VICTORIA AVGG


Reference : AYC #18, RIC 8
Weight: ?
Metal: Silver
Diameter: ?
Scarcity: Very rare
Type:

Obverse

Reverse

IMP C M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG

Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Pupienus right, seen from three quarters back. 

VICTORIA AVGG

Victoria walking left, holding a crown with the right hand and a palm with the left hand.

Coin referenced in the RIC 4B, page 174, n°8, source: Oslo. To confirm.

The only difference with AYC #19, RIC - is Victoria's position on the reverse. On this coin she is described as walking left while she is facing on AYC #19, RIC - . This frontal position corresponds to the description of aureus 8A from RIC 4B, page 174, the source of which is Cohen quoting Caylus. This aureus is described with the obverse legend IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG. I'm starting to think that it may be an error in the description of Caylus' coin as aureus when it was perhaps a denarius or rather a sestertius because of the obverse legend. This is the reason why I did not list this aureus for Pupienus. I add that for the sestertius with reverse VICTORIA AVGG, the RIC 4B note page 175 for the n°23: ''C.38 should probably read 'Victory standing and facing, head left..' hence a number of minor variants have been recorded.''. We see that the n° 38 and 39 also seem badly described. This confirms a probable error concerning the n° 37. 

Having never seen this coin and its existence being to be confirmed, I did not note any legendary cuts in the description.

I observe that on most of Pupienus' coins the cuirass is almost invisible and the shoulder appears smooth. Although I have listed a variant with a non-cuirassed bust for other emperors from the same period, this bust of Pupienus seems to be cuirassed. We see streaks indicating a cuirass in the lower shoulder or at least an irregular lower shoulder showing a desire to display a cuirass. Here is an example:

 On this photo the streaks are visible at the bottom of the shoulder. 

However, we cannot exclude that only draped busts exist. So far, I haven't noticed an example where the shoulder is undoubtedly smooth.