Feb. 17th: JOVIAN & Carbon Monoxide...

Successor of Julian II who died on the battlefield, Jovian was Roman Emperor for 8 months in 363 AD to 364. To extricate his army from Persia, the new ruler immediately concluded a peace treaty, ceding to the Persians all Roman territory east of the Tigris River, together with the cities of Singara (modern Sinjār, Iraq) and Nisibis (modern Nusaybin, Turkey). Some of Jovian’s contemporaries, believing that the army could have fought its way out, considered this treaty to be dishonourable.
Apparently, he was asphyxiated in his sleep by a charcoal heater left burning in his tent February 17th 364 AD...

* Eunapius states that Jovian was instigated by his wife to burn down the library in Antioch. Ammianus Marcellinus, Zonaras and Philostorgius make no mention of the burning of the library during Jovian's stay.

* In September 363 AD, Jovian reestablished Christianity as the state religion, restored the labarum ("Chi-Rho") as an army standard, and revoked Julian's edicts against Christians, but did not close no pagan temple.

* Ammianus Marcellinus suggests his death was due to strangulation.

We all agree that he won't win a popularity contest, but maybe you have in your collection some coins of this poor intoxicated Emperor. So please show us your Jovian's examples !

 

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LOL, just read about him last nite. Pretty wild to be gassed...

Here he is looking both ways. LOL, both are VOT V... that was being VERY optimistic!


RI Jovian AE3 Sirmium mint VOT V RIC 118



RI Jovian 363-364 AE 20mm Folles LEFT Sinister VOT V

 

I could be wrong, but I always thought that the individual depicted was hostilian, or at the very least someone (an Augustus, Caesar, commander...etc) from the mid third century? Style-wise, it does not look like it was made in the mid-late fourth century.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a Jovian to share, so I’ll admire the examples posted!

 

Great writeup, though unfortunately I still don't own any coin of Jovian. With that having been said, the first photo in your post depicts one of the figures of the Ludovisi sarcophagus, which is believed to be from the 3rd century, so that cannot be Jovian.
EDIT: I see that @Romancollector had the same observation.

 

Thanks for pointing that out. I edited the picture !

 

Here's a Jovian from the Heraclea mint:


Jovian, AD 363-364.
Roman Æ centenionalis, 3.06 g, 19.2 mm, 6 h.
Heraclea, AD 363-364.
Obv: D N IOVIAN-VS P F AVG, pearl-diademed, draped and cuirassed bust, left.
Rev: VOT / V, legend within wreath; HERACA in exergue.
Refs: RIC viii, p. 439, 108; RCV 19218; LRBC II 1912; Cohen 32.

 

Only have one Jovian, from Sirmium- it's one of my prettiest LRBs

 

One rarely talks about a “fine style” for a late fourth century AE3. But this one might qualify. I love that portrait. Skilled engraver.

 

Here’s my only Jovian:

 

Remembering Jovian's death is quite timely for many in the US right now with terrible ice storms causing power outages that lead people to make unwise choices heating their houses or running generators where Carbon monoxide kills a family. While style might be fine, Jovian has no coins as interesting as the one AE1 type with 'someone standing there'. It is hard to get too excited about Votas.

AE1 Jovian standing with Victory statue Antioch (ANTB)


AE3 VOT V MVLT X Thessalonika

 

Here is another Antioch "Æ 1" but not with the nice rosette diadem as on Doug's:

Jovian. 363-364 AD. Æ 1 (27mm; 9.19 gm; 12h). Antioch mint, 4th officina. Obv: pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: Jovian standing facing, head right, holding vexillum and Victory on globe. In exergue, ANTΔ.

 

Interesting story. An emperor shouldn't be allowed to die in such an inglorious manner...

My two AE1s

Thessalonica :


Antioch :



Q

 

AE1 from Thessalonica

VOT V/MVLT X from Aquileia

 

JOVIAN, AE1
.TESB. Thessalonica, 363-364
8.68 g - 28 mm
S 4085 - C 23 - RIC VIII 237
DN IOVIANVS PF PP AVG, Diademed bust right
VICTORIA ROMANORVM, Jovian standing facing, head right, holding labarum and Victory on globe

 

Jovian had only four AE reverse types. The AE1 is scarcer and costs more than the two AE3s, but is nevertheless readily available. It is the AE4, 14 mm, VICTORIA AVGVSTI N, Victory standing left holding wreath and palm, that is the hard one to find.

Kent, when writing RIC VIII, was aware of only two examples, neither of which had a legible mintmark. When one came up for sale in 2014 it was the only type I needed to complete my Jovian "type set" so I bid high enough to win it.


Jovian, Roman emperor 27 June 363 - 16 Feb. 364.
14 mm. 1.70 grams.
RIC Rome 335 "R4" (no photo)
Failmezger 472 (no photo)

After I got this coin, I wrote a website on his AE types:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Jovian/Jovian.html

I think it is neat that ancient coins of an emperor who ruled less than a year are so available.

 

The Jovian story I like comes to us by way of Ammianus Marcellinus. We're told that when Emperor Julian succumbed to his wounds sustained during his ill-fated Persian campaign, the Roman camp was in disagreement over who should be proclaimed the new augustus. A small party of Jovian's followers took it upon themselves to acclaim the relatively undistinguished commander of the household guard, carrying him through the camp while shouting "Jovianus Augustus." Other soldiers in the camp misheard the acclamation as "Julianus Augustus", and thinking that Julian had recovered from his wounds, cheered the newcomer. When the mistake was realized some time later, grief broke out anew but Jovian's elevation was upheld, "as if by the blind decree of Fortune."

It seems there was as much enthusiasm for Jovian's rule then as for his coins now.

JOVIAN
AE1. 8.24g, 28mm. Thessalonica mint, AD 363-364. RIC VIII Thessalonica 235. O: D N IOVIANVS P F P P AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: VICTORIA ROMANORVM, Jovian standing facing, head right, holding labarum and Victory on globe; TESΓ in exergue.
Ex @stevex6 Collection