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Date: |
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Description: | Very badly decayed copper alloy coin. The object is mainly a rusty brown colour with intermittent patches of light to mid green. This probably represents iron oxide deposits from the soil largely obscuring the natural copper decay. The obverse depicts a male bearded figure, possibly laureate, facing right, no other details or elements of the inscription are visible. The reverse is even less clear. It is possible that there is a seated, draped figure facing left in the lower central half, though this could be purely the result of decay. To the upper left of this alleged figure is what appears to be a large raised letter 'S'. No other details or decoration are visible.Discussion:it is difficult to be precise about the dating of this coin considering its very corroded condition. The size of the coin suggests it may be an as which would give an early imperial date in the 1st or 2nd centuries. The bust appears to be bearded which would then indicate either Hadrian or Antoninus Pius. The face though again very badly corroded, seems too thin to be Hadrian, and the comparative lack of hair on the forehead would also rather suggest Antoninus Pius. The reverse is, if anything, even more badly damaged than the obverse, however it is perhaps possible to detect a seated female(?) figure in a long dress or tunic. To the left there is what appears to be the remnants of a large 'S'. This latter could stand for Senatus part of the common reverse inscription Senatus Consultum ('decree of the senate'). This again indicates an earlier imperial coin as at this point in Roman history (under the principate 27BC to 284 AD) the pretence of active senatatorial involvement in government was being maintained. Several seated, draped figures on coin reverses of Antoninus Pius are known. These include depictions of the genius or spirit of Britannia, Italia, or Roma for instance.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://finds.org.uk | Source: | Portable Antiquities | Identifier: | https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/ | Go to resource |
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