Another thread about Roma... but this one IS about, "Roma"

While I did catch the first half of today's auction. Only to watch the 5-9 Macedonian shield coin delicatessens, depending on your criteria, go for gobsmacking amounts.


It was still entertaining to watch.
But, I digress. This thread is for your favorite coins of the Roman's personification of their home country and ideal woman, Roma.

(She's awful at break-ups, but man does she know
how to fill out a dress)

Coins as early as 280-276 BCE bare images that may be her earliest on coinage. Which makes me wonder,


what is the earliest portrait of Roma that we have here on Coin Talk? And whoes got the best looking?
My earliest


ANONYMOUS. RR Denarius (206-195 BCE). Mint: Rome.
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) to left.
Rev: ROMA.
The Dioscuri on horses rearing right, each holding spear; prow below.
Crawford 114/1.
3.7 g. 19 mm.

My best looking Roma... oh, gee. Looky there. It just so happens to have a MSC on it

T. Quinctius Flamininus, 126 BCE, AR denarius. Rome, 3.91g, 18mm.
Obv: Helmeted bust of Roma right; flamen's cap behind; XVI ligate below chin
Rev: The Dioscuri riding right, each holding a couched lance, stars above; Macedonian shield between T-Q below; ROMA in exergue.
Crawford 267/1
The key feature of the type – the Macedonian shield on the reverse – is very clear on this example.
Issued by a descendant of the more famous Flamininus, a philhellene who prosecuted the second Macedonian War against Philip V and proclaimed freedom for Greece.
Ex: AMCC 2 consigned by Caesar_Augustus

One of her most popular:

M.Nonius Sufenas
AR Denarius, (c.59 BC), head of Saturn right, harpa, conical stone and sc behind, svfenas behind s.c, rev. Roma seated left on shields, being crowned by Victory, sex.noni in ex., pr.l.v.v.p.f around (Cr. 421/1; Syd. 885), 81 B.C.16 mm., 3,49 g. nearly very fine
This type may refer to the moneyer''s father, Sextus Nonius, who inaugurated the Ludi Victoriae Sullanae in honour of Sulla''s victory at the Colline Gate in Ex: Savoca

And a few more for THE goddess of Rome:

Caecilia
Denarius. AR. Rome. (125 BCE). A / Head of Rome to the right, behind ROMA and in front X. R / Macedonian shield, around M. METELLVS Q. F., all within a laurel wreath. 3.70g. FFC.204. Banker's punch. Limited. BC / BC +. Ex Pliego





(So Please Quiver Rigorously)

Anybody have a Roma they wanna share?

 

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I don't have any Roma Denarii but I do have this nice Gallienus with Roma on the reverse that I got on the cheap last year. Bonus points because she is holding Victory! I love how the Brits straight up hijacked her and started calling her Britania

Gallienus
Billon Antoninianus
Asian mint
Obverse: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped bust right
Reverse: ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear. Star in upper left field.

 

METELLVS•Q•F around Macedonian shield with the head of the elephant.

Marcus Aurelius with Roma holding Victory, RIC 352.

 

Roma is depicted variously on a few pre-denarius issues that I hope to see in this thread, but I don't have any of these, so here is one of the earliest depictions of Roma on the denarius coinage, and in my opinion one of the most charming of these early denarius renderings:

Weight: 4.43 gm
Reference: Crawford 44/5 (group 4)
Provenance: NAC 61, The RBW Collection of Roman republican Coins Part 1, October 5, 2011

 

A ha! A Roman thread I can contribute to... Here is my Roma!

 

My earliest Roma, looking a bit chubby -- not really so early, but it was the first Republican coin to bear the legend "ROMA" on the obverse:

Roman Republic, C. Servilius M.f., AR Denarius 136 BCE. Obv. Head of Roma right wearing winged helmet, wreath behind neck, ROMA beneath with * [XVI monogram] to left / Rev. Dioscuri on horseback galloping in opposite directions, heads turned back to face each other, both twins holding their spears downwards behind horses, C. SERVEILI M F in exergue. RSC I Servilia 1, Crawford 239/1, Sydenham 525, Sear RCV I 116 (ill.), BMCRR Italy 540. 19.35 mm., 3.89 g. [Sear says that this is the first Republican denarius with “ROMA” legend on obverse, and the second to use the monogram * for XVI .]



Another relatively early Roma, with a very angular, almost masculine face with bold lines -- a little Art Deco-ish, perhaps, when viewed together with her helmet:

Roman Republic, M. Caecilius Q.f. Metelllus, AR Denarius, 127 BC (Crawford, RSC, Sear), ca. 126 BCE (Mattingly, op. cit. at p. 258, Table 3), Rome Mint. Obv. Head of Roma right in winged helmet, star on helmet flap, ROMA upwards behind, * (XVI ligature, mark of value = 16 asses) below chin / Rev. Macedonian shield, decorated with elephant head in center wearing bell, M METELLVS Q F around beginning at 6:00, all within laurel wreath. Crawford 263/1(a), Sydenham 480, RSC I Caecilia 29, Russo RBW 1064, Sear RCV I 139 (ill.). 19.5 mm., 3.80 g., 9 hr.



(Yes, I know she has a skin problem on her chin, but even goddesses can't be perfect.)

Roma's head on one side, and Roma as a whole on the other:

Roman Republic, Anonymous AR Denarius, 115-114 BCE. Obv. Head of Roma right wearing winged Corinthian helmet; below, ROMA; behind, X [despite earlier change from 10 to 16 asses in value] / Rev. Roma, wearing Corinthian helmet, seated right on pile of shields, holding spear in left hand; helmet on ground between pile of shields and her right foot; before her, she-wolf right, suckling twins Romulus and Remus; on either side, birds flying. Crawford 287/1, RSC I 176 (ill.), Sear RCV I 164 (ill.). 20 mm., 3.07 g. Ex. Silbury Coins, UK, Jan. 3, 2019.



Another portrayal of Roma in her entirety:

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.), BMCRR Italy 555. 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."]



My latest portrayal of Roma, more than 500 years after the earliest:

Gratian, AR Siliqua, 368-375 AD, Trier Mint. Obv. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, D N GRATIA-NVS P F AVG / Rev. Helmeted Roma seated left on throne, holding Victory on globe in right hand, and scepter in left hand, VRBS ROMA; in exergue, TRPS• (Trier Mint; PS = pvsvlatvm, struck from refined silver). RIC IX 27f(1) at p. 19, RSC V 86a, Sear RCV V 19964. 17 mm., 2.0 g.

 

Man, without a left-facing bust of VRBS ROMA, this thread is just gettin' started!


Constantine I, AD 307-337.
Roman billon reduced centenionalis, 2.44 g, 17.4 mm, 12 h.
Constantina/Arles, AD 331-332.
Obv: VRBS ROMA, helmeted bust of Roma, left, wearing imperial robes.
Rev: Lupa Romana, left, suckling Romulus and Remus; branch between two stars above; SCONST in exergue.
Refs: RIC vii p. 273, 368; RCV 16497; LRBC I 371; Cohen 17.


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.

 

Here's an early Roma on Crawford 22/1 - in need of new photos, these are from the seller.

Silver Didrachm
Obv.: Head of Roma right, wearing Phrygian helmet; control mark behind (wing)
Rev.: ROMANO - Victoria with wreath right, palm branch to the right; symbol K
Mint: Rome (ca. 265-242 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis: 6.00g / - / -
References:

• Sydenham 21
• Crawford 22/1

Acquisition: Gorny & Mosch Online Auction e-auction 251 #4729 15-Oct-2017


ATB,
Aidan.

 

Anonymous Ar Quinarius 214-213 BC Rome Obv. Helmeted head of Roma right Rv. The Dioscuri galloping right spears couched under their arms. Crawford 44/6 RBW 175 2.16 grms 14 mm Photo by W. Hansen When I started collecting ancient coins the denarius coinage was thought to have commenced circa 187 BC. Scholarship has changed quite a bit since then and now the current thinking is somewhere around 214 BC. This made the coinage far more interesting to me as now I can assume that this coin was minted during the titanic struggle with Hannibal. However, as much as I like the new chronology I have to remind myself that some of what we "know" about ancient coins is based on information that is about as solid a base of information as a big bowl of Jell-O.

 

My earliest Roma is this 44/5 (c. 211? BCE):

As @Fugio1 will tell you, the partially incuse legend indicates it's among the earliest denarii.

My latest Roma is this Honorius VRBS ROMA FELIX, issued just before the sack of Rome in 410 (are there any later ones?)


About 600 years apart!

 

Here's the Genius of the Roman People on a denarius of Antoninus Pius:


Antoninus Pius Denarius
(140-143 A.D.)
Rome Mint
ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, bare head right / GENIVS POP ROMANI, Genius of the Roman people standing front, holding scepter and cornucopiae.
RIC 70a.
(2.90 grams / 17 mm)

 

..man, is this coin for all seasons or what.....and i've another Roma type on its way from El Spainyo

 

An aquired taste.

 

POST DENARIUS REFORM ROMA


RR AR Denarius 214-208 BCE Roma R X behind - Dioscuri R ROMA linear frame stars Sicily RARE Cr 68-1b


PRE-REFORM HEAVY DENARIUS


Roman Republic
Anonymous AR Heavy Denarius (or DiDrachm to the Greeks)
6.55g, 18mm, 6h.
Rome, circa 265-242 BCE
Obv: Head of Roma right, wearing Phrygian helmet, cornucopiae behind
Rev: ROMANO, Victory standing right, attaching wreath to long palm, YY in right field.
Ref: Sear 25; Crawford 22/1; RSC 7.
From the Eucharius Collection


ROMAN REPUBLIC LITRAE


Roman Republic Anon AE Half-Litra 234-231 BCE Roma Phrygian Dog Sear 598 Craw 26-4

 

Here is a rather early depiction of Roma on this aes grave As of 230 BC with Roma wearing a Phrygian helmet and wheel on reverse....




early, c. 211 BC, denarius with Roma obv. and the Dioscuri on rev. Has nice, expressive portrait of Roma on obverse that I fell for....

 

This coin is rather ironic. The reverse legend says "THE ETERNAL ROME;" meanwhile the coin was rather UN-enternal and has broken clean in half.

 

Sestertius of Nero with reverse of Roma seated on shields and spoils of armor, holding victoy...

 

A Roma thread showing ROMA? What a novel and refreshing idea @Ryro

I’ve shown all ROMAs so often that I’ll go ahead and spare the board. Just wanted to say nice coins all!

I must say Brian that this might be my favorite coin of all the wonderful coins in your collection. I drool every time I see it.

 

That’s incredible. I’d sell my mother

 

Mine is not nice at all, but it is what it is:

17 x 18 mm, 3.668 g
Rome, ca. 109 - 108 BC
Crawford 302/1

Ob.: ROMA at outer left behind helmet; Head of Roma to r. wearing winged helmet; denomination mark X below chin, border of dots
Rev.: Victory driving biga to r. holding wreath; below, L FLA(MINI); in ex. (CILO)

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