A Roma from Lugdunum

[David Atherton]

I was attracted to this one by the exquisite portrait, not to mention the reverse type is also fairly rare at Lugdunum too.

 

 

 

Titus as Caesar [Vespasian]

Æ Dupondius, 12.42g
Lyon mint, 77-78 AD
Obv: T CAES IMP AVG F TR P COS VI CENSOR; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.; globe at point of bust
Rev: ROMA in exergue; S C in field; Roma std. l. on cuirass, with wreath and parazonium; behind, shields
RIC 1263 (R). BMC -. BNC 866.
Acquired from Civitas Galleries, August 2022.

Lugdunum (modern Lyon) after a brief hiatus struck a fairly large issue of aes coinage under Vespasian in 77 or 78, likely in response to a coin shortage in the Western provinces. Most of the reverse types copy those produced at Rome, such as this Roma. H. Mattingly in BMCRE II says this about the type - 'The wreath which Roma holds on the dupondius is the sign of Victory, or, perhaps rather the rejoicing for it.' The traditional Greek Amazon guise of Roma is copied from the coinage of Nero and likely is based on a familiar cult image of the goddess. Missing from the BM.

Post your Roma coins!

Thanks for looking!

 

Edited August 13, 2022 by David Atherton

[shanxi]

Beautiful coin, especially the reverse. 

 

5 minutes ago, David Atherton said:

Post your Roma coins!

OK, here are three

 

Clodius Albinus (195-197)
Denar
Obv.: [D CL SEPT] ALBIN CAES/ bust right
Rev.: ROMAE AETERNAE / Roma seated left on shield, holding palladium and sceptre
Ag, 2.8g, 15mm
Ref.: RIC 11, C 61, BMC 43

 

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

 

Pergamon
Asia Minor, Mysia
Anonymous issue
AD late 1st-mid 2nd cent
Obv.: ΘEON CVN - KΛHTON, draped bust of Senate right
Rev.: ΘEAN - PΩMHN, head of Roma right, wearing mural crown
AE, 3.40g, 17.3x18.8 mm.
Ref.: BMC Mysia p. 134, 205-210

 

 

[NewStyleKing]

You can never put a good NEWSTYLE down!  Right in amongst the Newstyles that in the Rome-Pontic political struggle is this coin.  Most take it as Roma to mean Rome, some ( very few) as a symbol for a celebration of the Romalia, some kind of pro-Roman shindig!

 

Athens New Style Tetradrachm c 91/0 BC

Obs : Athena Parthenos right in tri-form helmet
29.9 mm 16.4 gm Thompson issue (new) 75
Thompson catalogue: Obs1122/Rev1123 NEW
Rev : ΑΘΕ ethnic
Owl standing on overturned panathenaic amphora
on which month mark H/Z control ΣTΕ/ΔΑ below
2 magistrates : XENOCLES HARMOXENOS
RF symbol : Roma seated
All surrounded by an olive wreath

[NewStyleKing]

And even more controversial  who is doing what to the seated figure? And why?  In the general chronology this follows on from the previous by obverse die transfers  OK!  If the figure before is Roma  than surely the other figure  is Nike.  Indeed Nike crowning Roma!   What goes on?  Some victory in the Romalia games?  Rome's victory in the social wars, some Roman victory over the pressing tribes around Macedonia ( funded, aided and abetted by Mithradates Vl Eupator ).  This coin was only produced for 7 months followed by an egregious pro Roman issue of Apellikon, Griffin, drachm die linked to this coin issue!  Did Roman supporter's source of silver run out only for Mithradatic silver to plentifully supply that of Apellikon?

Athens New Style Tetradrachm c90/89 BC

Obs : Athena Parthenos right in tri-form helmet
30.5 mm 15.67 gm corroded Thompson issue (new) 76
Thompson catalogue: 1128a
Rev : ΑΘΕ ethnic
Owl standing on overturned panathenaic amphora
on which month mark Γ control ΠΡ below
3 magistrates : KOINTOS KLEAS DIONYSI
RF symbol : Roma & Nike
All surrounded by an olive wreath

 

How can anybody NOT be interested in the NewStyle ?  Defeats me...the Mass classic old style is sooooooooo  much more intriguing!!  (NOT!)

[ambr0zie]

Hadrian AD 117-138. Rome
Semis Æ
20 mm, 4,03 g
AD 124-125
HADRIANVS AVGVSTUS, bust of Hadrian, laureate, draped and cuirassed, right, viewed from rear or side / COS III SC, Roma seated left on cuirass, resting foot on helmet, holding Victory and spear; behind, shield
RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 760; RIC II Hadrian 685 (semis)

... and a similar denarius

Hadrian, 117-138. Denarius, Rome, 137-July 138. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P Bare head of Hadrian to right. Rev. ROMA AETERNAE Roma seated left on shield, holding Palladium in her right hand and scepter in her left. BMC 707. Cohen 1312. RIC 265. RIC II, Part 3, 2341.

Volusian AD 251-253. Antioch
Antoninianus AR
22 mm, 2,97 g
IMP CV AF GAL VEND VOLVSIANO AVG Bust radiate, draped, cuirassed r., Rv. ROMAE AETERNAE AVG, Roma seated left with Victory and spear, shield at side. In exergue, 3 pellets
Cf RIC 234a (R)

 

[Spaniard]

@David Atherton..Nice coin!..Lovely portrait of Titus. Super patina colouring too!...Congrats on a "COOL" coin.

Here's a couple of Roma..

Gratian. 375-383 AD. AE Centenionalis (1.59 gm, 20mm). Antioch mint. Struck 378-383 AD.
Obv.: DN GRATIANVS PF AVG, pearl diademed, draped, cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: VIRTVS ROMANORVM, Roma seated facing, head left, holding globe and spear, Θ in left field, Φ in right field. ANTΔ. LRBC 2674; RIC IX Antioch 50b. Slightly double struck

Maxentius AE Follis, Rome. AD 306-312...23/25mm diameter..6.92gr Obverse..IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG, laureate head right. Reverse..CONSERV VRB SVAE, Roma seated front, head left, shield at her side, within hexastyle temple, holding globe and sceptre, wreath in pediment, knobs as acroteria. Mintmark RBS. RIC VI Rome 210; Sear 14987.

[NewStyleKing]

And not to let the Imitations down, this imitation NewStyle  is based on the Roma coin.

The coin is quite a good imitation and sold to me as a genuine NewStyle, but is more interesting than that!  Roma has transformed into a representation of Aetolia, sitting on the shield trophies of the defeated celts.  Do the defeated celts represent Romans?  The magistrates are still represented  but is this a P***  take on the pro=Roman magistrates, thus making the coin belong to the Mithradatic supporters?  I think so!

I told you NewStyles are great. This is more of a puzzle than counter marks on old style mass classic owls!

[Roman Collector]

Roma on a "brass as":

Hadrian, AD 117-138.
Roman orichalcum as, 8.49 g, 23.2 mm, 6 h.
Rome (possibly for use in the east), AD 124-127.
Obv: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: COS III S C, Roma seated left on cuirass, resting foot on helmet, holding Victory and spear; behind, shield.
Refs: RIC 2.3, 759; RIC 666; BMCRE p. 440 †; Cohen 346; Strack 626; RCV --.

[Curtis JJ]

Before checking I didn't realize how sparsely Roma appears on my coins (at least full-bodied / seated-left Roma).

Here's one Roma type that I don't think has been posted yet [edit: just noticed I was mistaken about that!]:
Cult statue of Roma seated in the hexastyle Temple of Roma, appearing on the reverse of Philip I's Ludi Saeculares Millennial Games commemorative.

Philip I AR Antoninianus (23mm, 3.46g, 11h) Ludi Saeculares, Millenium Games Commemorative, Rome, CE 249
Obv: IMP PHILIPPVS AVG. Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind.
Rev: SAECVLVM NOVVM. Roma seated facing, scepter in left hand, in hexastyle temple.
Ref: RIC 25b; RSC 198. 
Prov: Ex Agora 26 (2015), 168; previously ex Nick Economopolous; NFA Fall MBS 1990 (18 Oct 1990), Lot 2198.

 

I do have a Vespasian struck in [EDIT: oops! Actually struck in Rome!! Don't know why I had Lugdunum elsewhere]:

Roman Imperial Coinage. Vespasian (Emperor, 69-79 CE) AR Denarius (17mm, 3.50 g, 6h). Rome mint, struck July-December 71.
Obv: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M. Laureate head right.
Rev: TRI POT. Vesta seated left, draped, holding simpulum.
Ref: RIC II.1 46; RSC / Cohen 561.
Prov: Archer M. Huntington (1870-1955) Collection; loaned, then bequeathed to Hispanic Society of America (HSA 1001.1.22362); housed at the American Numismatic Society (same accession number), late 1940s - c. 2012; 8 March 2012, sold at Sotheby's sealed-bid sale of all 37,895 Huntington coins; acq. by consortium, incl. Jose Vico; returned to ANS among 26,500 other Huntington coins, May 2012 - summer 2013; consigned by ANS to CNG e-Auction 397, 17 May 2017; Lampasas Collection; consigned to CNG e-Auction 487, 10 March 2021; Charles Chamberlain Collection; consigned to CNG e-Auction 509, 9 February 2022; Jackson-Jacobs Collection, present.

 

Another one from Lugdunum a couple hundred years later (this coin is actually cited in Bastien's corpus of coins from the mint):

Probus BI Antoninianus (4.08g). Lugdunum (4th emission, 4th officina), late 277 CE.
Obv: IMP C PROBVS PF AVG. Radiate, cuirassed bust right.
Rev: ABVNDANTIA AVG / IIII. Abundantia standing right, emptying cornucopiae held in both hands.
Ref: RIC 17; Bastien Supp II 196e (this coin); Hiland & Oliva (2013), Le Règne de l'Empereur Probus, Histoire et Numismatique (276-282 apr. J.-C.), Page 79, No. 9 (this coin illustrated); Probvs.net RIC 17 (ex. 1 of 3, this coin); Probuscoins.fr Coin ID 555 (this coin).
Prov: Ex Philippe Gysen (1950-2019; his inventory #5); Jacquier 46 (Philippe Gysen Collection, Part II; 20 Sept 2019), Lot 315; Berliner Münzauktion 74 (31 October 1992), Lot 512.

Edited August 14, 2022 by Curtis JJ

[thejewk]

@Spaniard The reverse on your Gratian is wonderful.  Superb style and sense of form, especially on this sort of LRB.

[wittwolff]

Emperor Gallienus - Antoninianus - Antioch mint

Obv.: GALLIENVS PF AVG

Rev.: ROMAE AETERNAE

Emperor Gratian - Follis - Antioch mint

Obv.: DN GRATIANVS P F AVG

Rev.: CONCORDIA AVGGG

[Prieure de Sion]

Nero, 54-68. As (Copper, 29 mm, 11.27 g, 6 h), Lugdunum, 66-68. IMP•NERO•CAESAR•AVG•P•MAX•TR•P•P•P• Bare head of Nero to left, globe at point of bust. Rev. S - C Victory flying to left, holding shield inscribed S P Q R with both hands. BMC 387. Cohen 343. RIC 606

My ex-coin, unfortunately no longer in my possession. Whoever got it - may they enjoy it. I could almost regret selling it, sometimes 🙂 

[David Atherton]

9 hours ago, Curtis JJ said:

Before checking I didn't realize how sparsely Roma appears on my coins (at least full-bodied / seated-left Roma).

Here's one Roma type that I don't think has been posted yet [edit: just noticed I was mistaken about that!]:
Cult statue of Roma seated in the hexastyle Temple of Roma, appearing on the reverse of Philip I's Ludi Saeculares Millennial Games commemorative.

Philip I AR Antoninianus (23mm, 3.46g, 11h) Ludi Saeculares, Millenium Games Commemorative, Rome, CE 249
Obv: IMP PHILIPPVS AVG. Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind.
Rev: SAECVLVM NOVVM. Roma seated facing, scepter in left hand, in hexastyle temple.
Ref: RIC 25b; RSC 198. 
Prov: Ex Agora 26 (2015), 168; previously ex Nick Economopolous; NFA Fall MBS 1990 (18 Oct 1990), Lot 2198.

 

I do have a Vespasian struck in Lugdunum:

Roman Imperial Coinage. Vespasian (Emperor, 69-79 CE) AR Denarius (17mm, 3.50 g, 6h). Rome mint, struck July-December 71.
Obv: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M. Laureate head right.
Rev: TRI POT. Vesta seated left, draped, holding simpulum.
Ref: RIC II.1 46; RSC / Cohen 561.
Prov: Archer M. Huntington (1870-1955) Collection; loaned, then bequeathed to Hispanic Society of America (HSA 1001.1.22362); housed at the American Numismatic Society (same accession number), late 1940s - c. 2012; 8 March 2012, sold at Sotheby's sealed-bid sale of all 37,895 Huntington coins; acq. by consortium, incl. Jose Vico; returned to ANS among 26,500 other Huntington coins, May 2012 - summer 2013; consigned by ANS to CNG e-Auction 397, 17 May 2017; Lampasas Collection; consigned to CNG e-Auction 487, 10 March 2021; Charles Chamberlain Collection; consigned to CNG e-Auction 509, 9 February 2022; Jackson-Jacobs Collection, present.

 

Another one from Lugdunum a couple hundred years later (this coin is actually cited in Bastien's corpus of coins from the mint):

Probus BI Antoninianus (4.08g). Lugdunum (4th emission, 4th officina), late 277 CE.
Obv: IMP C PROBVS PF AVG. Radiate, cuirassed bust right.
Rev: ABVNDANTIA AVG / IIII. Abundantia standing right, emptying cornucopiae held in both hands.
Ref: RIC 17; Bastien Supp II 196e (this coin); Hiland & Oliva (2013), Le Règne de l'Empereur Probus, Histoire et Numismatique (276-282 apr. J.-C.), Page 79, No. 9 (this coin illustrated); Probvs.net RIC 17 (ex. 1 of 3, this coin); Probuscoins.fr Coin ID 555 (this coin).
Prov: Ex Philippe Gysen (1950-2019; his inventory #5); Jacquier 46 (Philippe Gysen Collection, Part II; 20 Sept 2019), Lot 315; Berliner Münzauktion 74 (31 October 1992), Lot 512.

Your Vespasian denarius is actually from Rome. It's correctly attributed so in your description.

[ambr0zie]

Here is a Probus having a similar reverse with the Philip coins already posted (although you need a little imagination to confirm this )

Probus AD 276-282. Rome.Antoninianus Æ. 22 mm, 3,59 g
RIC V Probus 187
AD 276 - AD 282
PROBVS P F AVG. Bust of Probus, radiate, wearing imperial mantle, left, holding sceptre surmounted by eagle in right hand
ROMAE AETER. Hexastyle temple, Roma seated in centre, holding Victory in right hand and sceptre in left hand
MintMark: -/-//RVA

 

[Jims,Coins]

Silver coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome for CLODIUS ALBINUS, as Caesar, in 194 A.D. Obv. D.CL.SEPT.ALBIN.CAES.: bare hd. r. Rev. ROMAE.AETERNAE.: Roma std. l., on a shield, holding palladium and sceptre. RCS #1730. RSCIII #61 pg.16. RICIV #11 pg.45. DVM #23. RCSVII #6146.

Silver washed Bronze Coin (AE Antoninianus) minted at Mediolanum during the reign of AURELIAN between 270 - 275 A.D. Obv. IMP.C.AVRELIANVS.AVG.: Rev. ROMAE.AETERNAE.: AURELIAN stg. r., before Roma std. l., Roma presenting a victory to AURELIAN. RCS #3268. RICV #142. DVM #27.

Bronze coin (AE Follis) minted at AQ=Aquileia during the reign of MAXENTIUS IN 307 A.D. Obv. IMP.C.MAXENTIVS.P.F.AVG. laur. hd. r. Rev. CONSERV.VRB.SVAE. Roma seated l., on shield in Tetrastyle temple r. handing globe to MAXENTIUS (in military dress, stg. r.) l. holding sceptre, seated captive between; Victories as acroteria, wolf and twins in pediment. RCS #3781. RICVI #113 pg.325. DVM #19.

Bronze Coin (AE3) minted at Antioch during the reign of GRATIAN between 378 – 383 A.D. Obv. D.N.GRATIANVS.P.F.AVG. Pearl-diademed, dr. & cuir. bust r. Rev. VIRTVS.ROMANORVM. Roma seated facing, head l., on throne, holding globe & reversed spear. RCS #4144 pg.349. RICIX #50a pg.288. DVM #38. LRBC #2679.

 

[Curtis JJ]

1 hour ago, Jims,Coins said:

Bronze coin (AE Follis) minted at AQ=Aquileia during the reign of MAXENTIUS IN 307 A.D. Obv. IMP.C.MAXENTIVS.P.F.AVG. laur. hd. r. Rev. CONSERV.VRB.SVAE. Roma seated l., on shield in Tetrastyle temple r. handing globe to MAXENTIUS (in military dress, stg. r.) l. holding sceptre, seated captive between; Victories as acroteria, wolf and twins in pediment. RCS #3781. RICVI #113 pg.325. DVM #19.

Nice Magnentius captive follis! I have yet to get one of those, but they're a great type. Illustrates very well how closely Romans equated capture of prisoners / new territories will leadership and empire.

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Here are a couple:

This celator knew how to engrave helmets, even the Roma helmet on the reverse is cool.

Helmeted Licinius from Rome:

AE3, 318-319 AD. 19mm 3.1 grams

IMP LI-CINIVS AVG, helmeted and cuirassed bust right

ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated right, shield on lap inscribed X/V. P-R across fields.

Mintmark: RQ

Reference: RIC VII Rome 151; Cohen 150; Sear 15354.

 

Gordian III, AD 238-244.

AR Antoninianus. 24mm, 4.4g, 7h. Rome, AD 240.

Obverse: IMP CAES GORDIANVS PIVS AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.

Reverse: ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma, helmeted, in military dress, seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear.

Reference: RIC 38.
From the Theodosius Collection.

 

[Curtis JJ]

Thanks for the heads-up about the incorrect mint, David! (Looks like I had it different ways in two sets of notes, now fixed.)

Don't know how I forgot this Lugdunum mint type, since it's my favorite mintmark of all (being a collector of "barbarians & captives coinage"). A thread elsewhere reminded me.

For Lugdunum they used a pair of captives seated back-to-back for a mintmark. An illustration of how captives were an ordinary and unremarkable feature of Roman life. They could be used as a minor decoration or a control symbol, no different than using a grain ear or plow or ship's prow or any other mint control symbol.

 

Edit: Thanks for the comment, @Victor Clark I'll put that in my "barbarians and captives" notes file and look into sources on whether this references Crispus vs. Germanic tribes. That would be great to confirm!
Edit 2: I see the bit on the "Barbarians at the Gate" page on Constantine The Great Coins. Interesting, I like it!

Edited August 15, 2022 by Curtis JJ

[Victor_Clark]

3 minutes ago, Curtis JJ said:

For Lugdunum they used a pair of captives seated back-to-back for a mintmark. An illustration of how captives were an ordinary and unremarkable feature of Roman life. They could be used as a minor decoration or a control symbol, no different than using a grain ear or plow or ship's prow or any other mint control symbol.

 

 

I think that the use of captives in the mintmark at this time references the military campaigns of Crispus against Germanic tribes.

 

[Octavius]

 Several Nero sestertii with Roma reverse from Lugdunum...

Nero denarius with same Roma type reverse...

 

Galba sestertius with Roma reverse (I believe struck at Rome)...

 

Vespasian sestertius with Roma standing holding victory...

 

Vespasian dupondius with Roma seated holding victory - same as Nero reverse  -

same, of Nero - issued at Rome...