Show your Rostrum tridens

Reference.
RIC 623a; C. 1171; Strack

Obv. IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG
Laureate bust right, drapery on left shoulder.

Rev P M TR P COS III in exergue SC.
Rostrum tridens right

2.46 gr
17 mm

 

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Here's an example of the rare prow issue of 211-208 BC, Crawford 62/1; easily confused with the slightly later and much more common issue with the same general types, Crawford 114/1.

 

Amazing how prior to the 1st Punic War, there were no concepts or notions of ships, prows, or a Navy in Rome. Suddenly, faced with the mortality of Carthage's Navy, Rome learned FAST and prominently placed the symbols everywhere: Rostrum in the Forum, on coins, etc.

I am AMAZED the Corvus (or Harpago) was not prominently symbolized. It was THAT innovation that won their sea battles by making their fledgling Navy a super-weapon.

 

REPUBLIC, ANONYMOUS SEMIS. POST 211 BC. Saturn

 

Is mine a prow or a rudder? I've always been confused by the symbol since I acquired the coin. The tag said it was a rudder, but it doesn't look like any rudder I've ever seen, and it doesn't look like a prow either. Is it even a nautical theme? Help! Any guess?

 

217 BC
AE Uncia
Obvs: Helmeted Roma left.
Revs: Prow right, ROMA above. Pellet below.
25x26mm, 12.71g

 

That's a rudder. Don't feel bad; even when I know something's a prow, I sometimes mix up which way it's facing!

 

PROWS:

 

RUDDERS:


@Sallent , my Cipius and Sear 166 calls it a RUDDER below on reverse.

 

My rudder, Tiberius AE as. Rome, 36-37 AD. Globe and rudder, RIC 64, 28mm, 10.7g.

 

And I just remembered I have a small prow on a Nerva coin. AE Dupondius. Rome AD 96. Clasped hands holding standard above prow. RIC 55.

 

Another nice prow, on the reverse of a denarius of Pompeius Magnus:



and a small one on the reverse of a denarius of his son Sextus Pompey:

 

Should we mention that the Romans did not have a monopoly on the type? These are a tetradrachm and AE13 of Demetrius Poliorketes (died 283BC).


Arados, Phoenicia AE17 year 115 (145BC) shows particularly menacing triple ram.

 

My most recent addition is a prow from Coela.



Here is a cool site: Ancient Warship Archaeology Program -
http://rpmnautical.org/warshiptactics.html

 

CALABRIA, Tarentum
AR Nomos. 7.75g, 22.3mm. CALABRIA, Tarentum, circa 290-281 BC. Fischer-Bossert Group 80, 1131 (V417/R873); Vlasto –; HN Italy 934. O: Warrior, holding shield and two spears, preparing to cast a third, on horseback right; ΣA below. R: TAPAΣ, Phalanthos, holding distaff, riding dolphin left; pellet to left; below, prow left.

 

Beautiful coin zumbly, unbelievable detail.

 

Thanks! It's one of my favorite pick ups this year. I was blown away by the detail, and finding one where the dolphin's snout wasn't missing and the rider's head wasn't flatly struck wasn't easy either!

 

I had to look up "rostrum tridens". In case others were similarly uninformed, it is a structure sticking out from a war ship's bow, at the waterline, has three protrusions, and its function was for ramming and damaging enemy ships.



I'm puzzled by the appearance of the rams on many of the coins shown. How could the rams work if they don't protrude significantly farther than other bow structures? I guess the renderings are adjusted to fit on a coin rather than reflective of reality.

Doug's Arados bronze was even more puzzling at first. Which end is the front? Which end is the back? Isn't the large curved structure on the right the part that sticks out of the front of the ship? (nope, not in this illustration)



Doug's coin shows a ship's battering ram without the ship to which it would be attached. The left part is what would stick out, and the right side is its point of attachment to the ship.

Below is an actual Carthaginian naval ram from the time of the first Punic War. It helps explain the device shown on Doug's coin. The right side is the free side; the left is its point of attachment to the ship.


image from Wikipedia

Maybe all of this was obvious to the rest of you. If so... carry on, nothing to see here

 

Thanks TIF very informative and thought provoking.

 

Interesting prows!

These show up a few times on Flavian denarii too.



Vespasian
AR Denarius, 3.17g
Rome mint, 69-70 AD
RIC 19 (C), BMC 7, RSC 84.
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, lauerate, r.
Rev: COS ITER FORT RED; Fortuna, draped, standing l.,setting r. hand on prow and holding cornucopiae in l. hand



Vespasian
AR Denarius, 3.39g
Rome Mint, 77-78 AD
RIC 941 (C), BMC 210, RSC 136
Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: COS VIII; Prow r. : above, star of eight rays


Titus as Caesar
AR Denarius
Rome Mint, 77-78 AD
RIC V950 (R), BMC V226, RSC 68
Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIANVS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: COS VI; Prow r.; above eight pointed star

For a Domitian example a little cheating is required - Minerva is standing on a rostral column decorated with prows. Here is an early example of the type.



Domitian
AR Denarius, 2.90g
Rome mint, 84 AD
RIC 183 (R3), BMC - , RSC -
Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG GERMANIC; Bust of Domitian, laureate, draped, bearded, l.
Rev: P M TR POT III IMP V COS X P P; Minerva stg. r. on capital of rostral column, with spear and shield; to r., owl (M2)