Following on from my post recently illustrating my newly purchased Tetricus I I thought I would follow it up with another new Gallic Empire purchase but this time it's Victorinus. Gallic Empire coins so often suffer from off centre strikes, ragged flans, partial legends or worn dies. One reason I bought this example was because it is generally OK in all these regards. Another reason is the nice, heavy weight of this example at 4.93 gms. There is evidence of silvering left in the crevices. My primary reason was the reverse. The legend is VIRTVS AVG but we can tell that this isn't Virtus bevause Virtus is a female personification and thus we are lefy trying to determine who the reverse deity is. Helmeted, cloaked and nude I would tend towards Mars as this would match. Catalogs sometimes duck the issue by describing as Mars / Soldier because without the an indication of Mars in the legend they cannot be sure. I would ask why there would be a generic soldier illustrated in such a manner rather than Mars but I suppose we cannot be sure. Victorinus Antoninianus Obv:– IMP C VICTORINVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– VIRTVS AVG, Mars (soldier) standing right holding shield and spear Reference:– RIC 78 4.93 gms Martin
Nice addition Martin. Great weight and interesting info on the reverse. I liked mine cause it had alot of silvering left and was just an $8 win on ebay. Victorinus (268 - 271 A.D.) Æ(S) Antoninianus O: IMP C VICTORINVS P F AVG, radiate draped and cuirassed bust right. R: PAX AVG, Pax standing left holding scepter and branch, V in left field, * in right field. Treveri (Trier). Struck 269 - 270 A.D. 3.1g 20mm RIC V 117; AGK 14a; Cohen 83
I like all your interesting pick-ups Martin. They always make me look for the anomaly when I'm viewing sales. Thanks. I'm telling my wife it was you that made me do it!
That's another cool addition, Martin (congrats) .... => man, that's 3 coins this afternoon that I don't have!! (I suck at today's game!!)
VIRTVS is a characteristic of manly men. I think maridunum's coin is evidence that its personification can be male. It usually is. Without the legend, we might think the figure was Mars. John Melville Jones, in his "Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins" that the word is derived from "vir", "man" but "she is feminine in Latin grammar in spite of her supposed masculine quality." Gnecchi notes in "Coin types of Imperial Rome" that VIRTVS was adopted as a type by 71 "princes". Here is one from Severus Alexander: 19 mm. 2.88 grams. Sear 7938. RIC 226 (AD 229-231). BMC 647 "issue 11, AD 230." Again, the personification is of a male in military dress. I think the figures on each of the coins is a male personifying VIRTVS, regardless of Latin grammar.
The figure in your Severus Alexander example is laureate and thus would be interpreted as Severus Alexander himself. When Virtus is depicted, she exposes her right breast by having the drapery lowered as an Amazonian. WIthout the breast exposed and the lowered drapery we have to look for other clues. Laureate is the emperor. Helmeted it is normally Mars. The legend does not always correlate with the deity / personification depicted. The following being a classic example to my eyes of this. The legend is VIRTVS but the depiction is of Severus Alexander depicting himself as Romulus.
Great coins, fellas ... oh, and very interesting/educational as well => Martin, thanks for the quick rule-of-thumb on Virtus ... now I'm gonna go take a quick peek-through my stuff and see if I have any Virtus-examples that're worth posting (very cool, thanks)
Ummm, so the seller stated that this humble example is Virtus, but it's helmeted so is it actually Mars? ... or is there a right breast exposed, so it is indeed Virtus? ... unfortunately, although I love the looks of this sweet coin, it's obviously a bit too worn to see the naughty-bits! Septimius Severus Sestertius Septimius Severus & Virtus
Steve, Yours is Virtus. Virtus and Mars look very similar when fully dressed but Virtus exposes the right breast. Your coin is clearly Virtus on more clearly defined examples. Regards, Martin
Steve's sestertius is the 193AD version from Septimius. My example is just a bit more clear but really is not conclusive on the matter of the exposed breast. The same issue produced denarii of which I show four Rome mint examples. These have varied style and one seems clearly exposed while the others could be wearing an undergarmet. I believe all versions show Virtus, the female personification of manliness. Mars is often depicted nude but Virtus never is more than the one breast. Ocassionally you do see a standing figure which has enough facial detail that the intent obviously was a portrait. I've never seen one of these less than fully dressed. The 193 AD Rome coins really show a wide variety of styles for one mint over a few short months. Perhaps that is why I collect Rome mint from the early years as well as the Eastern mints. After the Emesa and Alexandia mints closed I find less of interest from Rome as well. Workmanship also falls off for a few years before the late period Severus Pivs Avg coins restored much of the workmanship but not my interest.
I don't think I ever noticed that about Virtvs lol. Neat addition! Victorinus AE Antoninianus. Southern Mint. IMP C VICTORINVS P F AVG, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right / SALVS AVG, Salus standing left, feeding serpent rising from altar. RIC 71, Cohen 118, Sear 11181. RIC 71
Interesting thread, thanks Martin. Here are my two VIRTVS AVG ants: Trajan Decius. Virtus seated with lowered drapery, but nothing clearly exposed. Valerian. Virtus standing? My notes say Mars. Hrmmm...
Z, On your Trajan Decius you can clearly see the drapery diagonally from the left shulder across the chest so certainly Virtus. The chest detail is missing on the Valerian but is also Virtus. Nice. Martin
