GUIDE TO COINS
AUGUSTUS #1
Lawrence University
(64) Augustus - AR denarius, 19 B.C., 3.72 g. (inv. 91.111).
Obverse: Bare head of Augustus r.; CAE[SAR AVG]VSTVS: Caesar Augustus.
Reverse: In round, domed temple with four columns, Mars standing l., wearing cloak and helmet
and holding standard in r. and trophy over l. shoulder; MAR(TIS)-VLT(ORIS): of Mars Ultor.
Provenance: Coin Galleries, 1972.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 68.
The return in 20 B.C. of the Roman standards captured by the Parthians (see no. 63) was a
victory celebrated by Rome with numerous honors for Augustus, although he refused the full
military triumph decreed by the Senate. The Senate nevertheless erected a triple triumphal arch
depicting the defeated Parthians and crowned with Augustus in a triumphal chariot. The
standards themselves were publicly displayed in a small temple built expressly for the purpose
and dedicated to Mars Ultor (Mars
the Avenger). The standards were usually depicted in the form of the standard for a legion, which
consisted of a pole with an eagle on top, although various divisions could also have their own
insignia, sometimes in the form of a vexillum or flag (see no. 63). The reverse of this coin
depicts one of the standards with its eagle held by the cult statue of Mars in a round, domed
structure representing the temple. In his left hand he holds a trophy. No trace of the temple has
been found.
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AUGUSTUS #2
Lawrence University
(65) Augustus - AR denarius, c. 19-18 B.C., 3.62 g. (inv. 91.112).
Obverse: Head of Augustus r., wearing oak wreath.
Reverse: Between laurel trees, shield inscribed CL(IPEVS) V(IRTVTIS): shield of valor; around
shield, S(ENATVS) P(OPVLVS)Q(VE) R(OMANVS): the Senate and People of Rome; in two
lines above and below shield, CAESAR AVGVSTV[S]: Caesar Augustus.
Provenance: Coin Galleries, 1959.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 36a; P. Zanker, The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus (Ann Arbor 1988)
91-97.
In the Res Gestae, his posthumously published summary of his achievements, Augustus
describes some of the honors given him by the Senate: For restoring the republic "I was named
Augustus by resolution of the Senate. The doorposts of my house were officially decked out with
young laurel trees, the corona civica was placed over the door, and in the Curia Iulia was
displayed the golden shield, which the Senate and the people granted me on account of my
bravery, clemency, justice, and piety, as is inscribed on the shield itself." The reverse of this
denarius depicts some of those honors. The golden shield is the clipeus virtutis or honorific
shield, traditionally inscribed with virtues or achievements; it is here inscribed with an abbrevia
tion to identify it. The original shield was displayed in the Curia, and copies of it were set up all
over the Roman world. The shield is flanked by the young laurel trees, which were attributes of
the god Apollo with whom Augustus associated himself; such pairs of trees also flanked the
buildings housing the oldest priesthoods and gave the entrance to Augustus' house a sacred
aspect. Laurel wreaths and branches were also the traditional symbols of victory. The corona
civica or civic crown, which Augustus wears in place of the traditional laurel wreath in the
portrait on the obverse, was an oak wreath, traditionally awarded for rescuing a comrade in
battle. It is given to Augustus here for rescuing the republic and its citizens.
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AUGUSTUS #3
Lawrence University
(66) Augustus - AR denarius, after 27 B.C., 3.68 g. (inv. 91.114).
Obverse: Laureate head of Augustus r.
Reverse: Capricorn r., with cornucopia rising from back and holding globe and rudder;
AVGVSTVS: Augustus.
Provenance: Hesperia Art, 1961.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 541; P. Zanker, The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus (Ann Arbor 1988)
47-49.
According to the biographer Suetonius (The Divine Augustus 1.94), Augustus was born under
the sign of Capricorn (the moon, not the sun, was in Capricorn at his birth). Suetonius recounts a
story from Augustus' youth, in which he visited an astrologer, who fell to his knees after seeing
the configuration of the heavens at Augustus' birth. According to Suetonius, the incident gave
Augustus (then Octavius) great faith in his destiny
and caused him to make his horoscope public and later to strike a silver coin with the sign of
Capricorn. Capricorn on the reverse of this coin, as in the zodiac, takes the form of a goat with
the tail of a fish and a cornucopia growing from its back. Here it also holds a globe and rudder,
symbols of sovereignty. Capricorn also appeared on glass beads that supporters of Augustus
wore as a sign of their loyalty.
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AUGUSTUS #4
Lawrence University
(69) Augustus - AV aureus, 2 B.C. - c. A.D. 14, 7.88 g. (inv. 91.109).
Obverse: Laureate head of Augustus r.; CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F(ILIVS) PATER
PATRIAE: Caesar Augustus, son of a god (the Divine Julius Caesar), father of the country.
Reverse: Gaius and Lucius Caesar facing, togate and veiled, each holding shield, spear; in field
above, simpulum and lituus; C(AIVS) L(VCIVS) CAESARES in exergue, AVGVSTI F(ILII)
CO(N)S(VLES) DESIG(NATI) PRINC(IPES) IVVENT(VTIS): Gaius and Lucius Caesar, sons
of Augustus, consuls designate, leaders among the youth.
Provenance: Coin Galleries, 1959.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 206.
Since the emperor Augustus had no sons, he adopted his grandsons, Gaius and Lucius Caesar,
the sons of his only child Julia and his old friend and close associate Marcus Agrippa. The
emperor was very attached to the boys and granted them titles and positions of authority from an
early age. The titles given the boys on the reverse of this coin announce that Augustus intended
them to succeed him.
Although Augustus was at least sixty years old when this coin was issued, his portrait on the
obverse remains that of the youthful Augustus. On the reverse are Gaius and Lucius with the
silver shields and spears that accompany the title princeps iuventutis or leader among the youth,
an honorary title designating the heir to the throne. Between them are sacrifical inplements, a
simpulum or ladle and a lituus or curved staff used in augury; Gaius was made a pontifex or
priest and Lucius an augur or soothsayer.
The earliest year in which this coin could have been issued was 2 B.C., when Augustus received
the new honorific title pater patriae, father of the country; almost all emperors would henceforth
receive the title upon coming into power. On the same occasion, Lucius was designated a future
consul, one of the two principal magistrates of the state, and made princeps iuventutis; his older
brother, Gaius, had received the same honors in 5 B.C. Although Lucius and Gaius died
prematurely, in A.D. 2 and 4 respectively, the coins commemorating their elevation were issued
until late in the reign of Augustus.
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TIBERIUS #5
Lawrence University
(70) Tiberius - AV aureus, c. A.D. 15-37, 7.74 g. (inv. 91.118).
Obverse: Laureate head of Tiberius r.; TI(BERIVS) CAESAR DIVI AVG(VSTI) F(ILIVS)
AVGVSTVS: Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus, Augustus.
Reverse: Livia or Pax seated r., holding scepter in r. and branch in l.; PONTIF(EX)
MAXIM(VS): pontifex maximus.
Provenance: Abner Kreisberg, 1974.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69. rev. ed.
(London 1984) 25.
Tiberius, born in 42 B.C., became the stepson of the future Augustus when his mother, Livia,
married Octavian in 38 B.C. When it became clear that Augustus intended his grandsons, Gaius
and Lucius Caesar, as his heirs, Tiberius went into morose exile on Rhodes, but after the
untimely deaths of the two boys Augustus adopted Tiberius, and he became a loyal and
successful general in Augustus' wars in Germany. When Augustus died in A.D. 14, Tiberius
inherited the throne. He deified Augustus immediately after his death and pursued Augustan
policies with little change. He assumed the office of pontifex maximus, the chief priest of Rome,
in A.D. 15. His reign was relatively peaceful, spent largely in Rome and in seclusion in his villas
on the island of Capri. He died in A.D. 37 at the age of seventy-eight.
From the age of four Tiberius had lived in the shadow of Augustus, and his gold and silver
coinage concentrates almost exclusively on his relationship to his divine predecessor and other
members of his family and on personifications of imperial virtues. The coins have none of the
references to imperial achievements that had characterized the coinage of Augustus. Even his
portrait shows strong Augustan influence, probably another way of emphasizing the relationship
and the legitimacy of his succession. The hairstyle, with its locks combed down on the forehead,
is very similar, as is the general idealized quality. He differs from Augustus, however, in his
broad forehead and very large eyes, noted by the biographer Suetonius (Tiberius, 68).
The reverse depicts a seated figure, sometimes identifed as Tiberius' mother Livia and sometimes
as Pax, the personification of peace, with her standard attributes, a scepter and palm branch.
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TIBERIUS #6
Univ. Saskatchewan
Obverse, Sestertius of Tiberius
Reverse, Sestertius of Tiberius
Obverse: Empty quadriga ornamented with victory trophy and captive.
Reverse: S C large
incenter encircled by TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST P M TR POT XXXIIX.
A quadriga without a driver which the obverse of this coin depicts often symbolizes the
reluctance of an emperor to take part in a triumph in honor of some great military achievement.
However in this case it most likely represents the absence of the emperor Tiberius from Rome.
The empty quadriga pictured here represents the fact that Tiberius was not present in Rome at the
time the coin was struck, around AD 36, and he had not been since AD 26 when he went to
Capreae where he remained until his death in AD 37 and governed the empire via letters to the
Senate. This absence was looked down upon by many people in Rome who felt the emperor’s
place was to be at the seat of the empire which was Rome.
The reverse of the coin illustrates the emperor’s position and power in the state. Senatus
Consulto appears large in the center and is encircled by TIberius CAESAR DIVI AVGusti Filius
AVGVSTus Pontifex Maximus TRibunicia Potestate XXXIIX. The number of years which
Tiberius has held tribunician power, which in this case is thirty-eight, allows the coin to be dated
around AD 36-37.
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CALIGULA #7
Univ. Saskatchewan
Obverse: Laureate head of Gaius encircled by C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR P.
Reverse: Gaius standing togate on low platform extending right hand ingesture of
address; behind him a chair(sella castrensis). In front five soldiers, all helmeted carrying shields
military standards. ADLOCVT above and COH below.
This particular coin type is believed to commemorate the accession of Gaius to the throne and his
address to the Praetorian cohorts. The obverse of the coin contains the picture of Gaius wearing
the laurel crown which was the typical headdress of the Roman emperor. This is surrounded by
the abbreviated legend Caius CAESAR AVGustus GERMANICVS PONtifex Maximus
TRibunicia Potestas.
The reverse of the coin depicts Gaius wearing a toga, standing on a platform in front of a curule
chair, which was a chair reserved for superior magistrates. His right hand is raised in gesture
towards five soldiers who are helmeted and carrying military standards. These men are
Praetorian cohorts who were the state guards. The legend reads ADLOCVTio COHortium,
“Speech to the Cohorts.” Gaius addressed these men upon assuming power since they were the
ones who had declared him emperor. He also paid the Praetorian Guard one thousand sesterces
each which was bequeathed to them in Tiberius’ will, but Cassius Dio claims that a generous
amount was given to them out of the pocket of Gaius himself probably for the purpose of
maintaining their loyalty. Since the Praetorian Guard was paid in sesterces, this very coin was
probably paid to members of the Praetorian Guard since the theme of the coin focuses on Gaius’
speech to them.
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CALIGULA #8
Geranio Collection
Gaius (Caligula). AD 37-41. Æ Sestertius (26.83 g, 7h). Rome mint. Struck AD 37-38. C
CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, laureate head left / AGRIPPINA DRVSILLA
IVLIA, S C in exergue, Gaius' three sisters standing facing: Agrippina (as Securitas) leaning on
column, holding cornucopia, and placing hand on Drusilla (as Concordia), holding patera and
cornucopia; Julia (as Fortuna) holding rudder and cornucopia. RIC I 33; CNR XII, 56 (this coin);
BMCRE 37; BN 49; Cohen 4.
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CALIGULA #9
Lawrence University
(71) Gaius ("Caligula") - AE sestertius, A.D. 39-40, 27.44 g. (inv. 91.128).
Obverse: Draped and veiled Pietas seated l., holding patera in r. and resting l. on small figure
forming part of seat; C(AIVS) CAESAR DIVI AVG(VSTI) PRON(EPOS) AVG(VSTVS)
P(ONTIFEX) M(AXIMVS) TR(IBVNICIA) P(OTESTATE) III P(ATER) P(ATRIAE): Gaius
Caesar, great-grandson of Divine Augustus, Augustus, pontifex maximus, with tribunician power
for the third time, father of the country; in exergue, PIETAS: Pietas.
Reverse: Before hexastyle garlanded temple surmounted by quadriga, Gaius, togate and veiled,
sacrifices with patera over garlanded altar; attendant to l. leads bull to altar; attendant to r. holds
patera; DIVO-AVG(VSTO): to Divine Augustus; S(ENATVS)- C(ONSVLTO): by decree of the
Senate.
Provenance: Coin Galleries, 1959.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 44; P.V. Hill, The Monuments of Rome as Coin Types (London 1989) 19-21.
The emperor Tiberius was succeeded by Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus, the only male member
of the family of the popular Germanicus to survive the plots of Tiberius and his adviser, Sejanus,
who had feared their interference with the succession. Officially known as Gaius Caesar, he
accompanied his father on his assignment at the Rhine frontier, where the soldiers nicknamed
him Caligula or Little Boot for the miniature military outfit he wore there. As emperor he
became increasingly autocratic, cruel, and extravagant, and his troops assassinated him in A.D.
41.
Few of Caligula's coins refer to specific events in his reign, emphasizing instead his family and
particularly his relationship to Augustus. On the obverse of this sestertius the usual portrait of the
emperor has been replaced by the personification Pietas, who refers particularly to the obligation
to honor the family. The legend specifically identifies Caligula's relationship to Augustus, and on
the reverse the emperor sacrifices to Augustus in front of the Temple of Divine Augustus, which
was begun by Tiberius but dedicated by Caligula in A.D. 37. This coin type was first issued in
A.D. 37 to commemorate the dedication of the temple and later revived.
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CLAUDIUS #10
Geranio Collection
Claudius. AD 41-54. AV Aureus (19mm, 7.66 g, 1h). Rome mint. Struck AD 44/5.
TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P-, his laureate head right.
IMPER RECEPT, Claudius seated left, holding scepter; to left, signum; all within distyle
building with crescent in pediment and flanked by crenelated walls with arched entries; all set on
crenelated wall with two arched entries. RIC I 25; von Kaenel Type 22 (V332/R339; an unlisted
die combination); Calicó 361a.
According to the historian Suetonius (Claud. 10.1-4), the Praetorian Guard appointed Claudius
emperor following the assassination of his nephew and predecessor Gaius. Found cowering
behind a palace curtain, the new emperor was immediately removed to the Praetorian camp
which had been constructed almost fifteen years earlier under Sejanus, and located at the
northeastern outskirts of the capital. For the next several days, Claudius remained under the
Guard’s “protection”, while diplomatic maneuvers secured senatorial acceptance of his
succession. Because of the Guard’s strategic involvement in these events, Claudius rewarded
them with an donative, renewed annually for the next several years, ostensibly commemorating
their protection of him during the first days of his reign, but, in fact, acknowledging their central
role in his accession.
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CLAUDIUS #11
Geranio Collection
Claudius. AD 41-54. AV Aureus (7.53 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 46-47. TI CLAVD •
CAESAR • AVG P • M • TR • P • VI • IMP • XI, laureate head right / PACI AVGVSTAE, PaxNemesis advancing right, spitting into upper fold of drapery she lifts with her right hand, holding
winged caduceus in her left hand; to right, serpent right. RIC I 38; von Kaenel type 24; Calicó
367; BMCRE 39; BN 49-50 (Lugdunum mint).
The IMP XI refers to his conquering of Eleven British tribes in Britain in 43AD.
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NERO #12
Lawrence University
(73) Nero - AV aureus, A.D. 55, 7.60 g. (inv. 91.135).
Obverse: Jugate busts r. of Nero, bare-headed and draped at back of neck, and Agrippina II, bareheaded and draped; NERO CLAVD(IVS) DIVI F(ILIVS) CAES(AR) AVG(VSTVS)
GERM(ANICVS) IMP(ERATOR) TR(IBVNICIA) P(OTESTATE) CO(N)S(VL): Nero
Claudius, son of a god (the Divine Claudius), Caesar Augustus Germanicus, imperator, with
tribunician power, consul.
Reverse: Quadriga of elephants l., bearing two chairs holding two male figures, Divine Claudius,
radiate, holding eagle-tipped scepter in r., and Divine Augustus, radiate, holding patera in r. and
scepter in l.; above elephants, EXS C: by authority of the Senate; AGRIPP(INA) AVG(VSTA)
DIVI CLAVD(II) {supply uxor} NERONIS CAES(ARIS) MATER: Agrippina Augusta, wife of
Divine Claudius, mother of Nero Caesar.
Provenance: Stack's, 1983.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 6.
The emperor Nero (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus Nero Claudius Caesar) was the son of
Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger, but his mother later married the emperor
Claudius, who adopted him in A.D. 50. He married Octavia, the daughter of Claudius, in A.D. 54
and became emperor in A.D. 55, when his ruthless mother poisoned Claudius.
Agrippina exerted powerful influence over her son at the beginning of his reign, but Nero
quickly began to assert himself and had her murdered in A.D. 59. Her initial influence, however,
is reflected in the early coinage of Nero, in which she is depicted alongside the still youthful
emperor. Agrippina's portrait is very generalized, although she appears to have
some of the fashionable corkscrew curls that can be seen in her marble portraits. Nero's portrait
is beginning to acquire some of the features that became more prominent as he grew older, the
fleshiness in the chin and neck and the mouth that recedes between his overhanging nose and
rounded chin.
The figures with the radiate crowns in the quadriga on the reverse most likely represent the two
deified emperors, Augustus and Claudius; one of Nero's first acts as emperor was the
consecration of his step-father. Their presence strengthened Nero's claim to the throne through
relationship to them. The elephant quadriga had been used on the coins of Tiberius honoring
Divine Augustus.
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NERO #13
Lawrence University
(74) Nero - AV aureus, A.D. 64-65, 7.31 g. (inv. 91.134).
Obverse: Laureate head of Nero r.; NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS: Nero Caesar Augustus.
Reverse: Jupiter seated l., holding thunderbolt in r. and scepter in l.; IVPPITER CVSTOS:
Jupiter the Guardian.
Provenance: Coin Galleries, 1959.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 52.
By A.D. 65 the cruelty and extravagance for which Nero became notorious, including the murder
of his mother, wife, step-brother, and tutor, had made him increasingly hated, and a conspiracy
named for its leader, Piso, was formed to depose him. Nero's discovery of the plot resulted in a
murderous purge. This coin is usually seen as commemorating the failure of the conspiracy, its
reverse depicting Jupiter, the "guardian" of Nero. Nero is reported to have dedicated the dagger
that was to have killed him to Jupiter Vindex (Avenger) in the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitol.
Although the conspiracy failed, revolts occurred in various parts of the empire, and in A.D. 68
Nero was forced to commit suicide.
The head on the obverse depicts his most well-known and distinctive portrait type, in which he
has abandoned the Julio-Claudian features of his youth (see no. 73) for an apparently more
realistic type that does nothing to disguise his gross appearance, his facial structure all but
disappearing under layers of fat. His distinctive hair rises in a wreath of waves from his forehead
and grows long at the nape of his neck. He also has sideburns and a slight beard.
In A.D. 64 a great fire destroyed much of Rome. The cost of rebuilding was enormous and
resulted in a reform of the monetary system. The weight of the aureus was reduced from 1/42 to
1/45 of a Roman pound (that is, from c. 7.70-7.85 g. to c. 7.25-7.40 g.). The weight of this aureus
indicates that it was issued after the reform.
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NERO #14
Lawrence University
(78) Nero - AE sestertius, A.D. 64-66, 26.40 g. (inv. 91.141).
Obverse: Laureate bust of Nero r.; NERO CLAVD(IVS) CAESAR AVG(VSTVS)
GERM(ANICVS) P(ONTIFEX) M(AXIMVS) TR(IBVNICIA) P(OTESTATE) IMP(ERATOR)
P(ATER) P(ATRIAE): Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, pontifex maximus, with
tribunician power, imperator, father of the country.
Reverse: Bird's-eye view of the port of Ostia. At top, lighthouse surmounted by statue of
Neptune l., holding scepter; at bottom, reclining figure of Tiber l., holding rudder in r. and
dolphin in l.; to l., crescent-shaped pier with portico; to r., crescent-shaped row of slips; in center,
seven ships; PORT(VS) OST(IENSIS) AVGVSTI: the port of Augustus of Ostia; S(ENATVS)C(ONSVLTO): by decree of the Senate.
Provenance: Coin Galleries, 1959.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 180.
One consequence of the emperor Nero's monetary reform of c. A.D. 64 (see no. 74) was the
reintroduction of the bronze sestertius, which had been suspended since the time of the emperor
Claudius. These large coins provided Nero's die-engravers with opportunities to develop not only
fine portraits for the obverses but also very detailed reverses designed to remind people of the
emperor's good qualities and the services he provided to the people of Rome.
The reverse of this sestertius commemorates the expansion of the Roman port of Ostia. The work
was begun by Claudius in A.D. 42, in order to provide year-round deliveries of grain. The harbor
was dedicated in A.D. 54, but ten years later Nero made it part of an ambitious plan to connect
Lake Avernus to Ostia with a 125-mile long canal, a project never completed. The port itself is
depicted with a wealth of detail, not all of which is legible on this coin. The porticoes of the pier
on the left probably represent the warehouses and offices through which the city's imported grain
supply passed. The slips on the right may represent the docking area. In the harbor large and
small ships come and go under the watchful eyes of the statue of Neptune, god of the sea, and a
personification of the river Tiber.
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NERO #15
Lawrence University
(79) Nero - AE sestertius, A.D. 66-68, 26.50 g. (inv. 91.139).
Obverse: Laureate head of Nero r.; IMP(ERATOR) NERO CLAVD(IVS) CAESAR
AVG(VSTVS) GER(MANICVS) P(ONTIFEX) M(AXIMVS) TR(IBVNICIA) P(OTESTATE)
P(ATER) P(ATRIAE): Imperator Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, pontifex
maximus, with tribunician power, father of the country.
Reverse: Roma, helmeted and in military dress, seated l. on cuirass, holding Victoria in r. and
resting l. on parazonium; S(ENATVS)-C(ONSVLTO): by decree of the Senate; in exergue,
ROMA: Rome.
Provenance: Coin Galleries, 1961.
Bibliography: C.H.V. Sutherland, The Roman Imperial Coinage I: from 31 BC to AD 69, rev. ed.
(London 1984) 329.
In July A.D. 64 much of the city of Rome was destroyed by a fire that burned for days. Although
Nero was widely blamed for the fire (it was known that he wanted to clear a large part of the city
for a new palace), he took it upon himself to rebuild both the public and private sectors of the
city. He cared for the refugees and replaced the old shacks and tenements with insulae, apartment
blocks constructed of concrete faced with brick, of limited height and situated on a grid plan of
widely-spaced streets, which eased the overcrowded conditions and made the housing safer and
more easily accessible to fire brigades. The reverse of this sestertius celebrates the rebirth of the
city. Roma, the personification of the city of Rome who was worshipped as a goddess, wears a
short tunic, with her right breast bared in the manner of an Amazon, and armor, including a
parazonium or short sword worn at the waist. As a symbol of the city's triumph she holds
Victoria in her extended right hand.
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VESPASIAN
University of Saskatchewan
Obverse: Head of Vespasian radiate, encircled by IMP CAES VESPASIAN AVG COS III.
Reverse: Concordia seated holding patera in right hand and cornucopia over left
shoulder, encircled by CONCORDIA AVGVSTI; S C in exergue.
The goddess of Concord was an object of Roman religion and worship whose temples were
found throughout Rome. The reign of Vespasian was considered to be a new age of peace and
concord which this coin represents. The obverse shows Vespasian wearing the radiate crown
which refers to his divine nature. This is encircled by the legend IMPerator CAESar
VESPASIANus AVGustus COnSul III. The reverse presents Concordia seated holding a patera
and cornucopia. The patera represents honors given to this goddess while the cornucopia
symbolizes the prosperity of the Roman Empire. The legend CONCORDIA AVGVSTI means
“The Concord of Augustus.” Below is the legend Senatus Consulto.
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VESPASIAN
University of Glasgow
IMP CAES VESPASIAN AUG PM TRP PP COS III
IUDAEA CAPTA SC
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HADRIAN
Lawrence University
(92) Hadrian - AV aureus, A.D. 125-128, 7.28 g. (inv. 91.165).
Obverse: Laureate and draped bust of Hadrian r.; HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS: Hadrianus
Augustus.
Reverse: Wolf suckling Romulus and Remus; CO(N)S(VL) III: consul for the third time.
Provenance: Münzen und Medaillen, 1976.
Bibliography: H. Mattingly and E.A. Sydenham, The Roman Imperial Coinage II: Vespasian to
Hadrian (London 1926) 192.
Hadrian (Publius Aelius Hadrianus) was a cousin of Trajan, who became his guardian after the
death of his father. He was an intellectual with a profound love of Greek culture. Hadrian put an
end to Trajan's expansionist policy and spent much of his reign travelling the empire,
consolidating its defenses and supervising affairs in the provinces. He was a great builder whose
contributions to Roman architecture include the Pantheon in Rome and his magnificent villa at
Tivoli. He died in A.D. 138 and was immediately deified by the Senate.
Hadrian's portraits are an important turning point in the history of Roman portraiture because he
was the first emperor to wear a beard; almost all emperors until the fourth century would do so as
well. It was rumored that he wore the beard to hide his bad complexion, but it was more likely an
adoption of Greek custom; he was a great patron of Athens, and he was nicknamed Graeculus or
Greekling for his love of the Greeks.
The reverse of this aureus refers to the legendary founding of Rome. It depicts the twin founders
of the city, Romulus and Remus, being suckled by the she-wolf who found them after they had
been abandoned. The type has a long history in Roman coinage, beginning in the third century
B.C. According to the legend, Romulus and Remus were descendants of Aeneas, who had fled
the destruction of Troy and established a dynasty at Alba Longa in Italy. Its last king was
overthrown by his brother, who had the king's daughter made a Vestal Virgin to ensure that she
would have no heirs. When she did have the twins by the god Mars, her uncle set them adrift on
the Tiber. They landed at the future site of Rome, where they were cared for by the she-wolf
until they were adopted and raised by a shepherd. When they were grown they returned to Alba
Longa, restored their grandfather to his throne, and then set out to establish their own city.
Romulus killed Remus in a dispute and became the sole ruler of the city named after him.
GUIDE TO COINS
HADRIAN
VCRC – Darling Collection
Issuer:
HADRIAN, AD 117-138. AR Denarius.
Obverse:
HADRIANVS AVG. COS. III P. P., His bare head right.
Reverse:
ASIA, Asia standing facing, head left, hook in right hand, reversed rudder in left,
right foot on prow
Reference:
RIC 301; Sear 1080, Van Meter 13, Cohen 189. Grade: Vf/aVF
GUIDE TO COINS
CONSTANTINE
VCRC - Classical Numismatic Group
Constantine the Great AE-3 (20mm, 3.89g), Treveri (Trier), Gaul (present-day Germany),
officina (mint workshop) A, c. 317 AD, Sear 3868, RIC VII Trier 131.
Obverse: Bust of Constantine the Great facing right, wearing a laurel wreath (crown of branches
from a Mediterranean evergreen tree that was a mark of honor conferred upon victorious
athletes, heroes, generals, and poets) and a paludamentum (large cloak typically worn by Roman
generals) fastened at the right shoulder by fibula (pin), with what may be a leather strap
connecting the chest and back plate of a cuirass (body armor) at the left shoulder, inscription
"IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG" or "Imperator Constantine Augustus."
Reverse: Anatomically correct Sol, the Sun god, standing left, wearing a radiate crown (crown of
sun rays) and a chlamys (small cloak) fastened at the shoulder, with his right hand raised,
holding in his left hand a globus (celestial orb) decorated with an equinoctial cross (representing
the spring and autumnal equinoxes), offering the globus to Constantine (symbolizing Sol
granting Constantine the power to rule the universe), standing on the exergual line, inscription
"SOLI INVICTO COMITI" or "To the invincible Sun god, companion of the Emperor," T and F
in the reverse left and right fields that may stand for "TEMPORVM FELICITAS" or "The
happiness of the age," mint mark of dot-ATR (last letter looks like an H) in the exergue, with TR
standing for Treveri (Trier), a Roman mint in eastern Gaul that's part of present-day Germany
and that operated c. 291-430 AD, A standing for the primary officina or mint workshop, and the
dot differentiating among issues.
Sol Invictus ("Unconquered Sun") or, more fully, Deus Sol Invictus ("Unconquered Sun God")
was the late Roman state sun god. The cult was created by the emperor Elagabalus in 228 and
continued until the abolition of paganism under Theodosius I
GUIDE TO COINS
CONSTANTINE
Killingholme Hoard
Obverse: Helmeted bust of Constantine, encircled by CONSTANTINVS AVG. Reverse:
Globe set on cippus inscribed VOTIS XX, three stars above and the mintmark(dot)
PTR(crescent) below. Encircled by BEATA TRANQVILLITAS.
This coin is one of many which celebrated the twentieth year of Constantine’s reign and were
issued between 321-324. Constantine replaced the follis with several lower grades of coinage
about which little is known. The AE 3 designates a certain size of coin though the actual name
of the denomination is not known. The obverse shows the bust of Constantine wearing a crested
helmet and a cuirass encircled by CONSTANTINVS AVGustus.
The reverse shows a globe set on a cippus inscribed VOTIS XX which represents the celebration
of Constantine’s twentieth year in power. The globe represents the Roman Empire. This is
encircled by the legend BEATA TRANQVILLITAS which means “Blessed Tranquility” and
was by no means an indicator of the uneasy situation which existed between Licinius and
Constantine. However, it does credit Constantine with the tranquility of the empire. The
mintmark PTR (preceded by a dot and followed by a crescent) means that the coin was struck at
the mint in Trier.