This reverse type is unique to Crispina, the wife of Commodus, who was childless as far as is known to history. We don't know the circumstances surrounding the issuance of this coin. It would seem that the empress had dedicated an altar to the dei genitales, either for having had children, or that she might obtain fertility from them, or that she might commend the child, with which she was pregnant, to their care and protection. The inscription is a dedicatory phrase -- the dative form of the plural, dei genitales ("generative gods") -- and thus means "to the generative gods." The dei genitales were divinities thought by the Romans to be the parents of all things, both animate and inanimate.* Crispina also issued coins with the inscription DIS CONIVGALIBVS, perhaps wishing for happiness in marriage. Unfortunately, the wishes expressed on her coins could not be said to have been successful. The coin comes with two obverse inscriptions, CRISPINA AVG (earlier; RSC 15) and CRISPINA AVGVSTA (later; RSC 16); it is also known with a left-facing bust (RSC 16a). Crispina, AD 180-182 Roman AR denarius, 3.15 g, 19.5 mm, 11 h Rome, AD 177-180 Obv: CRISPINA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right Rev: DIS GENITALIBVS, large rectangular altar, garlanded and lighted Refs: RIC 281a; BMCRE 31-32; RSC 15; RCV 5999 var.; MIR 18, 8-4a; CRE 277. Post anything you feel is relevant! *Penn, R. G. Medicine on Ancient Greek and Roman Coins. Seaby, 1994, p. 66.
Crispina (178 - 182 .D.) AR Denarius O: CRISPINA AVGVSTA, draped bust right. R: DIS GENITABILIS, lighted altar. 17.5mm 3.15g RSC 15
Nice Denarius @Roman Collector . Always enjoy your education. I have a ragged flan of Crispina, but nothing any special: RI Crispina m Commodus 178-182 CE AR denarius 2.29g Juno stdg RIC-283 Yeah, I looked up this date in Harl's "Coinage of the Roman Economy". I thought that the silver in mine looked a bit peaked... 79% silver in my Denarius... I like those Republic Denarii which approach 99%
Here's another of the Dis Genitalibus theme surrounding the altar - same type, slightly different break pattern: While I agree that the inscription of this type is unique to Crispina, the use of this style altar as the principle image has an earlier precedent in a posthumous denarius of Sabina: To The Piety of the Empress: In this case the type is focused on uplifting/upholding the Pietas of the late empress, offering sacrifice for her family, rather than her childbearing. (RC, I am not very familiar with the customs in Roman religion for the veneration of the dead, so feel free to jump in with a more adequate explanation of why an altar appears here.)
Lovely coins! That Sabina is quite a rarity! Altars of various shapes appear on the reverses of many different Roman coins; the "uniqueness" here in the case of Crispina are the deities to whom the altar is dedicated.
Nice coin with a neat mystery! Here are two altar denarii Domitian struck. Domitian AR Denarius, 3.17g Rome mint, 81 AD RIC 40 (R2). BMC - . RSC - . Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG PONT; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: TR P COS VII DES VIII P P; Altar, garlanded and lighted Acquired from London Ancient Coins, June 2017. Domitian AR Denarius, 3.28g Rome Mint, 95-96 AD RIC 784 (R2). BMC 237B. RSC 296. Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR P XV; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: IMP XXII COS XVII CENS P P P; Altar, with two figures of soldiers, flanked by aquilae; under each aquila on top of the altar is a seated captive Ex Solidus, eBay, 13 April 2014.
