Io Vestalia!!! Show us your besta Vesta

[Ryro]

From June 7th to 15th, the Romans celebrated the goddess Vesta, allowing female worshippers to enter the inner sanctum of her temple:

Vesta was the Roman goddess of home, hearth and family. She was often represented not as a Personification, but rather as the flame that burnt inside her temple:

P Sulpicius Galba - Emblems Denarius. 69 BC. Rome mint. Obv: veiled head of Vesta right; SC behind. Rev: knife, simpulum and axe dividing AE - CVR legend across fields; P GALB in exergue (off flan"). Craw. 406/1; Syd. 839; RSC Sulpicia 7; Sear 345.3.53 grams.Found Romney Marsh, Kent area, 2000s. Fine. Ex Timeline

CIVIL WAR, 68-69 CE, Denarius, fouree, Mint in Southern Gaul, Forces of Vitellius in Gaul and in the Rhine Valley. Anonymous, 2 January-19 April 69. Denarius (Silver, 18 mm, 2.5 g, 4 h), Lugdunum. 'Jupiter-Vesta Group'. VESTA P R QVIRITIVM Veiled, diademed and draped bust of Vesta to right; before, burning torch. Rev. I O MAX CAPITOLI-NVS The Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus on the Capitoline Hill: distyle temple with wreath in pediment and acroteria in the form of aphlasta; within, statue of Jupiter seated left, holding thunderbolt in his right hand and scepter in his left. BMC 70. CG 15.8. Cohen 368. Martin 13. Nicolas 15. RIC 128. Rare and of great numismatic interest. Frank Robinson’s notes “F or so BUT much patchy core exposure, somewhat off-ctr, lgnds crude & partly off; bust clear; but pretty ugly. Or, as a certain deity would say, "A beautiful coin, folks, believe me, a beautiful coin, I can tell you that." But Very rare. Ex: Frank Robinson 

LUCILLA Sestertius, RIC 1779, Vesta OBVERSE: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F, draped bust right REVERSE: VESTA, S-C, Vesta standing left, holding palladium and sacrificing with simpulum over lighted altar to left Struck at Rome, 161-161 AD 30.4 mm, 21.89g AD ex Bing CT 

 

 

Please help us celebrate by posting your favorite coins featuring Vesta!

[Roman Collector]

An informative and fun write-up, @Ryro! I do love me some Vesta!!! I have too many Vesta coins to show them all, but I'll post my favorite.

Faustina I, 138-140 CE.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 26.32 g, 31.7 mm, 11 h.
Rome, 145-147 CE.
Obv: DIVA FAVSTINA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: AVGVSTA S C, Vesta standing left, holding long torch and palladium.
Refs: RIC 1125; BMCRE 1521; Cohen 113 corr.; Strack 1293; RCV 4618.

And I have a temple of Vesta coin, too! It's not exactly FDC, but I'm not exactly Clio!

Julia Domna, 193-217 CE.
Roman Æ as, 9.85 g, 25 mm.
Rome, 214 CE.
Obv: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG, diademed and draped bust, right.
Rev: VESTA SC, Temple of Vesta with four Vestals in scene of sacrifice; lighted altar in center.
Refs: RIC 607; BMCRE 232-33; Cohen 234; RCV 7137.

 

[Octavius]

 Several of Caligula's Vestal Asses... (somehow, that doesn't sound very good!) ; Happy Vestalia!

[mc9]

Two Vesta coins for Vestalia:

Caligula :

C CAESAR AVGGERMANICUS PON M TR POT : bare head left

VESTA S|C : Vesta seated left, holding patera in left hand and sceptre in right, Vesta above

A.D. 37 - 41 ,RIC I 38, Rome, 9.72 gr

Julia Titi :

IVLIA IMP T AVG F AVGVSTA : Draped bust  right, hair tied in a bun at back of head

S C across field, VESTA in exergue : Vesta, veiled and draped, seated left, holding palladium and transverse sceptre

Rome, A.D. 80-81, RIC II 180, Dupondius

[wittwolff]

Two Vesta coins from me aswell:

Empress Julia Domna - Denarius - VESTAE SANCTAE

Empress Salonina - Antoninianus - VESTA

Edited June 8, 2023 by wittwolff

[ominus1]

..i'll throw in my latest favorite Vesta reverse...plus a pic of the 3 baby coons mama brought down for the 1st time  for a hungry hound breakfast this early morn...:D

[John Conduitt]

I only have two Vestas.

Nero Denarius, 65

Rome. Silver, 2.78g. Laureate bust right; NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS. VESTA above dome hexastyle temple with statue of Vesta inside (RIC I, 62). Found in Norfolk before 2001.

[Edessa]

Roman Republic. Q. Cassius Longinus, 55 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.79g, 4h). Rome mint. Obv: Q CASSIVS / LIBERT; Diademed head of Libertas right. Rev: Temple of Vesta, with curule chair inside, urn to left, and voting tablet inscribed AC (Absolvo-Condemno, "absolved-condemned") to right. Ref: Crawford 428/2; BMCRR Rome 3873; RSC Cassia 8. NGC graded Choice Extremely Fine, Strike 4/5, Surface 5/5, lightly lustrous. Ex Stephen Album Auction 44 (15 Sept 2022), Lot 35.

[Roman Collector]

Would you like to wear your hair in the sini crenes style like a Vestal?

Hair archaeologist Janet Stephens shows you how it was done!

 

[Ursus]

I've got a few:

Caligula, Roman Empire, AE as, 37–38 AD, Rome mint. Obv: C CAESAR GERMANICVS PON M TR POT, bare-headed head left. Rev: VESTA, Vesta seated left holding patera and sceptre. S–C. 28 mm, 10.18 g. Ref: RIC I, 38.

 

Julia Domna, AR denarius, 196–211 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA; bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: VESTAE SANCTAE; Vesta standing l., holding patera and sceptre. 17.5mm, 3.08g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 587.

 

Julia Mamaea, Roman Empire, AE sestertius, 222–235 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA MAM[AEA] AVGVSTA; bust of Julia Mamaea, diademed, draped, r. Rev: VES[T]A; Vesta, draped, standing l., holding palladium in r. hand and sceptre in l. hand. 30mm, 24.40g. Ref: RIC IV Severus Alexander 708.

 

And here is my rarest Vesta. I believe @Roman Collector has the second known example:

Faustina “the Elder” (postumous), Roman Empire, As or Dupondius, 141 AD, Rome mint. Obv: DIVA FAVS[TINA], bust of Faustina, veiled, r. Rev: [A]VGUST[A], Vesta standing l., holding palladium and sceptre; in fields flanking, SC. 27mm, 9.05g. Compare RIC III Antoninus Pius 1179 (different bust!).

[Prieure de Sion]

 

Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Caligula

As of the Roman Imperial Period 37/38 AD; Material: AE Bronze; Diameter: 28.5mm; Weight: 10.33g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC I (second edition) Gaius/Caligula 38; Provenance: Ex CGB.fr Numismatique Paris France incl. Collector Ticket; Obverse: Head of Caligula, bare, left. The Inscription reads: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT for Caius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate (Gaius Caesar, Augustus, conqueror of the Germans, high priest, holder of tribunician power); Reverse: Vesta, veiled and draped, seated left on throne with ornamented back and legs, holding patera in right hand and long transverse sceptre in left. The Inscription reads: VESTA S C for Vesta, Senatus Consultum (Vesta, by the decree of the senate).

 

 

[ambr0zie]

I have the budget version of the RR denarius posted by @Edessa

Q. Cassius Longinus (55 BC) AR Denarius. 21 mm, 4,05g
Q CASSIVS VEST, veiled head of Vesta right / Curule chair within circular temple of Vesta between urn and vota tablet inscribed AC.
RSC Cassia 9; B.M.C. 3871; Syd. 917; Craw. 428/1
 

A Mamaea denarius 

Julia Mamaea. Augusta AD 225-235. Rome. AD 225 - AD 235
Denarius AR 20 mm, 2,26 g.
Daughter of Julia Maesa, mother of Severus Alexander. 
IVLIA MAMAEA AVG, bust of Julia Mamaea, diademed, right / VESTA, Vesta, veiled, draped, standing left, holding palladium in right hand and up-right sceptre in left hand
RIC IV Severus Alexander 360     
 

A Pius denarius

Antoninus Pius AD 138-161. Rome. 152-153. Denarius AR. 17 mm, 3,21 g

ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XV, head of Antoninus Pius, laureate, right / COS IIII, Vesta, veiled, draped, standing left, holding simpulum lowered in right hand and palladium at shoulder in left

RIC III Antoninus Pius 203; BMC 762; RSC 196.  

 

And a Vitellius denarius with a Vesta reverse 

Vitellius (69) AR Denarius, Rome, 19 mm, 2,83 g.
A VITELLIVS GERM IMP AVG TR P - laureate head of Vitellius right.
Rev: PONT MAXIM - Vesta, veiled, seated on throne right, holding patera and scepter
RIC 107

[Dafydd]

 

Admittedly a Temple of Vesta but just about on theme.

Ref Nero Denarius, RIC 62, RSC 335, BMC 104
Nero Denarius. NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS, laureate head right / VESTA, hexastyle temple of Vesta with domed roof & statue of Vesta within. RSC 335.