: 22 Jun 2021, 10:00:00 CEST Current Date & Time: 28 Mar 2024, 14:48:52 CET Remaining Time: Closed Hammer Price:170 CHF

Pre-Bidding closes on 22 Juni 2021 at 10:00 CEST. Live bidding starts at 14:00 CET and is EXCLUSIVELY available on biddr. Separate registration is required.

An error has occurred. This application may no longer respond until reloaded. Reload 🗙
Reconnecting, please wait...