The SPQR mint

In the third century Prior to Gallienus Roman imperial coins did not have mintmarks identifying the mint. We can distinguish eastern mint coins of Septimius Severus by style, but not because they have a mintmark abbreviating the mint name like coins do during and after the tetrarchy.

Gallienus has some coins with mintmark "SPQR" and so do Claudius II (268-270) and Quintillus. When RIC was published in 1927, they were attributed to Cycicus. In 1983 F. Redo wrote (in English) "The History of the SPQR mint" in Mitteillungen des Archaologischen Instituts der Ungarischen Akademie der Wissenschaften 12/13 (1982/1983), pages 85-111 with a map on page 331. His survey of the literature found various proposals for the mint city, including Cyzicus, Antioch mintworkers working outside Antioch (avoiding Sasanaian incursions), Smyrna, Ephesus, and Serdica. He concludes from hoards that it must be a mint in western Asia Minor and selects the former colonial mint of Tripolis in Phrygia, which he thinks under Aurelian changed mintmark from SPQR to TR (for Tripolis)--not the Tripolis south of Antioch, but the one in western Asia Minor.

I don't have the impression that suggestion has been adopted by scholars, but would be glad to be informed of more-recent scholarly work about the SPQR mint.



Claudius II, 268-270.
21-20 mm. 2.79 grams.
FORTVNA REDVX, Fortuna standing left holding rudder and cornucopia

Sear 11338. RIC V.I Claudius II 233 (attributed to Cyzicus).

Show some SPQR mint coins!

 

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Great reverse @Valentinian. Nice and neat (unlike my desk at the moment).

 

Interesting post. Welp, another coin on the wish list. Alas, I don’t have any of these.

 

I have one of these of a different reverse legend. These are also cool because of the longer obverse legend that you don't usually see for good ole Claud. It's not in great shape but I like it.

Edit: Also note the 3 dots under the obverse bust.


Claudius II
Cyzicus
IMP C M AVR CLAVDIVS AVG
Radiate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder, under bust
PAX AETERNA
Pax standing left, holding olive branch upward in right hand, scepter in left
SPQR in exergue
RIC V, Part I, 237a

 

Great coins and interesting bit of history!

Those are some of the best Claudius II coins I've seen. Most that I've seen are either on not great flans or done with shoddy worksmanship. Sometimes both.

 

Very nice coins folks. I don't have one of these either but I will be on the lookout. I'd never even heard of SPQR as a mint mark - you learn something new every day!

 

Excellent coins! Ah yes, the SPQR mint. Better known back then as Some Place Quite Relevant.

 

Is SPQR really a mint mark? I thought it stood for Senātus Populusque Rōmānus meaning "The Senate and the people of Rome" showing approval of some sort...kind of like the "S C" on some coins.

 

It's both. Of course, it is the usual SPQR abbreviation. However, it is, when on coins of Gallienus and Claudius II, only in exergue and associated with (by style, etc.) only one mint. So, it is not associated with a type issued empire-wide, rather a particular mint. But, which mint? I suppose we can wonder why that mint used SPQR, but this is very early in the development of mint marks and before several-letter abbreviations of the mint's name (which begins with "SERD" under Aurelian).

The first Roman imperial mintmark with any claim to clarity is that of Serdica (now Sophia, Bulgaria's capital and largest city). Among the very common coins of Aurelian, (270-275 AD) there are a few rare coins with mintmark SERD.




Aurelian, Roman emperor 270-275 AD.
22-20 mm.
Minted at Serdica
Mintmark: SERD
IMP AVRELIANVS AVG
Reverse: IOVI CONSERVATORI
Emperor on the left in military dress holding a spear in his left
and receiving a globe from Jupiter,
naked and holding a long scepter.
RIC 265 (Serdica)

 

Now that is just plain cool, Warren. I can see where the SPQR mint-mark would come in: Mint Manager says - "hey! we can be the premier mint with a SPQR mint-mark! QUICK, let's pound out a bunch of coins with SPQR so that we are top dog!"

LOL, it is like when Usa, Japan used to make product, then labeled it MADE IN USA!

 

I learned something...now if I could just remember it...

 

Memory is the second thing to go. I don't remember what was first!

 

That's a really nice SPQR, Warren!

I haven't read in depth into why, but the new RIC Online database for Vol. V part I apparently follows the suggestion there was not one but two mints that used SPQR as a mintmark - first Smyrna, then Cyzicus, where the workshop and workers were moved to.

Here's one of the SPQR issues listed as being from Smyrna.


CLAUDIUS II
AE/Billon Antoninianus. 3.37g, 21.5mm. Smyrna mint, circa end AD 268 - early 269. New RIC V/1 Online temp #854 (this coin cited). O: IMP C M AVR CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right; two dots below bust. R: PROVIDENTIA AVG, Mercury standing left, holding purse in right hand and short-handled caduceus in left hand; SPQR in exergue.
Ex Finn Johannessen Collection (purchased from Walt Miskavage, 17 Nov 2003)
Notes: Extremely rare: "Second known specimen according to Jerome Mairat"
Not in RIC 1st. This combination of this reverse legend and type (Mercury) only known at Smyrna. Two varieties, both extremely rare.

 

I think that now the generally accepted theory is that the early types (late Gallienus ca. first half of 268 to early Claudius II last few months of 268, perhaps even as late as January 269) were struck at Smyrna, while in 269 the operation moved to Cyzicus. For this possible attribution and chronology argues P. Gysen - A propos des ateliers de Smyrne et de Cyzique que sous Claude II le Gothique' CENB 36, no. 2 (1999), pp. 29-41 and J. Mairat - L'ouverture de l'atelier imperial de Cyzique sous le regne de Claude II le Gothique RN (2007), and it is used by Mairat & Estiot on the online version of RIC V. Before that, authors that dealt with Eastern coinage from Gallienus, like K.J.J. Elks - The Eastern Mints of Valerian and Gallienus: The Evidence of Two New Hoards from Western Turkey (NC 15 1975 pp. 91-109), assigned it to Cyzicus (together with many other issues like the VIIC and PXV and 'Asian mint' coins). But from Cyzicus are now known provincial issues for both Gallienus and Claudius II.

 

Warren, For comparison a nummus of Galerius from Serdica (SM SD).


Galerius as Caesar, AD 293-305 (struck AD 304/5). Billon Nummus: 27 mm, 9.95 gm, 7 h. RIC 4b.

 

So cool to learn about these mintmarks, and that "SPQR" was the first on roman coins!

 

Let me interject a stupid question...did SPQR occur anywhere else on any Roman coins?

 

Sure. It's on a lot of Trajan's coins (and later the coins of other emperors) after he was given the title Optimo Principi, as part of the legend S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI, meaning "From the Senate and People of Rome to the best of Princes." (See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI.) See also https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI:

"S. P. Q. R. OPTIMO PRINCIPI.-- On coins
of Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Sept.
Severus, Gallienus, Maximinus Daza, Alexand.
Tyran [?]. Licinius pater, and Constantinus Magnus."

Here are a few of Trajan's that I have:

Trajan AR Denarius, 106 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right; IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TRP COS V P P / Rev. Captive Dacian in peaked cap with wide brim, seated right on shield in mournful attitude with left elbow on raised left knee, and face resting in left hand; below, curved Dacian sword (falx) right; SPQR OPTIMO PRINCIPI. RIC II 219 (http://numismatics.org/ocre/results?q=RIC+II+Trajan+219); RSC II 529; Sear RCV II 3168 (obv. var.); BMCRE 175 (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-11584). 17 mm., 3.02 g., 6 h.



Trajan AR Denarius, AD 107 [Sear RCV II], Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder, IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P / Rev. Danuvius (the Danube), naked to waist, reclining with left elbow on rocks amidst reeds, looking right, cloak billowing out in circle behind head, right hand resting on ship behind him with prow in shape of bird’s head (swan?), COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC; in exergue, DANVVIVS. RIC II Trajan 100, RSC II 136 (ill. p. 88), Sear RCV II 3138 (ill. p. 102), BMCRE III 395. 19 mm., 3.05 g. Purchased from Silbury Coins, UK, Jan. 2022.*



*According to Foss at p. 100 [Clive Foss, Roman Historical Coins (Seaby, London, 1990)], this coin (Foss, Trajan No. 22), together with two other types (RIC II 542-544 and RIC 556-569), commemorate the preparations for the second Dacian war in AD 106, including “crossing into Dacia by a bridge and with the aid of the god of the Danube who helped to overcome Dacia.”

Trajan AR Denarius, AD 107-108, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right, slight drapery on far shoulder, IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P / Emperor standing in triumphal quadriga to right (decorated with image of Trajan standing left erecting trophy to right), holding branch with right hand extended and eagle-tipped scepter with left hand, COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC. RIC II 139 corr. (bust type); BMCRE III Trajan 349 at p. 78; RSC II 94; Sear RCV II 3131. Purchased Jan. 6, 2022 at Roma Numismatics E-Sale 93, Lot 974. 19 mm., 3.03 g., 6h.

 

Happy Valentines Day.

 

Very Cute. Made giggle