REALLY cool history. Would love one WITH and WITHOUT hole. I agree with @TIF that a holed version would be cool. HOWEVER, the whole CONCEPT of annually worshiping a PERSON is beyond foreign to my core beliefs. I am too much a rebel at heart!
Well, the people actually took vows and made offerings to the deities for the health of the emperor, though I'm sure that many of the emperors probably felt an entitlement to public worship . During the Republic, the vota publica would be offered for the health of the State, which would seem like an altogether more sensible thing.
Health of the State would make more sense... just having the concept migrate to an Emperor during the Imperial period is against my core beliefs. I wonder how I had felt should I lived during that time? (That is only a rhetorical question.) Hence, my enjoying my Republic collection...
Love the op coin and interesting insight. I previously considered the wreath with vot type to be pretty boring but now that I understand more I find them fascinating. How about this for a phd thesis: analysis of all vot types to determine what was asked for and what was actually received by each emporer.
"The Senate, after much deliberation and vacillation, declares ( insert awesome Roman name) to be the rightful Imperator."~Said by no Late Roman Senator/Consul ever Constantius II. AD 337-361. AR Siliqua (18mm, 2.09 g, 6h). Arelate (Arles) mint, 1st officina. Struck AD 355-363. Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right / VOTIS / XXX / MVLTIS / XXXX within wreath; PCON. RIC VIII 261 and 291; RSC 342-3r. Near VF, toned. Ex 2010 Gussage All Saints Hoard (PAS Ref. DOR-A1CCB1; NC 171 [2011], no. 54). Found on land belonging to the parish of Gussage All Saints in Dorset, England on 21 March 2010, the Gussage All Saints Hoard comprised 9 miliarenses and 653 siliquae packed in an earthenware flagon. The hoard ranges from Julian II to Honorius and was probably deposited around AD 410, when Roman rule in Britain was crumbling, leaving the province to defend itself from increasing Germanic and Irish attacks. In accordance with U.K. Treasure Laws, the hoard was taken intact to the British Museum, where the coins were cleaned and catalogued. Glory to the Emperor, victorious and Divine!
Here is the coin that I said was relevant to the thread. The other, less interesting reverse type. It has just arrived. Caracalla Denarius Obv:- ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right Rev:- VOTA SOLVT DEC COS III, Caracalla standing left with patera over altar, holding baton, bull behind Minted in Rome. A.D. 208 Reference– BMCRE 578 RIC 204.RSC 682. The type is sort of re-used by Elagabalus a few years later. Elagabalus denarius Obv:– IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, horned, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– INVICTVS SACERDOS AVG, Elagabalus standing holding a patera over an altar and a club. Star in left field. Bull behind the altar Minted in Rome. A.D. 220-222 Reference– BMC 209-210. RIC 88. RSC III 61 Martin
Astounding coins : I've never seen either the OP coin or Martin's new acquisition. Zumbly's Isis reverse is terrific and all the others are most interesting Pertinax, Denarius Rome mint, AD 193 IMP CAES P HELV PERTIN AVG, laureate head right VOT DECEN TR P COS II, emperor sacrificing left, with patera held over tripod altar 2.98 gr, 17 mm Ref : RIC # 13a, Cohen # 56, RCV # 6048 Ex Harlan J. Berk Constantine the great, AE 3 struck in Rome, 2nd officina CONSTANTINVS AVG, Laureate head of Constantine right D N CONSTANTINI MAX AV, VOT XXX in a laurel wreath, RS at exergue 2.93 gr Ref : Cohen #129, RC #3874 var Crispus, AE3 Aquilea mint, 2nd officina CRISPVS NOB CAES, cuirassed and laureate bust right CAESARVM NOSTRORVM, VOT/V within a laurel wreath, AQS. at exergue 3.22 gr Ref : Cohen # 31 Constantius II, Siliqua Siliqua struck in Sirmium D N CONSTANTIVS P F AVG, Diademed bust of Constantius right VOTIS / XXX / MVLTIS / XXXX, in a wreath. SIRM at exergue. 2.07 gr Ref : Cohen #342, RC #3997 Jovianus, AE3 struck in Sirmium, 2nd officina D N IOVIANVS P F AVG, Diademed and draped bust of Jovianus right VOT V MULT X IN A LAUREL WREATH. BSIRM at exergue 3.32 gr Ref : Cohen #35, RC #4087, LRBC #1624 Valentinian I, Siliqua Constantinople mint, 4th officina DN VALENTINI - ANVS P F AVG, diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right VOT V in a laurel wreath, CP.delta at exergue 1.57 gr Ref : RC # 4097v, RIC IX # 13a, Cohen # 69 Arcadius, AE4 Heraclea mint, 1st officina, c. AD 383 DN ARCADIVS PF AVG. Diademed, draped and cuirassed bust right VOT / V within wreath, SMHA at exergue 1.27g, 14mm, 12h Ref : RIC IX # 18b, LRBC II # 1964 Theodosius II, Siliqua Constantinople mint D N THEODO SIVS P F AVG, diademed draped and cuirassed bust right seen from front VOT/XX/MVLT/XXX, within a laurel wreath, CONS* at exergue 2.16 gr, 18.5 mm RIC X, # 381 Q
Best looking Siliqua ever........................ of all time. Constantius II AR Pre reform Siliqua Circ 351-355 CE 3.11 Grams Constantinople mint. Thank you Brexit!
MM => I can't see your images (maybe it's merely my Fred Flintstone PC?) Oh, and curious? => how is this semester treatin' ya so far? Cheers