Naville Numismatics Ltd.
Auction 44 4 Nov 2018
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Commodus, 177-192 Medallion circa 177, Æ 37.1mm., 50.98g. MP CAES L AVREL COM-MODVS GERM SARM Laureate bust r., wearing aegis. Rev. Marcus Aurelius and Commodus, each holding eagle-tipped scepter, driving triumphal quadriga l.; in front, soldier advancing r., head turned to look back, leading the horses; above, Nike flying l., holding eagle perched on arm; in exergue, TR POT COS. Gnecchi pag. 67, 139 and Pl. 87, 6.
Very rare, dark brown tone, tooled after Lanz sale, otherwise Good Very Fine.
Ex Lanz sale 28, 1984, 576 and Ira & Larry Goldberg sale 98, 2017, 2252.
This remarkable medallion commemorates the joint triumph celebrated by Commodus together with his father, Marcus Aurelius, on December 23, 176, for victories won over the German tribes in the long Marcomannic Wars (166-180). On this occasion, father and son rode together in the triumphal chariot as depicted on the reverse and Commodus was granted tribunician power. On January 1, 177, despite his youth (he was 15 at the time), Commodus became consul for the first time. As the medallion includes both the tribunician and consular titles on the reverse, it must have been struck after the beginning of 177. The obverse portrait of Commodus is notable because it does not depict him wearing the consular robes one might expect from the reverse type and historical context, but instead he wears a long, scaly aegis. This peculiar garment does not connect him to the triumphant imperial dynasties of Rome, but rather to Alexander the Great, a conqueror admired by many emperors. A popular Hellenistic statue type had been the Alexander Aigiochos (Alexander wearing the aegis") and here we have an updated Roman version - Commodus Aigiochos."
Very rare, dark brown tone, tooled after Lanz sale, otherwise Good Very Fine.
Ex Lanz sale 28, 1984, 576 and Ira & Larry Goldberg sale 98, 2017, 2252.
This remarkable medallion commemorates the joint triumph celebrated by Commodus together with his father, Marcus Aurelius, on December 23, 176, for victories won over the German tribes in the long Marcomannic Wars (166-180). On this occasion, father and son rode together in the triumphal chariot as depicted on the reverse and Commodus was granted tribunician power. On January 1, 177, despite his youth (he was 15 at the time), Commodus became consul for the first time. As the medallion includes both the tribunician and consular titles on the reverse, it must have been struck after the beginning of 177. The obverse portrait of Commodus is notable because it does not depict him wearing the consular robes one might expect from the reverse type and historical context, but instead he wears a long, scaly aegis. This peculiar garment does not connect him to the triumphant imperial dynasties of Rome, but rather to Alexander the Great, a conqueror admired by many emperors. A popular Hellenistic statue type had been the Alexander Aigiochos (Alexander wearing the aegis") and here we have an updated Roman version - Commodus Aigiochos."