I have an educational site on VOTA coins: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/VOTA/ I added this interesting sestertius of Antoninus Pius to the second-century page: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/VOTA/second.html Antoninus Pius, 138-161 A sestertuus. 31-30 mm. 24.87 grams. ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TRP XXII Refers to year 22 = 158/9. VOTA SOL DEC II COS IIII below [SOL for vows paid (soluta) and II for the second time] Emperor veiled and togate holding patera over tripod altar, (tiny) bull behind altar. "DEC II" refers to ten years for the second time. RIC 1008. BMC 2046. Sear II 4261. The TRP date is year 22 while the vows are paid for 20. This may be because the reckoning of TRP powers changed in 147 when Antoninus Pius finished year 9 and had year 10 and began year 11, effectively squeezing two years into one. Many emperors did not make it to ten years, much less twenty. If you see VOT XX (for 20 years) on a coin it is usually vows taken (suscepta) earlier with a promise to the gods to be paid (soluta) if they make it to 20 years. Not many did. But, Antoninus Pius did and on this sestertius he recorded that he paid ten-year vows for the second time. Show us a VOTA coin!
Septimius Severus denarius Obv:– L S-EPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX, Laureate head right Rev:– VOTIS DECENNALIBVS, Septimius, togate and veiled, standing left sacrificing over tripod Minted in Laodicea-ad-Mare. A.D. 202 Reference:– RIC IV 519; BMCRE 680; RSC 796. 2 exampled in RD so relatively scarce. D of DECENNALIBVS corrected from E
Here’s an Antonius Pius denarius with the same TRP, but with him renewing his vows for ten years for the third time (which he sadly wouldn’t live to see completed).
Great write-up and I really find your website useful, Valentinian (on many topics - I hit it a lot). I just posted this elsewhere, but here is a ratty Commodus VOTA sestertius: Commodus Æ Sestertius (184 A.D.) Rome Mint M COMMODVS ANTON AV[G PIVS BRIT], laureate head right / VOTA SVS[CEP DECEN P M TR P VIIII (or X) IMP VII] around, [COS IIII] P P below, S-[C], Commodus togate stdg. left, sacrificing at tripod. RIC 441c (VIIII) or 454a (X) (21.03 grams / 29 mm)
@Valentinian - I love your web pages.. especially appreciate how you select a specific topic and meticulously walk through from start to finish while showing plenty examples. As a new collector this really helps. COMMODUS AUGUSTUS AE sestertius. 184–185 AD. M COMMODVS ANTO—N AVG PIVS BRIT, laureate head of Commodus right. Reverse - VOTA SVSCEP DECEN P M TR P X IMP VII COS IIII P P, emperor, veiled and togate, sacrificing left from patera over tripod, S—C across field RIC vol VII Aquileia 106 R1 322 AD Obv: CRISPVS NOB CAES, bust r. Rev: CAESARVM NOSTRORVM around wreath containing VOT X Size: 18.95 mm Weight: 2.8 grams Obv: CONSTANTINVS AVG, laureate head right. Rev: D N CONSTANTINI MAX AVG, VOT XX within wreath Mintmark: Epsilon SIS sunburst RIC VII Siscia, 180.
