VOTA SOLVTA

Roman emperors took vows (VOTA) promising to do something for the gods in exchange for something they wanted. The emperors wanted a long reign, of course. In the early empire, beginning with Augustus, vows were commonly for ten years. In late Rome, in many cases, Roman coins say something like "VOT V MVLT X" referring to vows for five years of rule and many others besides (in this case, ten years), where these are vows made or renewed--SVSCEPTA. If the emperor actually made it to that number of years, he fulfilled (SOLVTA) the promise. But what did they actually do at those occasions?

Here is a picture of part of the ceremony:


Caracalla, denarius, struck c. 207 AD.
VOTA SOLVT DEC (vows for ten years fulfilled) COS II (He was COS II in and became COS III in 208).
Caracalla standing right holding patera over tripod altar, flute player facing behind altar, sacrificial bull about to be slain by a victimarius with raised ax.

Sear 6907 variety (his is COS III). BMC (Septimius and Caracalla) 577 variety (theirs is COS III). RIC Caracalla 204 (COS II) page 240 "Scarce, 209-212" which must be wrong on both counts. Hill 946 is COS III "R4" (0 or 1 in all the hoards he studied) and COS II is omitted, so it must be very rare, both as a type and as COS II.

Show us some coins with vows!

 

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Great coin, never seen that reverse before.


Caracalla (198 - 217 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, Laureate head right.
R: VOTA SVSCEPTA X, Caracalla standing left, sacrificing over altar.
3.72g
19mm
RIC IV 179, Cohen 689, BMCRE V 524


Constantine (307 - 337 A.D.)
AE3
O:CONSTANTINVS AVG, diademed head right, ladder-shaped diadem with dots in segments
R: DN CONSTANTINI MAX AVG around VOT XXX in wreath, dot SMHA in ex.
Heraclea Mint 326 - 327 A.D.
19mm
2.8g
RIC VII 90


Lucilla (164 - 182 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: LVCILLAE AVG ANTONINI AVG F, Draped Bust Right.
R: VOTA / PVBLI / CA, Legend in three lines within wreath.
Rome
3.48g
RIC 791 RSC 98


Constantine II (337 - 340 A.D.)
Æ3
O: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, laureate and cuirassed bust right.
R: VOT• V• / MVLT•X• / CAESS / TSB within wreath.
Thessalonica (Salonika, Greece) mint, 318 - 319 A.D.
18mm
3.1g
RIC VII 45


CRISPUS (317 - 326 A.D.)
Æ(S) FOLLIS
O: IVL CRIS-PVS NOB C, Laureate head right.
R: CAESARVM NOSTRORVM, VOT X in wreath, mintmark Delta SIS sunburst in ex.
3.8g
20mm
Sisca Mint
RIC-181D

 

Very nice!

Constantine II
Mint: Rome
320 AD
AE Follis
Obvs: CONSTANTINVS IVN NOB C, Laureate draped and cuir.
Revs: VOT X ET XV F PR, in three lines within laurel wreath.
19x20mm, 3.22g
Ref: v. RIC VII.209

"votis decennalibus et quindecennalibus felicibus"

 

@Valentinian wow that's cool! I'm very jealous.

All mine are LRBs:


Constantine I, AD 306-337
AE, 2.5g, 18mm; 6h; Ticinum, AD 320-321
Obv.: CONSTAN-TI MAX AVG; laureate head right
Rev.: DN CONSTANTINI MAX AVG; Within wreath with dot in badge at top: VOT / (dot) / X X / (crescent)
In Ex.: ST
No exact matches in Wildwinds, similar to Thessalonica RIC VII 123 & Ticinum RIC VII


Constantine I, AD 306-337
AE3, 20mm, 3.3g, 1h; Aquileia mint, AD 320-321.
Obv.: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG; Laureate head right.
Rev.: DN CONSTANTINI MAX AVG surrounding VOT XX enclosed in laurel wreath,
In Ex.: ·AQP·


Constantine I, AD 306-337
AE, follis, 3.51g, 20.5mm; 12h; Trier mint, AD 332-333
Obv.: CONSTAN-TINVS AVG; helmeted, cuirassed bust right
Rev.: BEATA TRAN-QVILLITAS; globe set on altar inscribed VO/TIS/XX above, three stars
In Ex.: dot PTR dot


Crispus, AD 317 - 326
AE, follis, 3.01g, 19mm; 6h; Aquileia mint
Obv.: CRISPVS NOB CAES; laureate, cuirassed bust right
Rev.: CAESARVM NOSTRORVM, VOT / (dot) / V in laurel wreath
In Ex.: (dot) A[Q]S (dot)


Julian II, AD 360-363
AE3, 21mm, 2.6g, 12h; Heraclea mint: 361-363
Obv.: D N FL CL IVLIANVS P F AVG; helmeted, cuirassed bust left holding spear and shield.
Rev.: VOT / X / MVLT / XX - Legend within wreath
In Ex.:HERACLA

 

That is a lovely, fascinating type and one I would love to obtain.

I have a scarcer votive type.

Septimius Severus denarius

Obv:– L S-EPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX, Laureate head right
Rev:– VOTIS DECENNALIBVS, Septimius, togate and veiled, standing left sacrificing over tripod
Minted in Laodicea-ad-Mare. A.D. 202
Reference:– RIC IV 519; BMCRE 680; RSC 796. 2 exampled in RD so relatively scarce.

D of DECENNALIBVS corrected from E

 

I do own a coin more relevant to the thread but I have not yet received it. Perhaps in a few days I will be able to add it here.

 

I forgot the Victories holding the vows!


Constantine I, AD 306-337
AE, follis, 3.02g, 19mm; 6h; Siscia, AD 319
Obv.: IMP CONSTANTINVS AVG; laureate, helmeted, and cuirassed bust right
Rev.: VICT LAETAE PRINC PERP; two victories standing, facing one another, together holding shield inscribed VOT/PR on altar with S
In. Exe.: dot ЄSIS dot


Decentius, AD 350 - 353
AE2, 22mm, 4.18g; 7h; Arles mint, AD 351-352
Obv.: DN DECENTIVS CAESAR; bare headed, cuirassed bust right, A in left field
Rev.: VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE; two victoreis facing, holding wreath with short ties, inscribed VOT / V / MVL / X, IS in lower middle field
In Ex.: SAR

 

What a terrific reverse! That must be the most vivid portrayal of animal sacrifice on a coin. Poor bull!

 

In the mean time I will add a Decentius and a Magnentius....

My Decentius arrived this week.

Decentius - Centenionalis

Obv:- MAG DECENTIVS NOB CAES, Bareheaded cuirassed bust right, B behind
Rev:- VICT D D N N AVG ET CAES, two Victories standing facing each other, holding between them a wreath inscribed VOT V MVLT X
Minted in Rome (//RB). Beginning A.D. 351 to August 352
Reference(s) – RIC 215. Bastien 481 (4 examples cited)



Magnentius - Centenionalis

Obv:– D N MAGNEN-TIVS P F AVG, Bare-headed, draped & cuirassed bust right; A behind head
Rev:– VICTORIAE DD NN AVG ET CAE, Two Victories supporting wreath inscribed VOT/V/MVLT/X
Mint – Lugdunum (SV//RPLG). Beginning A.D. 351 to August A.D. 352
Reference(s) – Cohen 68. Bastien 174 (12). RIC VIII Lugdunum 126

 

VOT:

 

I also have a Roman Republican and a Marsic Confederation from the Social War that have VOWS on them:


Roman Republic
Veturius 137 BCE
AR Denenarius
Obv: Mars X
Rev: Oath Scene pig
Ref: Sear 111 Crawford 234-1


Marsic Confederation / Italian Allies
Social War 90-88 BCE
AR Denarius
19x17.9mm, 3.7g
Anonymous Issue, Corfinium Mint
Obv: Italia head, l, ITALIA behind
Rev: Oath-taking scene with eight warriors, four on each side, pointing their swords towards a sacrificial pig, which is held by an attendant kneeling at the foot of a standard.
Comment: The reverse is based on the gold Stater and Half-Stater from the Second Punic War
Ref: Sear 227; SYD 621
Rare

 

Ummm, does this baby count?

Valerian-I
Billon , Antoninianus
253-260 AD
Diameter: 23 mm
Weight: 3.76 grams
Obverse: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS AVG, Valerian bust right radiate cuirassed and draped
Reverse: VOTA ORBIS, Two victories attaching shield inscribed SC to a palm-tree
Other: RARE WITH TWO VICTORIES HOLDING SHEILD

 

Wow, I have honestly never seen that type before. Very impressive!

 

Did you note that BMC lists another coin following this one (with COS III) missing the victimarius and with the bull laying on the ground? I have not seen that either.

The COS II bothers me a little. Are you sure it is not a filled die or the like?

 

Well, BMC does not have it, but RIC has it for both COS II and COS III. So, COS II is attested. Looking at mine, I see no evidence of a filled die. I think it was COS II all along.

 

Lovely coin Warren!
It may take me some time to post all my Vota Siliquae.
I'll start with this one

Emperor Honorius AR Siliqua
Constantinople mint
Circ 395-402 CE

 

Never seen that one either, very cool!

 

I'm just going to throw this one in since it's about taking vows...

While the emperors took their vows every five or ten years, the public took vows every year, on January 3, for the health of the emperor. In the 4th century, small commemorative issues in bronze were struck by the Rome mint for use during these vota publica. It's conjectured that they may have been used as talismans (many of them found are holed), perhaps to be worn around the neck or even nailed to door frames of buildings.

The coins often feature syncretic deities of Egyptian flavour, which though for reasons that remain unclear, have caused the coins to be associated also with the Navigium Isidis, a festival held in honour of Isis to usher in the important warm weather sailing season. The series is generally referred to as 'Festival of Isis' coinage. It's also interesting to note that despite the deeply pagan roots of the Festival of Isis and the centuries old tradition of the vota publica, these coins were struck during the rule of every Christian emperor up until Valentinian II.


FESTIVAL OF ISIS
Rome mint, circa mid 4th Century (temp. Julian II)
AE4. 0.79g, 12.5mm. Alföldi, Festival pl. VIII, 11; Vagi 3393. O: [ISIS F-A]RIA, draped bust of Isis right, wearing [hem-hem crown] and necklace. R: [VOTA P-]VBLICA, Hermanubis standing left, holding sistrum and caduceus.

 

This is another Zumbly-stalking coin I hope to someday acquire! Thanks for that historical background. It makes the coin even more desirable!