Nike/Victoria Handing out Wreaths

[Roman Collector]

Coins depicting Nike or Victory presenting wreaths are so ubiquitous on ancient coins that certainly every member here has at least one! We all have a laurel wreath! They are like the participation trophies of ancient numismatics!!!

 

Julia Domna AD 193-217.
Roman provincial AE triassarion, 8.75 gm, 24.4 mm, 6 h.
Moesia Inferior, Tomis, AD 193-211.
Obv: ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΔΟΜΝΑ CE, bare-headed and draped bust, r.
Rev: ΜΗΤ ΠΟΝ ΤΟΜΕΩC, Nike advancing l., holding wreath and palm, retrograde Γ (=3) to left.
Refs: Varbanov 4857; AMNG 2811.

Let's see your Nike/Victory presenting wreath coins!!

[John Conduitt]

I never thought of these wreaths as being handed out.

Mine all seem concentrated around the Severans.
 
Geta Denarius, 209-211

Rome. Silver, 2.95g. Head with laurel wreath from right; P SEPT GETA PIVS - AVG BRIT. Victory with palm branch and wreath from left, head from left; VICTORI-AE – BRIT (Victory in Britain) (RIC IV, 92).

[shanxi]

Here are a few:

 

Leo I. (457-474)
Au-Tremissis
Obv: D N LEO PE-RPET AVG, Bust of Leo I, pearl-diademed, draped, cuirassed, right
Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTORVM: Victory, winged, draped, advancing front, head left, holding wreath in right hand and cross on globe in left hand; star in right field
Av, 1.49g, 14.5mm
RIC X Leo I (East) 611, p.286, 611

 

Mysia, Pergamon
AE18, 200-133 BC
Obv.: Head of Athena right, wearing Attic helmet with star
Rev.: ΠEΡΓAM Nike standing right, holding wreath and palm
AE, 17X18.4mm, 5.85g
Ref.: SNG Cop 359

Lydia. Hierocaesaraea
Trajan
Bronze, AE 20
Obv.: ΑΥ ΝΕΡΒΑΝ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟΝ, laureate head right
Rev: ΙΕΡΟΚΑΙСΑΡΕΩΝ, Nike standing left, holding wreath and palm.
Æ, 20mm, 5.58g
Ref.: RPC III, 1845B (this coin)
Ex Numismatik Naumann, auction53, lot 472

 

Gordian III
AR-Antoninianus
Obv.: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: PM TR P II COS P P, Victory advancing left, wreath in right and palm in left
Ag, 4.17g, 20.8mm
Ref.: RIC 19

[jdmKY]

Here are several -

Pinarius Scarpus, 31 BC

Marc Antony, 43 BC

Brutus, 43-42 BC

[Etcherdude]

[Al Kowsky]

Galerius as Caesar, AD 294-395, Alexandria Mint. Billon Nummus: 11.39 gm, 28 mm, 6 h. Reverse: Victory on globe presenting wreath to Jupiter.

[kirispupis]

It seems that my earlier Greek coins were more liberal with wreaths. Here, Nike gives out a wreath.

PAPHLAGONIA, Amastris. Circa 285-250 BCE
AR Stater 23mm, 8.88 g, 12h
Head of Mên right, wearing Phrygian cap decorated with laurel branch and star / Aphrodite seated left, holding in extended right hand Nike, who crowns her with wreath, and cradling lotus-tipped scepter in left arm; rose to left.
Callataÿ, Premier, Group 2, 43 (D17/R21 – this coin); RG 5; HGC 7, 356
Ex Sigmund Collection.
Ex CNG March 1999
Ex CNG September 2021

 

On these later coins, Nike has a wreath, but no one gets one. Perhaps inflation made her stingier?

Kings of Paphlagonia, Pylaimenes
c. 130 BCE
Æ 21mm, 6.21g, 12h
Bust of Pylaimenes as Herakles r., club over shoulder, lion's skin around neck.
R/ Nike standing l., holding wreath in right hand, palm in l.
RG 1; SNG BM Black Sea 1550; SNG Copenhagen 321; SNG von Aulock 148
Ex London Ancient Coins

 

Kings of Pontos. Mithradates VI (120-63 BC)
Ionia. Smyrna. Hermogenes and Phrixos, magistrates
85-75 BCE 24.14mm 12.54g
Obverse: Diademed head of Mithradates VI right
Reverse: ZMYPNAIΩN - EPMOΓΕΝΗΣ - ΦΡΙΞΟΣ, Nike standing right, holding wreath and palm frond
SNG Copenhagen 1206
Ex Marc Breitsprecher

[Spaniard]

Here's one of my favourites...

MARIUS. Romano-Gallic Emperor, 269 AD.
Obverse..IMP CM AVR MARIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Reverse..VICTORIA AVG, Victory standing left, holding wreath and palm.
RIC#17...Mint Trier?

[Ryro]

Here's my old crown vic:

And now a few Republic crowning victorious:

 

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2022 by Ryro

[Orange Julius]

Same coin… one picture taken with crappy desk lamp light, the other with a ring light. Neither capture the coin as it looks in-hand. It’s better than the first photo but not as cool as the ring light photo!
 

Edited September 15, 2022 by Orange Julius

[Phil Davis]

Four for the price of one... She's tossing wreaths around like confetti.

Edited September 16, 2022 by Phil Davis

[Restitutor]

Honorary mention: Constans sure had some nerve forcing Victory to row his boat! Or maybe she was just tired of handing out all those wreaths 🤔😆

[happy_collector]

Here is a tiny Victory holding out wreath.  🙂

Honorius. 395-423 AD.  AV solidus.
20mm, 4.33 gm, 6h.
Obv: D N HONORI-VS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust of Honorius right, seen from front.
Rev: VICTORI-A AVGGG, emperor standing relaxed right, left foot on captive with bent knees and large bust, vexillum in right hand, Victory on globe in left; R-V across fields, COMOB in exergue.
RIC X 1321. 
Heritage, Nov 2021.

Edited September 16, 2022 by happy_collector

[Etcherdude]

Valens holding a Victory presenting a wreath.

[Octavius]

 Dupondius of Nero, Lugdunum mint,   and Antoninianus of Elagabalus with victory holding wreath reverse...

[shanxi]

Victory is not the only one:

Tyche crowning Roma

Gordianus III
Macedonia, Edessa
Obv.: AVT K M ANTΩNIOC ΓOPΔIANOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: ЄΔЄCCAIΩN, Roma seated left on cuirass, holding Nike and parazonium, crowned by Tyche standing behind her and holding cornucopiae
AE, 24mm, 7.02g
Ref.: Varbanov 3, 3658

 

 

Demos of Pergamon crowning Demos of Sardeis

Augustus
Pergamon, Mysia, AD 1
Ae 21
Obv.: CEBACTON KE ΦA…, Statue of Augustus, standing facing and holding scepter, within distyle temple.
Rev.: ΠEPΓAMHNΩN KAI CAPΔIANΩN, Demos of Pergamon crowning Demos of Sardeis.
AE, 5.46g, 20.8x22.2mm
Ref.: RPC 2362, SNG Copenhagen 519.
ex Künker auction 83, lot 707

 

[Spaniard]

@shanxi...Love the Tyche.

Trebonianus Gallus, AR Antoninianus, Antioch, 251-253 AD, 21.6mm; 3.55 gr.
Obverse- IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS PF AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Reverse- VICTORIA AVG, Victory walking left, holding wreath and palm.
RIC IV-3, 93;

[Al Kowsky]

11 hours ago, Restitutor said:

Honorary mention: Constans sure had some nerve forcing Victory to row his boat! Or maybe she was just tired of handing out all those wreaths 🤔😆

The denarius has wonderful high relief die engraving on both sides ☺️!

[dougsmit]

Septimius Severus had many types with Victory carrying a wreath but fewer showed it being presented.  These are a bit more scarce.  First, the recipient is Jupiter from 'Laodicea' (IOVI INVICT) and (IOVI PRAE ORBIS) from 'Emesa'.  Roma receiving the wreath is found from 'Emesa' and Alexandria (ROMAE AETERNAE).  As a side note, I find it interesting that the seated figures sit on different things.  Jupiter has a chair at 'Laodicea'

but has a small eagle at his feet when shown at 'Emesa'.  We must not mistake the eagle for a footstool.

Roma has a cuirass at "Emesa"

and a shield at Alexandria. 

 

[maridvnvm]

A different die pair (and awful condition) eastern IMP VIII to that illustrated by @dougsmit above. which likely confirms my thoughts that this makes it RIC 480a corr. RIC is likely in error in recording INVICTO in the Vienna collection.

A reverse die match to the IOVI PRAE ORBIS but with a what I have attributed as a COS I obverse die

The COS II series also has Jupiter without the eagle but I have only seen examples in the "shortened obverse legend" sub-series

These also occur in the IMP II series

even though they sometimes spell IOVI as IOBI

[dougsmit]

11 hours ago, Restitutor said:

Honorary mention: Constans sure had some nerve forcing Victory to row his boat! Or maybe she was just tired of handing out all those wreaths 🤔😆

Before being assisted in wreath duties by Phoenix, Victory did both on some coins of Constans

and also Constantius II.

....and Constantius Gallus.

Magnentius did not want to be left out so he used the type as well.

She also was careful to award her wreath to the victorious Roman rather than the bound captive below on this Constantius II.

 

Among the most popular types of the Christian rulers was HOC SIGNO VICTOR ERIS as shown on this Constantius II

Vetranio

 and Constantius Gallus

Again Magnentius changed things a bit but called on Victory for his type FELICITAS REIPVBLICE.

[Etcherdude]