If there was ever a time

[Rob]

Diva Faustina Junior Sestertius

The portrait is simply stunning.

Edited October 10, 2011 by Rob

[Generic Lad]

One of the best Romans I've seen in a while. It always amazes me with Roman coins how much the portrait varies, some of them look amazing like that one while others look quite awful. I guess a lot of it had to do with the tastes of each individual engraver?

[Rob]

One of the best Romans I've seen in a while. It always amazes me with Roman coins how much the portrait varies, some of them look amazing like that one while others look quite awful. I guess a lot of it had to do with the tastes of each individual engraver?

Thumbing through the catalogue last night I couldn't help noticing it. I checked to a few times to see if I could say it wasn't a crack, but failed. I guess that's why the estimate is what it is - no crack and you could double it. In VF it's a £150-200 coin, virtually as struck you can comfortably add a 0.

[azda]

One of the best Romans I've seen in a while. It always amazes me with Roman coins how much the portrait varies, some of them look amazing like that one while others look quite awful. I guess a lot of it had to do with the tastes of each individual engraver?

Thumbing through the catalogue last night I couldn't help noticing it. I checked to a few times to see if I could say it wasn't a crack, but failed. I guess that's why the estimate is what it is - no crack and you could double it. In VF it's a £150-200 coin, virtually as struck you can comfortably add a 0.

The seller in question is Germanys longest running dealer, since 1870. Then there is Lanz, he's in Munich and has apparently the largest byzantienne collection in the world, originally from Austria, his father started the business.

Edited October 10, 2011 by azda

[azda]

One of the best Romans I've seen in a while. It always amazes me with Roman coins how much the portrait varies, some of them look amazing like that one while others look quite awful. I guess a lot of it had to do with the tastes of each individual engraver?

Thumbing through the catalogue last night I couldn't help noticing it. I checked to a few times to see if I could say it wasn't a crack, but failed. I guess that's why the estimate is what it is - no crack and you could double it. In VF it's a £150-200 coin, virtually as struck you can comfortably add a 0.

The estimate is 1750 euros Rob, doubt you can add another 0 onto that

[Rob]

One of the best Romans I've seen in a while. It always amazes me with Roman coins how much the portrait varies, some of them look amazing like that one while others look quite awful. I guess a lot of it had to do with the tastes of each individual engraver?

Thumbing through the catalogue last night I couldn't help noticing it. I checked to a few times to see if I could say it wasn't a crack, but failed. I guess that's why the estimate is what it is - no crack and you could double it. In VF it's a £150-200 coin, virtually as struck you can comfortably add a 0.

The estimate is 1750 euros Rob, doubt you can add another 0 onto that

No, the added 0 applied to the VF price. The crack appears to extend all the way to the centre on the obverse. That will knock it back and 1750 is probably a reasonable estimete. Without the crack, a sestertius in that condition has to be worth over £2K and depending on the name £3K or even more. Silver in high grade is quite common, but bronze isn't.

[Colin G.]

Those bigger Roman bronzes are always more difficult to locate in higher grades

[azda]

Cracking portrait though, am stil amazed that Roman stuff can outlast some of our more recent British coins.

[Peckris]

Cracking portrait though, am stil amazed that Roman stuff can outlast some of our more recent British coins.

...excuse the pun.

But it is a gorgeous coin. For all my high grade denarii, I'd love a large copper in high grade.