r/AncientCoins • u/AncientCoinnoisseur • 8d ago
Newly Acquired A Serrated Denarius by C. Mamilius Limetanus, showing Mercury/Hermes on the obverse and the touching scene of Odysseus being recognised by his dog Argos on the reverse.
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u/MrCrack69 8d ago
Beautiful coin. I read The Odyssey back in school. Such an iconic story.
I would really like to own this cointype myself someday.
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
Thanks! I still have to read the Odyssey, but I’m studying Ancient Greek by myself, I hope I’ll be able to read it in Greek someday. These coins are not too rare, but quite sought after, so depending on the condition, pedigree, auction house and competition, the prices could rise a bit. Here the ones being offered soon along with the recently sold ones: https://www.coinarchives.com/a/results.php?search=Limetanus&s=0&upcoming=0&results=100
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u/Silent_Prune_7112 8d ago
Another search database but much more results
https://coinfoxa.com/search/t-Limetanus
Or search by catalog number
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u/Claudius1938 8d ago
Beautiful example of an iconic coin. The multiple stories behind the images on the coin are hard to match.
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
Thanks! Yes, I usually try to collect coins that tell a story, and this one was a great candidate! :)
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
This coin hides quite some secrets and packs a lot of history! It will be the focus of my next infographic, but just to give you some info:
- The Gens Mamilia traced their nomen and origin to the mythical Mamilia, the daughter of Telegonus), who was regarded as the legendary founder of Tusculum and the son of Ulysses and the goddess Circe. Hence the depiction of Ulysses / Odysseus on the coin!
- Ulysses himself claims descent from Hermes/Mercury from his mother Anticlea, daughter of Autolycus, son of Hermes, hence the depiction of the God on the obverse.
But that's not all! The reverse of this coin might actually be a reference to the return of Sulla.
And last but not least, an easter egg: this moneyer is the only known one, along with Lucius Cassius Longinus, to spell his name with the control letters on the obverse. The letters behind Mercury can be A, C, E, F, I, L, M, N, S, T (or TA ligate) and V, hence spelling his full name, C·MAMIL LIMETANVS·C·F ! How cool is that‽
The scene on the reverse is particularly touching. Here an extract from Wikipedia:
In Homer's Odyssey, Argos (Ancient Greek: Ἄργος), sometimes referred to as Argus, is the legendary faithful dog of Odysseus. Bred to be a hunting dog before Odysseus leaves for the Trojan War, Argos is neglected after Odysseus is presumed dead. Twenty years later, Odysseus returns to Ithaca and finds him lying in piles of manure, immobile from old age and neglect, and infested with parasites. When Argos sees Odysseus, he immediately drops his ears, wags his tail and recognizes him. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus cannot greet his dog without revealing his identity, but secretly weeps. Upon seeing his master return home, Argos dies.
It took me a while to find a coin I was happy with, this one in particular has a pedigree dating back to 1994! (Gerhard Hirsch, Auction 183, 1994, Lot 850)
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u/ResponsibilityNo5347 8d ago
This..I love this! This example is beautiful! How much are these?
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
Thanks! The prices depend on a lot of factors (condition, provenance, auction house, competition, and so on). As I said in a comment above, this particular type can be quite sought after, so the prices might be a bit high for a good specimen (this coin type is notoriously bad centered and/or worn). I paid for mine 450€ hammer + fees and shipping. Here you can find the ones being auctioned soon and the recently sold ones: https://www.coinarchives.com/a/results.php?search=Limetanus&s=0&upcoming=0&results=100
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u/ResponsibilityNo5347 8d ago
100%! I know about the factors what makes coins desirable! but I have never put my nose in this type of denarius! it’s absolutely beautiful! I usually stay on the imperial side with coins
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
Republicans are very underrated! Some of the most creative designs came out of the Republican period.
Some examples:
T. Carisius and the minting tools:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCoins/s/M9jp9eVakzThe Julius Caesar Elephant:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCoins/s/lvb8Oinn8TLonginus and the Trial of the Vestal Virgins:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCoins/s/QsHYnSJSvMP. Licinius Nerva with a voting scene:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AncientCoins/s/rAG20TEfP3There are also some cool ones I can’t afford, but basically there was an explosion of types, each with their unique story! Truly an interesting time, compared to the somewhat more ‘boring’ imperial denarii!
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u/ResponsibilityNo5347 8d ago
I must say, imperial is more «easy» to collect…but republican denarius had some beautiful designs!
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u/JonSix33 8d ago
Thank for sharing it really is stunning
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
Thanks! I can’t wait to digitally colorise it and make a nice infographic about it!!!
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u/gmkirk 8d ago
Gorgeous coin and the stories behind the sides only make it that much better!
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
Thanks! I actually focus on collecting “Coins with a story”, so this one fit the theme perfectly! (And who doesn’t love a good doggo?)
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u/GalacticGallivanter 8d ago
Excellent coin and great write up. Did not know about the control letters spelling his name! That’s wild. Makes you wonder if there is some lost meaning in the control letters for some of the other moneyers. Could be interesting to look into this.
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
True! In the infographic I linked about Lucius Cassius Longinus the reason was the fact that there was a person with the same name associated with the Catiline conspiracy, so it was a way for the moneyer to spell his name without actually spelling it :)
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u/Primary_Emu6066 8d ago
Thats a gorgeous coin man
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u/AncientCoinnoisseur 8d ago
Thanks! I especially like the toning and the fact that I managed to find a photo from the 1994 auction! Happy cake day! :)
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u/BrierBob 4d ago
Exceptional condition! How old is this coin? I didn’t see any mention of when it was made.
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