A recent purchace honouring the sad death of Maxentius's very young son Valerius Romulus who was the son of Maxentius and Valeria Maximilla, daughter of Galerius. His date of birth is uncertain though 306 A.D. seems likely as his parents' marriage probably took place in the preceding year. He also had a younger brother who was still alive in 312 though the name of this sibling is unknown. Despite being little more than an infant, Romulus bore the title of 'Nobilissimus Vir' (abbreviated to N V on his posthumous coinage) and in addition held two consulships with his father, in 308 and 309. However, like Nigrinian, son of Carinus, Romulus never bore the imperial rank of Caesar. To the emperor's great sorrow Romulus died during the course of his second consulship and was subsequently deified and coinage issued in his honour. His father Maxentius was killed by Constantine at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312. Because the sources from this period reflect the propaganda of Constantine, they represent Maxentius as a brutal tyrant, although in actuality he stopped the persecution of the Christians. He built a huge basilica, which Constantine renamed after himself, and a temple to his son Romulus in the Roman Forum which was not completed before death to which this coin is dedicated to. DIVUS ROMULUS (Died 309). Follis. Ostia. Obv: IMP MAXENTIVS DIVO ROMVLON V FILIO. Bare head right. Rev: AETERNA MEMORIA / MOSTT. Domed hexastyle temple; on roof, eagle standing right, head left. Weight: 6.0 g. Diameter: 25 mm. RIC 33. Below a pic of mine from a visit to the Forum a couple of years ago, with Romulus temple to the right of Faustina temple. A close up of the entrance and original brass door. WOULD LOVE TO SEE MORE COINAGE FROM THIS PERIOD, POST WHAT YOU GOT.......
Nice one, AA! One of these is still on my list. Here's one of his dad's that I like, the colours on which are not dissimilar to the lovely patina on those shrine doors. MAXENTIUS AE Follis. 6.05g, 25.6mm. Ostia mint, AD late 309 - October 312. RIC 45. O: IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG, laureate head right. R: FIDES MILITVM AVG N, Fides standing left, holding two standards; MOSTT in exergue.
I forgot to mention, that Maxentius honoured other family members with this coin style Galerius, Constantius and Maximianus of which I have. DIVUS MAXIMIANUS DIED 310. AE Follis. Ostia 22mm, 5.59gm, RIC 26.
I have a follis of Maxentius depicting the temple of Roma Aeterna: And the temple of Faustina in your photo? I have that illustrated on a denarius issued to honor Diva Faustina:
Terrific architecture RR, those Maxentius temple of Roma type are probably the next type I go after, so many types and styles to choose from.
Redirecting the thread to architecture is nice too, but I think the OP was pointing at Romulus, son of Maxentius. The OP started with RIC 33. Nice example. Along that line, here's RIC 34: Follis. Ostia. Obv: DIVO ROMVLO NVBIS CONS Bare head right. Rev: AETERNAE MEMORIAE / MOSTT. Domed hexastyle temple; on roof, eagle standing right, head left. The inscriptions on both sides are not quite the same as above. The domed structure here is not hexastyle but composed entirely of bricks. Yet the doors and dome are treated as in the OP coin.
Fantastic coin you have there, I think the type you have is showing the Mausoleum that was along the Appian Way, and that type only has only Romulus bust instead of the rest of the family pointing more to Romulus's Mausoleum, but could still be the one in the Forum.
An absolutely fantastic write up and great coin as always @Ancient Aussie ! I don't have anything numismatic to add to the thread but I have been inside the building in question recently. Temple of Romulus near the center. Bascilica of Maxentius in right background. Interior and details. One of our guides told us that the doors are the only original bronze Roman doors to have survived from antiquity.
Fantastic pics, I would love to look at your photo albums one day as what I have seen is sensational, I am glad you posted one of inside as I didn't take a shot inside when I was there in 2012 and can't remember what it looked like (alzheimer's maybe)
Thank you! A very interesting thread about this touching coin with the life door ajar. Still want it, but it’s pricey and not so easy in vf condition.
Very nice write-up and coin @Ancient Aussie ! ROMULUS: RI Romulus 310-311 CE AE25 Rome Domed Shrine doors ajar with sm Eagle R E Q MAXENTIUS: RI Maxentius 306-312 CE AE Folles Dioscuri holding their horses She-Wolf w/ Romulus and Remus suckling RI Maxentius 306-312 CE AE Folles Dioscuri holding their horses WITHOUT She-Wolf, nor Romulus or Remus
Great coin @Ancient Aussie and also thanks to all of the other posters who have added their coins. I don't have a Romulus yet...
mausoleum of romulus http://www.italymagazine.com/news/mausoleum-romulus-romes-circus-maxentius-reopens
Nice @Ancient Aussie , I needed a reminder about this was. I knew he was a "tetrarch era kid" but couldn't remember the details. Man, from the coin depiction I thought he was a young man, but he was just a toddler really. Here's all I got... MAXENTIUS, FOLLIS, 306-312 AD O: IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG, Laureate head right R: CONSERV VRB SVAE, Roma seated left in tetrastyle temple presenting globe to Maxentius, captive seated between; wolf and twins in pediment, Victories each holding a wreath as acroteria. Mintmark AQP, Aquilea mint, RIC:113
Their the type of Roma temple that I like, when the pediment has got a lot going on and yours is no exception great coin. Yes Maxentius had high hopes for his young son, but little did he know he did not have much longer to live either................life was cheap in those days.