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Mark Antony (44-30 BC), AR “Legionary” Denarius, 32-31 BC, LEG VII, Sear 1479 var (3.62 g, 17 mm)

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  The “legionary” coins of Mark Antony were most likely struck at his winter headquarters at Patrae just prior to the battle of Actium. These debased coins (which, some suggest, were struck using Cleopatra’s silver) were not hoarded and remained in circulation for a considerable period of time. Legions I to XXIII were honoured on these issues, in addition to the praetorian cohorts. Obverse : ANT AVG/III VIR R P C (Antonius augurus, Triumvir rei publicae constituendae, i.e., “One of Three Men for the Restoration of the Republic”). Galley to the right with banners at the prow. Antony’s fleet primarily consisted of the heavier quinquereme galleys, supported by smaller quadriremes, while the bulk of Octavian’s fleet comprised the much lighter and faster Liburnian vessels. It didn’t help matters that Antony’s ships were undermanned (owing to an outbreak of malaria in his camp prior to the battle) and he faced defections (one of which brought Octavian and Agrippa his battle plans). I won...
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Commodus (177-192 AD), AR Denarius, Rome mint, 192 AD, RIC 251, RSC 190, BMC 339 (3.3 g, 17 mm)

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  In the later part of his reign, Commodus began to show signs of megalomania. He may well have been unhinged by the continual attempts on his life. He gave orders that he be called Hercules, son of Zeus instead of Commodus, son of Marcus, and took to wearing a lion skin and carrying a club in public. He also appeared in the games of 192 AD in the guise of Hercules Venator, killing various animals and fighting as a gladiator. By contemporary accounts, the left-handed emperor was quite a marksman, beheading Mauretanian ostriches with his arrows. The contrast of his character with his revered father, Marcus Aurelius, led to rumours that he was illegitimate, the product of his mother’s adultery with a gladiator. He was assassinated on December 31st, 192 AD. Obverse : Head of Commodus as Hercules right, wearing lion skin. L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL Reverse : Legend devided by club, all within wreath. HER-CVL / RO-MAN / AV-GV
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Roman Republic: L. Titurius L. f. Sabinus, AR Denarius, 89 BC, Sear 289, Cr344/1a, Syd 698

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  The Sabines were the women of the Sabine people. As the legend goes, at the foundation of Rome, Romulus tried to negotiate with the Sabine people so that the Roman men could marry Sabines in order to start their families. The Sabine men refused and, at a pretext festival, the Romans abducted the Sabines women and repelled the Sabines men. After several confrontations, the two finally decide to ally and allow the Sabines women to marry Romans. It is still debated whether the rape of Sabine women really happened or not ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rape_of_the_Sabine_Women ). Livy excluding any sexual assault, rather stating Romulus offered them the choice to marry Romans and get some rights. To symbolize that their first brides did not come willingly, later Roman men carried their brides into their new homes: a tradition continued in the Western countries today. The gens Tituria was of uncertain order (plebeian or patrician) and did appear to be of low importance. Obverse : ...
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Coin that survived a shipwreck

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  The British East India Company coins used to be minted at Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta mints. However, invention of steam-driven minting machinery made it more economical for copper coins to be minted in Britain and shipped to India. This coin was produced in 1808 for the British East India Company at the Soho Works, Birmingham by Matthew Boulton, renowned for his partnership with the inventor and engineer James Watt. It formed a part of the cargo of the East Indiaman  Admiral Gardner , which set sail from the Thames estuary for Madras on her sixth voyage to India on 24 January, 1809. Unfortunately, the ship encountered a heavy storm the very same night and sank the following day on Goodwin Sands. Lost among its cargo were nearly 50 tons of copper coins meant for the Madras Presidency. The Company put the value of the lost cargo at £21,579. In 1976, some copper coins began appearing in sand dredged from the Goodwins for use as fill during construction work at the Dover Harbo...
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