Continuing with my recent auction wins, here's a worn but pleasant Imperatorial denarius: Roman Republic, Second Triumvirate, 36 BC. AR denarius. Octavian, as triumvir. Obverse: Bust of Octavian right, IMP CAESAR [DIVI F III VIR ITER R P C]. Reverse: Priestly implements (described below), COS ITER ET TER DESIG. Crawford 538/1, RSC I 91. This coin dates from 36 BC, an "interesting time" when the three men of the Second Triumvirate- Marc Antony, Lepidus, and Octavian- briefly managed to hold back their mutual distrust of each other and pretend that the Republic was still functioning normally. The reverse legend is short for "Consul iter et tertium designatus"- "Consul a second time, and elected for a third time"- indicating that the Triumvirate had renewed their powers. But instead of more purely political or military symbols such as a fasces, this is illustrated with religious implements. From left to right, they are: a simpulum (a ladle used in pouring liquids during sacrifices), an aspergillum (a sort of flail used to scatter water), a jug for pouring water or liquid offerings, and a lituus (a staff used in Roman fortune-telling to ritually mark off sections of the sky). Why? Well, as often happens when there is an official state religion, that religion over time becomes a base of political power as well as the more spiritual type. By the late Republic, membership in the College of Pontiffs (the association of priests of the official Roman religion) was very useful to ambitious men, and so many were appointed priests despite having little interest in or talent for the religious life. These political priests would then leave the actual daily duties of the religion to a smaller crew of dedicated men (plus the women of the Vestal Virgins) while gaining the prestige of being publicly pious. Octavian joined the College of Pontiffs in 47 BC, aged just 16, when his grand-uncle Julius Caesar was Pontifex Maximus (High Priest, head of the College). After Julius Caesar's assassination, the office was taken over by Lepidus, who retained it (despite his eventual exile) until his death in 13 BC. At that point, Octavian, by now called Augustus, became the new Pontifex Maximus, and the title was then passed down to subsequent emperors who often had even less claim to it (at least based on interest in, or aptitude for, religious observances). The title "Pontifex Maximus" was used even by the early Christian emperors, up to Gratian (375-383 AD) despite their opposition to the official pagan gods of the Roman religion. It was finally dropped as an Imperial title by Gratian, though it has sometimes been used since the Renaissance to describe the Roman Catholic Pope. I like this coin for its historical context, and it fits in well with my collection of coins that show substantial wear but are still aesthetically pleasing. Plus, check out the crazy spiral on the lituus on the reverse. Most drawings of a lituus show just a couple of turns of the spiral, but the engraver on this coin just went nuts with it. (I looked up other examples of this coin, and it seems to be common for this issue. Probably just one engraver who really liked making spirals.) Many emperors issued coins showing sacrificial implants on the reverse, so share yours.
Very nice @Parthicus. My kind of coin. Here is a denarius from his stepfather JULIUS CAESAR AR Denarius OBVERSE: COS.TERT.DICT.ITER. Head of Ceres right REVERSE: / AVGVR above, PONT.MAX. below. Simpulum, sprinkler, capis and lituus; M in right field Utica 46 BC 2.7g, 17mm Syd 1024; Crawford 467/1b
What a GREAT write up @Parthicus ! I enjoy coins that show wear as it is proof that they were used in commerce and passed through many hands. If there is no wear, then it is not a coin, as it was never used for its intended purpose! Yours is great! Priestly Implements: RI Maximus Thrax 236-238 AE Sestertius Rome mint priestly emblems Yeah, I will copy @Orfew , except MY elephant left a MESS behind him that went on to the reverse! RR Caesar AR Denarius 49 BCE Traveling Mint Elephant-Pontificates Sear 1399 Craw 443/1 Yup, a couple priestly doo-dads on the reverse: RI Augustus AR Denarius struck 2 BC-14 AD Caius and Lucius Caesars stdg shield spear S 1578 NGC4276216-007 An APEX on the OBVERSE of this Republic Denarius: RR AR Denarius 131 BCE L Postumius Albinus Roma Biga Craw 252-1 Sear 128 Ex: @Valentinian And, to me, GREATER than any religious implements, is an OATH between two or more humans. Representing a BOND, a TRUST, an OATH between Romans or Italians during this time: Laying their sword on a sacrificial pig and swearing an OATH: RR Veturius 137 BCE AR Den Mars X Oath Scene pig Sear 111 Craw 234/1 Marsic Confederation denarius 90-88 BCE Italia-Corfinium Oath Ceremony over pig Sear 227 SCARCE
Somewhat later priestly implements: Silver Double Denarius Rome mint, A.D. 250-251 Obv: Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C Rev: PIETAS AVGVSTORVM - Sprinkler, simpulum, jug and lituus. RIC (Trajan Decius) 143 22mm, 3.6g.
Lovely coin! Important historically and with great eye-appeal. Coins from the Imperatorial period have good, honest wear as they circulated for decades.
@Parthicus that's a type I woild love for myself Priestly implements Julius Caesar, Denarius minted in North Africa in 46 BC COS TERT / DICT ITER, head of Ceres right AVGVR / PONT MAX, simpulum, sprinkler, capis and lituum, D in right field 3,81 gr Ref : HCRI # 57, RCV # 1403/1, RSC # 4a, Cohen # 4 Saloninus, Antoninianus Cologne mint, AD 258-260 SALON VALERIANVS CAES, radiate and draped bust right PIETAS AVG, sacrificial implements 2.85 gr Ref : Cohen # 41, RCV # 10767 Q
This coin of Augustus Caesar has priestly implements on the top of the reverse. And of course, my Tetricus II has priestly implements on the reverse. Nice coins, everyone, and the OP coin is a real beauty.
The lituus may be a form of the crook of Osiris, power over life and knowledge of the secret of the Golden Section(phi). Hence the staff that the spiritual shepherd of humankind carries. Related probably to the caduceus(2d vs. 3d) and the helix of the pine cone(Fibonacci -phi) at the end of the thyrsus of those mystery traditions. Also the Etruscans had one that produced music. Today it is the saxophone.
