Show your Rostrum tridens

TIF reminds us that we should make more effort to explain some things that would seem obvious to people who spent these coins back in the day. It was fashionable to make speeches from the prow of a ship captured in a naval battle. I suspect this was first just a commander on the wreckage on a beach addressing his victorious troops but prows were relocated to the city and used to elevate the speaker before the crowd. We take the word rostrum from this practice even though the first meaning was probably just front end of ship without the later speaking platform meaning. We even see little replica prows added to columns or other buildings as a shorthand way of indicating naval prowess.

The metal item shown in TIF's photo would also be worth salvaging whenever possible simply because it was a hunk of expensive metal. If the whole ship was destroyed, perhaps burned in shallow water, it would be worth sending a few guys to retrieve it. A pile of them would also be an impressive display by a commander proving what a good admiral was he. I'm sure many people could see the styles and know which ones came from which type or nationality ship. I'm not sure what the modern equivalent might be but keeping the best part as a trophy to demonstrate your skill is a very human thing to do.

 

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Although the corvus levelled the playing fields in naval engagements of the first Punic war, wherein Carthaginian naval forces were more competent in ship handling, but Roman marines were more capable at hand-to-hand boarding actions, the corvus was abandoned by the end of the war due to the instability it created on ships fitted with the device. Historians generally agree that this one-ton boarding ramp led to the loss of two entire fleets in 255 and 249 in storms.

 

More than agreed on the short-term usage. But that innovation won them a Navy!

 

It allowed the Romans on several occasions to defeat the Carthaginians in their own element, yes. However, by the end of the war the increased experience of the Roman crews meant that victory could be achieved without use of the corvus - e.g. Battle of the Aegeates. What must be remembered also is that coinage was not widely utilised by the Romans even in 264-241 BC. By the time the Romans could both rightfully claim to be the dominant naval power in the western Mediterranean (241) and had begun issuing currency on a large scale (with the silver quadrigati c.235 BC), the corvus had already long since been abandoned on account of its serious drawback. The rostrum tridents meanwhile remained the primary weapon employed by military vessels. Apart from it being odd to place a double-edged sword on the coinage, it probably wouldn't have made for a very obvious or striking design.

 

Hi Oki ... great OP-coin and cool thread

 

We're going to the movies tonight. It's opening night for Ben Hur in 3D. Obviously, we will be looking for Roman coins & prows. See you at 7:00 ANoob.

Here is a coin with prow to keep my post legit :

EUBOIA, Histiaia.
AR Tetrobol.
3rd-2nd Century B.C.
1.88 grams, 13.5 mm
Obv: Head of Nymph Histiaia facing
right with hair rolled & wreathed
w/ vine.
Rev: IΣT I AIEΩN Nymph Histiaia
seated rt. on stern of galley holding
a naval standard.
Grade: gVF with deep cabinet toning
Other: similar to Sear 2496
[possibly 197-146 BC or Macedon
imitation prior to 168 BC]
From Eye Appealing Coins
4/2013, purportedly Ex Heritage.

 

Fabulous examples everyone!!!

I'll just throw in this 'Macedonia Under Roman Rule' bronze (sort of East meets West):

 

Spoiler Alert.
We saw no coins in the new Ben Hur movie. They teased us with a chest of gold coins but we never saw the contents. There was an opportunity to see 30 pieces of silver but alas, no coins were shown. Yes, there were plenty of ship prows shown from every angle.

Four of us went to the film. Fun was had by all.

 

Was the movie worth the hype?

 

Try this link for the new Ben Hur movie reviews:
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/ben-hur/20063541/reviews/

I will tell you that you see some ship prow impacts & horse hoof action through the eyes of many go-pro type cameras. I'll bet that many a go-pro lost their lives during the filming.

 

... did you and Noob order popcorn?

I think it's cool that some theatres now have VIP cinemas (you get sweet seats, an actual kitchen, liquor license, and double leg and shelf room)

We recently saw the new Bourne movie and we also took the niece and nephew to Pete's Dragon (both total winners)

 

I'm exited for the Ben Hur movie too. The original was great. I also have the same coin as you. Forgot I had a prow, even if it is Greek

 

I had several coin with a Prow, but admit, I am not a fan of them. I find them boring when it's Prow only. I only have the one below now.


Histiaia, Euboia
340 - 330 B.C.
Silver Tetrobol
O: Head of nymph Histiaia right wearing an earring, hair bound in sakkos (sphendone) wreathed with vine
R: Nymph seated upon a stern of galley holding a mast with cross-piece (trophy stand), grapes on vine to left; wing on prow; IΣTIAI-EΩN
14mm
2.4g
BMC Central Greece p.127, 24-25; Sear 2495

Slightly overstruck. Die break on nose.

Got a rostral column.


Domitian (81 - 96 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P VI, laureate head right.
R: IMP XIIII COS XIII CENS P P P, Minerva standing right on capital of rostral column, holding spear and shield, owl at foot right.
Rome Mint, 87 A.D.
3.3g
19mm
(RIC [1962] 92), RSC 218, BMC 103

 

Well, looks like my ship has sailed...

 

Interesting thread and pictures.

Not every galley depicted on a coin will clearly show their rostrum tridens. Some do anyway

ROMAN IMPERATORS, Sextus Pompeius and Q. Nasidius, Denarius Mint moving with Sextus Pompeius, Sicily, 42-39 BC
NEPTVNI, head of Pompey the great right, trident before head, dolphin below
Q.NASIDIVS at exergue, galley sailing right, star in upper field
3.92 gr
Ref : HCRI # 235, RCV # 1390, Crawford # 483/2, Sydenham # 1350, Cohen # 20



Mark Antony, Denarius struck in a travelling mint, c.32-31 BC
ANT AVG III VIR RPC, Galley right
LEG IV, Legionary eagle between two standards
3.67 gr
Ref : HCRI #352, Cohen #30



Octavian & Agrippa, AE Dupondius Arausio mint (Orange), 30-29 BC (Colonia Firma Julia Secundanorum Arausio)
IMP DIVI F (IMPerator DIVI Filii), bare heads of Augustus (right) and Agrippa (left), back to back
Prow of galley right, ram's head (?) enclosed in a medaillion above
17.61 gr - 28 mm.
Ref : RPC # 533
Ex. CNG e-auction #181/28, from the Patrick Villemur collection


Q

 

I also have a sestertius from Hadrian minted 126AD, Neptune foot on Prow, holding aplustre and long trident. RIC 635.

 

There is some more good pics of these lethal weapons in the latest CoinsWeekly if you want to take a look http://www.coinsweekly.com/en/News/Oxford-exhibits-Treasures-from-the-Sicilian-Seas/4?&id=4249

 

Hmmm, Going back to this thread, I noticed I forgot to post anything...Jeez, those damn 'Senior Moments'

So, I'll just pop one off; Silver hemidrachm, Apollo and a 'War Galley'---- Kios, Bithynia:

 

That' a great coin Mikey Zee, it's always good to kick start a thread again isn't it. Did you take a look at the Coinsweekly pics?

 

Thanks, it was a FORVM purchase.

I think I'm having another 'senior moment' LOL Coinsweekly pics? Do you have a link?

So many terrific posts on this thread!!!

Oh, here's another I really like a LOT---but more of a galley without the 'teeth' LOL; Elagabalus denarius with that cool galley: