Pertinax, Sestertius, 193
Rome - Extremely rare - Bronze - EF(40-45) - RIC:19
Sold
Head of Pertinax, laureate, right.
Pertinax, togate, seated left on curule chair set on platform, extending right hand and holding roll in left hand at side; behind him, officer holding staff in left hand; on steps of platform, citizen, togate, standing right, holding out fold of toga; in background, Liberalitas, draped, standing left, holding abacus in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand
Sestertius of the highest rarity ! With a magnificent natural brown patina! Struck in the name of Pertinax, one of the transitional emperors between the Antonine and Severan dynasties, he reigned for only a few months, between 1 January and 28 March, the day of his assassination by the Praetorian Guard, whose favour he thought he had won by promising them a "donativvm", a donation of money, in exchange for their support in his accession to the throne. Here, the coin represents the congiarium, a donation for the benefit of the citizens organised during celebrations. We know from the Historia Augusta that he organised several congiarium, and this coin probably celebrates one of them. The rarity of this coin resides in the fact that very few coins were struck by this emperor, who reigned for only a few months, combined with the celebrated event for which it was struck, so much so that only one example is known to exist in public collections, in the British Museum!
IMP CAES P HELV PERTINAX AVG
TR P COS II S - C // LIB AVG
27.76 gr
Bronze
Bronze (not to be confused with brass, although usage of the two terms varied in times of yore) is an extremely ancient alloy with origins going back to the period around 2,000 BC. Also known...wait for it...as the Bronze Age (who would have guessed?). Back in ancient times, a proportion of 10% tin was added to copper. It was used in particular for luxurious objects such as swords, helmets, hairpins, and even chariot ornaments.
That is by no means insignificant though, as when putting on a bronze helmet you would already find yourself with an extra 3 kilos or so on your head. Add to that your sword and armor…let’s see you advance quickly now!
The heavyweight of alloys one might say*.
The first Western bronze coins probably date back to the end of the 4th century BC and Greece.
Although the coins may be ancient, it is more difficult to date the appearance of a specific word for this alloy. The earliest record is a Venetian manuscript in Greek dating from the 11th century, but it is not impossible that it was in use earlier.
Nowadays, the bronze used in coinage is an alloy of copper (majority) and tin (minority) along with other metals such as zinc, for example, which improves the castability, or nickel, which produces a harder alloy. Its main qualities are undeniably its great resistance to corrosion and mechanical wear as well as...its aesthetic aspect.
The patina of bronze can vary, ranging from verdigris to brown through to black.
*Actually, puns aside, copper and cupronickel have a greater density, for example.
An “EF(40-45)” quality
As in numismatics it is important that the state of conservation of an item be carefully evaluated before it is offered to a discerning collector with a keen eye.
This initially obscure acronym comprising two words describing the state of conservation is explained clearly here:
Extremely Fine
This means – more prosaically – that the coin has circulated well from hand to hand and pocket to pocket but the impact on its wear remains limited: the coins retains much of its mint luster, sharp detailing and little sign of being circulated. Closer examination with the naked eye reveals minor scratches or nicks.