TH E COIN TYPE S OF IM P E R IAL ROM E mm 2 8 TiA- BLES ’ O F G ‘E H J C MM . N C C “ “m m n- ab EMI LY A H AN DS LON DON ’ SPINK 81 SON 13m ' r r fl C OIN TY P ES OF I M P ERIAL ROM E B r COMM . FRAN CESCO GNE CCH I . P R E F A C E Th e a e 1 f fr Imperial Roman Coin g , du ingb the our centuries om the beginning of the Empire until the time of Romulus August e o f ulus , gives us , in uninterrupted succ ssion , a series little less r than two hundred rule s . In the o bvei se types of t he coi n s we have a m0 1 e ex tensive s eri es of portraits than is gene rally kno wn ; in th e reverse types a series so numerous and varied that it may almost be called infinite . we r fi 1 st r e r 1 ll us While , ho ve , the has been ep atedly desc ibed and trated u f , the second , altho gh numerous studies re er to it , has r never bee n completely desc ibed . Such will be the scope o f this wo rk in w hich I propose to give in synthetic form a gene ral vie w of the coin types of the Empi re . Th e a w w f f Roman Coin ge , as is well kno n , is al ays the aith ul fl of r f m re ection the histo y , political , religious and social , o the Ro an w f w of f r l orld , ollo s its vicissitudes ortune egular y and constantly , n0 ting and registering with its types not only the events but th e e of fo r f volutions thought , thus becoming us the most copious ount o f f in ormation , a most authentic historical document f - r f A synthetic table o the coin types is , the e ore , not only a statis tical curi osi ty fi m ost interesting from th e contrast between its ex uberant riches and the ex treme poverty of the present age in di fi eren t r vi which we see the nations st i ncgj to find a single type fo r their o w n coinage it may also be the h i ' st step in success i ve r o th ei s w inqui ies , and to this initial study once accomplished , ill e . be able to give , in consequ nce , a much greater development The i nquiry as to h ow and with what symbols every type was re resen ted t h e or1 m r p , investigation into the g and contempo ary n of significa ce each one , the observation as to what epoch , and wh r w y, and unde hich Emperor every type was introduced , in w w w what period most idely used , hen and by hom abandoned , _ 4 . y w ori i n al or b hom resumed , the comparison between the g types of W i and successive derivations , the evolution the latter, the th f f drawing o some type or o some detail fallen into disuse , these are of m all points interest which , aided and illuminated by the co s of . themselves , may greatly add to our knowledge the Roman world In the republican coinage the obverse was invariably con se crated to th e divinity ; so that for several ce n turies a sacred fig ure i t w t h e adv en t oi con st ued th e o f . sign the state coinage When , ith fli w a for f di v m m e s the Empire , the i perial g y substituted that o the r of of ity on the obve se the coinage , a very great number types w was represented on the reverse in hich , however , the sacred ele w o f m ment al ays redominated , so that the greater part the oney , — 3 say two thir , may be considered as dedicated to subj ects either t altogether sacred or at least connected wi h religion . On them are r of - r figu ed especially the gods Olympus , demi gods and he oes those allegorical perso n i ficati on s w hich are one of the most singular t and certainly he commonest characteristic o f the Roman Coinage . On the remaining third are included all those other types w hich f of c o n i ari i re er to imperial acts , allocutions the Emperor , g , th e triumphs , arrivals , departures , journeys , and more rarely , to th e t h e senate and the people , to cities and provinces and also to m &c . onuments , temples , circuses , arches , bridges , gates and an fi in nite number to public events . e w e w It is vident that a strict division is impossible , and meet ith many types w hich may belong equally to tw o categories or w hich it is diffi cult to place i n either ;this how ever does not prevent the. f work rom being divided roughly into three parts , devoting the — r d r th e fi st to gods , emi gods and he oes ; second to allegorical per so n i ficati on s th e ; and third to imperial , civil and military types offer e rf w I certainly do not claim to a p ect ork , but conten t f w i mysel ith giving a sketch which may be altered , mproved and f completed in the uture . PART I . GODS DEM - GODS AN D H ER O ES , I . P L TE S I - V I A II . The Rom an Olympus is but a derivation f rom the Greek Olympus w ith modifications and additions of its own or taken from the neighbouring and allied races . The Roman instinct for assimila f tion , a ter having accepted as much as was adapted to its own genius , continued to develop gradually according to circumstances ; , of th e and as in the subj ection the world to Romans , Rome increased little by little, and first the neighbouring tribes and then form i n o n e f those more distant became Roman citizens g single amily , so also in Olympus did the old Greek ideas of deity form one r r L ha monious whole with the othe local deities , Roman , atin , Ital o r f w ian , European , Oriental A rican , in accordance ith the suc v f r cessi e enlargements o the Em pi e . The Roman Olympus consisted o f twelve p rincipal deities ; in low er rank there follow many other divisions in regular hierarchical order w hich descend gradually to the heroes and to the legendary beings belonging either to heaven o r earth . Of the tw elve chi et x fo r of w deities , ten , e cept modifications name and adaptations hich w e fr r might call acclimatization , are taken om the G eek Olympus are M M V and jove , Juno , inerva , Apollo , Diana , ars , ulcan , M V . ercury , Venus and esta w . Two more ere added as national emblems , Janus and Quirinus f w of In secondary order ollo other deities heaven and earth , w w M M e the sea , the inds and oods ; the Sun , oon and Stars , the us s , i F r the Graces , Cup d , Aesculapius , the ates , the Dioscuri , Centau s , Neptune , the Nymphs , Nemesis , Cybele , Terra , Ceres , Pomona , r Saturn , Pluto , P oserpina , Hercules , Bacchus , the Satyrs , Silenus , F . Pan , Sylvanus , aunus , Priapus and others But it is not suggested that these divinities maintain their hierarchical order on the coins and are represented on them in f r r . o elation to their rank Rome , the special reasons to be explained r f h as th e n r he ea ter, first place , and amo g the others there is a g eat diversity o f t reatment so that some o f the deities are almost totally w r for neglected , hile to some other simple he o , Hercules , instance , r f a splendid se ries of coins is dedicated . One fact w o thy o notice is w of r o f this , that h ile upon the coinage the Empi e , Augustus and o f a r f are w C esa , masculine and eminine deities represented ithout of e f e r distinction , upon that the Empress s only eminin deities appea , Apollo and Mars form i n g a slight and passing ex ception upon some o f the coins and medallions o f th e younger Faustina . In composing the catalogue of th e divinities described with the e w of r lative types , and in dra ing up a synoptical table the princes w h o n um i sm ati adopted them , I have chosen the most important w r r r w cally , ithout rega d to thei Olympic ank ; those especially hich have a true sequence on the coinage and are commemo rated by at f w least three Emperors , and I have contented mysel ith giving a ’ ’ short summa ry and resume o f those which make only a fugitive and incidental appearance . w f f b It ill be seen rom the ollowing ta les , that , setting aside the w w e x e goddess Roma as an exceptional case hich have e plain d , w as e e 0 ff re r M r Jupiter r pr sented on their coins by 7 di e nt rule s , a s 6 V M r 6 V by 5 , Sol 47 , enus 39 , Hercules and ine va 3 , esta 34, 1 0 2 8 2 2 2 0 Juno 3 , Ceres 3 , Apollo , Neptune , Diana , Aesculapius 1 M r 1 2 I O 8 3, ercu y , Cybele , janus , Bacchus , Vulcan , Isis and 6 Serapis , the Dioscuri 4 and Romulus 3.