When one She-wolf isn't enough, you got to get two !

[Qcumbor]

Hi friends

Coins featuring the She-wolf suckling twins is among popular collecting themes for us ancient coins enthusiasts !

Since I try to put together some of them (see here), I'm on the lookout to find something I might not already have. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon a Gallienus antoninianus from the Antioch mint, such as the following :

 

But slightly different as it was a reverse brockage, hence showing the Lupa romana on both sides. Despite the sub-par quality, I sort of "smartly" thought I had to have it, since I had never seen such a brockage before :

Gallienus, Antoninianus, brockage - Antioch mint, 265-266 CE
Incuse : [A]ETERNITAS [AVG] she wolf standing right, suckling twins Romulus and Remus. Branch at exergue
AETERNITAS AVG she wolf standing right, suckling twins Romulus and Remus. Branch at exergue
3,31 gr - 21,30 mm
Ref : RIC V-1 # 628, 

 

Please show anything relevant , and of course as many "Lupa Romana" as you would like

Q

[Alegandron]

I always enjoy your Lupa collection @Qcumbor!

Cupla mine:

RR Anon AE Sextans 217-215 BCE She-Wolf Twins Eagle Syd 95 Cr 39-3 S 609 Scarce
 

RR Anon AR Denarius 115-114BCE Rome mint 19.52mm 3.82g ROMA X Seated r on shields spear birds she-wolf Romulus Remus Cr 287-1 S 164

[mcwyler]

I have one of those too, unremarkable but I feel very lucky to have got it.

Why? Well, the seller was a company (I use the term loosely) called Opisthodomus which Vcoins hosted for a while a couple of years back. I ordered a few coins from them, they were not expensive and funnily enough very close to where I used to live in London.

After a few weeks I had still received nothing, and since this was England to England shipping I could see no reason for the delay. I sent increasingly strident messages, and at last, a couple of months later, they arrived. Practically the same day, the store disappeared from Vcoins so I counted myself fortunate!

This was one of them:

Edited October 20, 2024 by mcwyler

[Alwin]

Probably the most common of all...

Commemorative Series (AD 330-354)
Æ Follis, Treveri, AD 332-333
S 16488 - C 17 - RIC VII, 542
VRBS ROMA, Helmeted and mantled bust of Roma left
She-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus; two stars above; TR●S

[Victor_Clark]

 

wolf and twins on shield

 

Constantine I
A.D. 315
21x22mm 3.1g
IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG; cuirassed bust left wearing laureate helmet with wreath on side; shield with wolf and twins on left, Victory on globe in right, presenting wreath to Constantine.
SOLI INVIC-TO COMITI; Sol stg. left, raising r. hand, globe in l.; chlamys across l. shoulder; across fields T/F.
in ex. PLG
RIC VII Lyons 22; Bastien 553

 

 

Maxentius
A.D. 309
25mm 6.4g
IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
AETERNITAS AVG N; Castor and Pollux standing facing each other, each leaning on sceptre with outer left arm and holding bridled horse, she-wolf with twins between them.
In ex. MOSTΓ
RIC VI Ostia 16

 

wolf and twins in pediment

Maxentius
A.D. 307
24x26mm 6.8g
IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
CONSERV VRB SVAE; Roma seated left on shield within tetrastyle temple, holding scepter and handing globe to Maxentius, standing right and holding scepter, with foot on bound captive seated right; Victories with wreaths as acroteria, she-wolf and twins in pediment.
In ex. AQΓ
RIC VI Aquileia 113

 

 

 

Maxentius
A.D. 309- 312
26mm 6.5g
IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG; laureate head right.
SAECVLI FELICITAS AVG N; She-wolf standing left, suckling the twins.
In ex. MOSTT
RIC VI Ostia 52

 

wolf and twins on shield

 

Crispus
A.D. 320
17mm 2.6g
CRISPVS NOB CAES; Laureate and cuirassed bust left, spear pointing forward, shield with wolf and twins on left arm.
VIRTVS EXERCIT; Standard inscribed VOT/XX with captive seated on ground on either side.
in ex. STR
RIC VII Trier 260

 

 

This appears to be the only known example of Roma with a decorated helmet for the entire series.

 

VRBS ROMA
A.D. 332- 333
17mm 2.5g
VRBS-ROMA; Roma, helmeted, wearing imperial cloak; helmet decorated with a palm branch (or feather) and a volute on the bowl.
Rev.- She-wolf left with twins (Romulus and Remus); above, two stars.
In ex. TR•S
RIC VII Trier 542

 

 

VRBS ROMA BEATA
A.D. 337
17mm 2.0g
Obv. VRBS ROMA BEATA; helmeted and mantled bust of Roma left.
Rev. She-wolf left with twins (Romulus and Remus); above, wreath between two stars.
In ex. branch R Q branch
RIC VIII Rome 55

Struck during the three month interregnum after the death of Constantine I

 

 

 

Ostrogoths, Municipal Coinage Æ 40 Nummi. Rome, AD 526-534. Rome, AD 526-534, draped bust of Roma to right, wearing crested helmet, pendant earring and necklace / She-wolf standing to left, head turned back to watch the two infants Romulus and Remus suckling; XL (mark of value) above, •||||• in exergue. MEC 1, 93-5. 13.39g, 25mm

Edited October 20, 2024 by Victor_Clark

[hotwheelsearl]

Here's a big fat 34mm wolf twins. Hate the condition on this but it is big and impressive in hand!

[ambr0zie]

An image also seen on provincials 

Alexandreia, Troas, Caracalla 

Laodicea, Macrinus 

Deultum, Thrace, Diadumenian

[Valentinian]

Maxentius, based at Rome, used the wolf-and-twins on many types.


26 mm. 6.26 grams
RIC Ostia 16 "C2". This follis type is common without the wolf-and-twins and common, but less so, with them.
AETERNITAS AVG N


24 mm. 5.60 grams.
The wolf-and-twins is in the pediment. CONSERV VRBS

RIC Aquileia 113P "C" (and when offered, often in very high grade)



26-24 mm. 6.67 grams.
AETERNITAS AVG N
RIC Ostia 41 "R"


25 mm. 7.24 grams.
AETERNITAS AVG N, wolf right
RIC Ostia 39 "R3"



25 mm. 5.96 grams.
AETERNITAS AVG N
Not in RIC with this bust.



24 mm. 5.91 grams.
SAECVLI FELICITAS AVG 
RIC Ostia 52 "r2" with unlisted officina Q (instead of P or T. Other nearby types attest officina Q.)

You might think that with a fairly short reign in the tetrarchal era, Maxentius would have a very limited number of types, but no. He issued many types with rare varieties and competition for them is intense.
 

[Tejas]

I think this Probus has not yet been shown in this thread.

OBVERSE: IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG
REVERSE: ORIGINI AVG = she-wolf feeding Romulus and Remus
BUST TYPE: E1 = radiate, helmeted bust left, holding spear and shield
FIELD / EXERGUE MARKS: -/-//XXIT
WEIGHT 3.26g / AXIS: 12h / DIAMETER: 20-22mm
RIC 701, ALFOLDI 040.004

[Tejas]

While the item below looks like a Roman coin, it was probaly not a coin (in the strict sense) and it was certainly not Roman, but Gothic. 

The coin was struck from official dies, which the Goths obtained during the sack of Alexandria Troas in AD 262. The dies were overused and partially recut. The dies were originally intended for the minting of provincial bronze coins.

[Qcumbor]

33 minutes ago, Tejas said:

I think this Probus has not yet been shown in this thread.

A Probus/she wolf is on my list. That one is great. Thanks for showing it

Q

[Qcumbor]

10 hours ago, Valentinian said:

Maxentius, based at Rome, used the wolf-and-twins on many types.

He sure did

Q

[Qcumbor]

On 10/20/2024 at 6:59 PM, Victor_Clark said:

wolf and twins on shield

Those are hard to come by. I've been lucky to spot the following on a Plautilla denarius 

Q

[mcwyler]

34 minutes ago, Tejas said:

I think this Probus has not yet been shown in this thread.

OBVERSE: IMP C M AVR PROBVS P F AVG
REVERSE: ORIGINI AVG = she-wolf feeding Romulus and Remus
BUST TYPE: E1 = radiate, helmeted bust left, holding spear and shield
FIELD / EXERGUE MARKS: -/-//XXIT
WEIGHT 3.26g / AXIS: 12h / DIAMETER: 20-22mm
RIC 701, ALFOLDI 040.004

What a great coin! And I'm referring to the obverse... A radiate helmet. What a concept. He's a soldier-emperor so he needs a helmet, but it's a double denarius so he needs a crown. Why don't we...?

For some reason I never noticed those before. Now it goes straight on the list of coins I NEED. It's already stupidly long.

[Tejas]

The Probus with Lupa-reverse from Siscia is actually fairly scarce and historically interesting. The unusual legend ORIGINI AVG has been interpreted to mean that Probus originated from Siscia.

[Victor_Clark]

1 hour ago, mcwyler said:

For some reason I never noticed those before. Now it goes straight on the list of coins I NEED. It's already stupidly long.

The radiate helmet was used during the Tetrarchy and through the Constantinian period.