Eternal Rome

From the founding of Rome, the Roman people believed that their city would be eternal and they paid divine honors to the personification of Rome herself, erected temples and altars in her honor, and instituted priests to perform sacrifices to the goddess Roma.

Roma is shown helmeted, wearing armor and drapery, holding a spear, scepter, Victoriola or a Palladium, a wreath, or parazonium in its sheath. Often, a shield appears by her side. With these martial implements, she is known as Roma Victrix.

This coin depicts Roma Victrix awarding a Victoriola to Gallienus and bears the inscription, ROMAE AETERNAE -- "of eternal Rome".


Cornelia Salonina, AD 253-268.
Roman billon antoninianus, 4.41 g, 19.8 mm, 12 h.
Antioch, AD 258-260.
Obv: SALONINA AVG, diademed and draped bust, right, on crescent.
Rev: ROMAE AETERNAE, Emperor receiving Victory from Roma, seated left, holding spear; shield at her side.
Refs: RIC 67; Göbl 1605c; Cohen 103; RCV 10651 var.


Sons of Constantine I.
Roman billion reduced centenionalis, 1.67 g, 15.5 mm.
Heraclea, AD 337-340.
Obv: VRBS ROMA, helmeted bust of Roma, left.
Rev: GLORIA EXERCITVS, two soldiers holding one standard between them; SMHЄ in exergue.
Refs: RIC viii, p. 431, 28; LRBC I, 941; RCV 16529.

The legend ROMAE AETERNAE ("of eternal Rome") appears on coins of Antoninus Pius issued to commemorate the founding of the temple of Venus and Rome (see here) and was subsequently used repeatedly by many emperors for over a century. This antoninianus of Probus bears on its reverse ROMAE AETER, and depicts the temple of Venus and Rome, in the midst of which Roma is seated, holding a statuette of Victory.


Probus, AD 276-282
Roman billon antoninianus; 3.79 g, 22.1 mm
Rome, AD 277-280
Obv: IMP PROBVS P F AVG, radiate bust right in consular robe, eagle tipped scepter in right hand
Rev: ROMAE AETER, temple, statue of Roma seated facing inside; in exergue, R * A
Refs: RIC 183; Cohen 533; RCV 12027 var.

Post your coins depicting Roma!

 

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Here is my only ROMAE AETERNAE coin:



The Senate proclaimed the elder Gordian´s connection to the eternal City because he was far away in Africa (and never made it to the capital).

 

Probus, Roman Empire
AE antoninianus
Obv: IMP CM AVR PROBVS PF AVG, radiate, cuirassed bust right
Rev: ROMAE AETERNAE, hexastyle temple, Roma seated within, holding Victory and sceptre
Mint: Rome
Date: 276-282 AD
Ref: RIC 190



Rome under Theodoric, Ostrogothic Kingdom
AE follis
Obv: IMVIC-TA ROMA, Roma helmeted, facing right
Rev: She-wolf standing left, suckling Romulus and Remus, XL (40) above, dot V dot in ex
Mint: Rome
Date: 496-528 AD
Ref: BMC 24

 

Licinius I, nice helmeted type...

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.

 

Excellent write up and funzo coins RC!
Wish there were a certain kind of coin that obsessively has images of Roma on the obverese...

 

I knew you'd come through with some Republican denarii!

 

"Hic amor, hic patria est..."


CONSTANT-INVS AVG, helmeted, cuirassed bust left, holding spear pointing forward and shield on left arm.

ROMAE AETERNAE; “To Eternal Rome”; Roma seated right, shield in lap inscribed XV; two letters P and R appear in fields left and right of Roma. XV means “15” and PR stands for the “Populi Romani”; the XV is a reference to Constantine’s quindecennalia, or fifteenth year with imperial power, which was in 320 A.D. Perhaps the reverse imagery means that Constantine is making vows to continue serving the Roman people–vows occasioned by his fifteenth year of imperial power (either as Caesar or Augustus).

NOT IN RIC for this bust/helmet type.

 

Nice Theodoric @ValiantKnight ! Don't see those types very often.

 

Interesting thread!

I have the usual 3rd century "Roma aeterna" types:

Gordian III, Roman Empire, Ar antoninianus, 240 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG; bust of Gordian III, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. Rev: ROMAE AETERNAE; Roma, helmeted, seated l. on shield, holding Victory in extended r. hand and spear in l. hand. 22.5mm, 4.65g. Ref: RIC IV Gordian III 70.


Philip I “the Arab,” Roman Empire, AR antoninianus, 244–247 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG; bust of Philip the Arab, radiate, draped, cuirassed, r. REV: ROMAE AETERNAE; Roma, helmeted, seated on shield l., holding Victory in r. hand and sceptre in l. hand; at side, altar. 21mm, 4.16g. Ref: RIC IV Philip I 45.


Salonina, Roman Empire, BI antoninian, 255–256 AD, Asian mint (Samosata or Antioch?). Obv: SALONINA AVG; bust of Salonina, diademed, draped, on crescent, r. Rev: ROMAE AETERNAE; Gallienus, standing r., receiving Victory from Roma, seated l., holding spear in l. hand. 21mm, 3.83g. Ref: RIC V Salonina 67.

 

Septimius Severus Alexandria mint denarius ROMAE AETERNAE


Septimius Severus 'Emesa' mint denarius ROMAE AETERNAE


Septimius Severus 'Emesa' mint denarius POMAE AETERNAE

 

@ValiantKnight I find that Theodoric coin fascinating. I wonder if the inclusion of the she-wolf and twins manifests a self-consciousness that he's a ruler with Gothic roots, as if he wants to stress (or give the illusion of) Roman continuity, sort of like how Maxentius used Rome-specific imagery to underscore his commitment to that particular city and its traditions. I've been reading Jim O'Donnell's
The Ruin of the Roman Empire, which presents "barbarian" rule after 476 A.D. as still traditionally Roman in many ways. That 476 dividing line thus is more significant for later historians than it was for 5th-century Romans. Did Theodoric know that something had changed? Was his use of wolf and twins imagery an attempt to suggest it hadn't?

 

Nice thread and some lovely coins shown...

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.

 

CLODIUS ALBINUS

RI Clodius Albinus 193-197 CE AR Denarius ROMAE AETERNAE Roma seated

 

I'm just preparing a new post on this type:



That's Roma standing, with trophy and Victory. The legend is VRBS ROMA FELIX, which is somewhat ironic given the time of issue... more soon!

 

Nice coins in this thread! I have not a single coin with “ROMA” spelled out in the collection and I’ll need to correct that glaring deficiency.

 

Here is a reverse with Roma.

Nero. A.D. 61. AR denarius
(18.40 mm, 3.37 g, 7 h).
Lugdunum (Lyon) mint.
Obv: NERO CAESAR AVG IMP, bare head right
Rev: PONTIF MAX TR P VIII COS IIII P P, EX S C across field, Roma standing right, holding and inscribing shield supported on knee, foot on helmet; dagger and bow at feet to right.
RIC 34 (R3); RSC 231. aVF, toned. Rare.
From the D. Thomas Collection;
Ex Hohn Leipziger Munzhandlung. Auction 85 June 2-4 2016 Lot 1382
Ex: Agora Auctons sale 68 Lot 195 August 15 2017.

 

I have a common Probus and Gordianus:

Probus, Rome, 281 AD; issue 6, mint mark -/-//R(winged thunderbolt)Δ
21 mm, 3.66 g
Ref.: RIC V Probus 187; Cohen 528; Sear 3365;

Ob.: PROBVS P F AVG Bust of Probus, radiate, cuirassed, wearing imperial mantle, left, holding scepter surmounted by eagle in right hand
Rev. ROMAE AETER Hexastyle temple, Roma seated in center, holding Victory in right hand and scepter in left hand; in ex. R(winged thunderbolt)Δ

​

Marvin Tameanko's monograph, “Monumental Coins: Buildings & Structures on Ancient Coinage”, (p. 161) notes "The emperor Probus, 276-282 AD, struck an enormous series of Antoniniani showing a hexastyle temple with the legend ROMA AETER. This temple may be a representation of Hadrian's temple to Roma and Venus, with four central columns removed to show the statue of a seated Roma in the center." The temple was damaged by fire in 307 AD, and was restored "in magnificent manner" by Maxentius (Aurelius Victor, De Caesaribus, XL). When Constantius visited Rome fifty years later, this Temple of the City (Templum Urbis) was one of the sights that he most admired (Ammianus, History, XVI.10.14).

Gordian III, Rome, 240 AD
21 x 23.5 mm, 4.83 g
Ref.: RIC IV Gordian III 38; RSC (Cohen 312); RC (Sear) 2459;

Ob.: IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: ROMAE AETERNAE Roma, helmeted and in military dress, seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear

​

 

Another Gordian III Roma but from Antioch instead of Rome. The two mints can be differentiated by style.

Gordian III Antoninianus
Obv:– IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG, radiate draped bust right
Rev:– ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma, helmeted and seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear
Minted in Antioch

4.16 gms. 23.25 mm. 180 degrees

 

A Roman Republican denarius with (for once!) Roma on the reverse rather than the obverse:



(Seller's image)

As described in my catalogue: Roman Republic, M Fovri L.f. Philus, AR Denarius 119 BCE. Obv. Laureate head of Janus, M•FOVRI•L•F around / Rev. Roma with Corinthian helmet standing left holding scepter, crowning trophy surmounted by helmet and flanked by carnyx and shield on each side, Gallic arms around; star above, ROMA to right, PHLI in exergue. RSC I Furia 18 (ill.), Crawford 281/1, Sydenham 529, Sear RCV I 156 (ill.). 20.13 mm., 3.66 g.

According to Crawford (Vol. I p. 297), this reverse probably refers to "the defeat of the Allobroges and Arverni and the triumphs of 120."