Aequitas, the Roman counterpart to the Greek Dikaiosyne, was the personification of equity and fairness, particularly in commerce and business. She is similar to Justitia in her iconography, but Justitia was the personification of justice and fairness in legal matters. Aequitas is almost always represented as a female figure, clothed in the stola, generally standing but occasionally seated, holding a pair of scales, or very rarely a patera or branch in the right hand, and in the left a cornucopiae or scepter. Some numismatists consider the scepter-like object to be a pertica (measuring rod), which makes sense as a counterpart to the scales as an object for measuring items in the course of commercial transactions. She appears on coins of numerous emperors and empresses from the first through third centuries. Show your Aequitas coins or anything you feel is relevant! Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161. Roman AR denarius, 3.25 g, 18 mm, 6 h. Rome, late autumn AD 140 - December AD 144. Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, Laureate head of Antoninus Pius, right. Rev: AEQVITAS AVG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales in right hand and vertical rod in left hand. Refs: RIC 61, BMCRE 173-177; RSC 14; Strack 82; RCV 4049; Hill UCR 331; Dinsdale 010460. Notes: Sear dates the coin to AD 141 specifically. Herennia Etruscilla, AD 249-253 Roman AR Antoninianus; 4.10 g, 23.3 mm, 5 h Antioch, AD 250-251 Obv: HER ETRVSCILLA AVG, diademed and draped bust right on crescent, hair smooth and with a long plait carried up the back of the head (Sear type b; Temeryazev and Makarenko type 2) Rev: AEQVITAS AVGG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae Refs: RIC 64; RSC 3d; RCV 9491; CRE 540; Hunter p. xcix. Trebonianus Gallus, AD 251-253. Roman AR antoninianus, 3.54 g, 20.7 mm, 5 h. Antioch, second series, AD 251-252. Obv: IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right; • below. Rev: AEQVITAS AVG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae; • in exergue. Refs: RIC 80; Cohen 6; RCV 9623; Hunter 52; ERIC II 30 var. (different officina marks). Tacitus, AD 275-276. Roman billon antoninianus, 3.85 g, 23.3 mm, 5 h. Lugdunum, issue 1, AD 275. Obv: IMP C CL TACITVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: AEQVITAS AVG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 14; MER/RIC temp 3244; Estiot 1126; Bastien 26b; Cohen 5; RCV --.
Here is my Hadrian sestertius featuring AEQVITAS. Unfortunately the reverse is not in the best shape.
Dikaiosyne: ANTONINUS PIUS Billon Tetradrachm. 13.13g, 21.8mm. EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 15 (AD 151/2). Dattari 2191; Emmett 1375.15; RPC Online temp #13726. O: ΑΝΤωΝΙΝΟС СƐΒ ƐVСƐΒ, Laureate head right, with trace of drapery on shoulder. R: L ΙƐ, Dikaiosyne standing facing, head left, holding scales and cornucopia. Ex Robert L. Grover Collection of Roman-Egyptian Coinage, previously held by the Art Institute of Chicago (1981.442)
From the Crusty Sestertius Collection: Marcus Aurelius Æ Sestertius (177-178 A.D.) Rome Mint M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXXII, laureate head right / M[P VIIII] C[OS III PP] SC, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae. RIC 1230; BMC 1678 (21.45 grams / 27 mm) Severus Alexander Æ Sest. (226 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP CAES M AVR SEV ALE[XANDER AVG], laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / AEQVITAS AVGVSTI S C, Aequitas standing with scales and cornucopiae. RIC 547; Cohen 20. (17.94 grams / 30 mm)
I have a Trajan Denarius and was my first ever Roman silver... Trajan ar Denarius 98-117AD 20mm/2.66gr (Minted 103-111AD) Obverse-IMPTRAIANO AVG GER DAC PMTRP laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder Reverse-COS VPPS PQR OPTIMO PRINC Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae. RIC II# 118
I have a couple of examples: Trajan (Augustus) Coin: Brass Sestertius IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P - Laureate bust right, wearing aegis S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI - Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae; S-C across fields. Exergue: Mint: Rome (103-111 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 25.60g / 34mm / 6h References: RIC 497 Woytek 237c Banti 178 Provenances: Roma Numismatics Acquisition/Sale: Roma Numismatics Internet E-Live Auction 4 #770 $0.00 01/19 Notes: Jan 12, 19 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection Severus Alexander (Augustus) Coin: Brass Sestertius IMP CAES M AVR SEV ALEXANDER AVG - Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. AEQVITAS AVGVSTI - Aequitas standing, head left, holding scales and cornucopiae, S-C across fields. Exergue: Mint: Rome (226 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 16.50g / 31.7mm / 360 References: RIC IV 547 BMCRE 334 Cohen 20 Acquisition/Sale: numismatics-eu eBay $0.00 03/18 Notes: Jun 13, 18 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection
A couple of examples: also a Trajan Denarius: Rome 108 AD, 17 x 18.5 mm, 2.747 g Ref.: RIC II Trajan 119; Cohen 86; BMC 288 Ob.: IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P Bust of Trajan, laureate, draped on left shoulder, right Rev.: COS V P P S P Q R OPTIMO PRINC Aequitas seated left, holding scales in right hand and cornucopiae in left Vespasianus Æ As, Rome, 74 AD 26 mm, 10.532 g Ref.: RIC² Vespasian 722; BMC.702 Ob.: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG COS V CENS laureate head left Rev.: AEQUITAS AVGVST Aequitas, draped, standing left, holding scales in right hand and long vertical rod (pertica) in left; S C across field
A less than common Aequitas is the Septimius Severus from Alexandria mint with legend AEQVITAS II. One theory suggests that the II refers to Alexandria as the second city of the empire. I don't have a better idea but I can't say I see this as obvious.
MACRINUS AE 26 OBVERSE: AVT K M OPEL CEVH MAKPINOC, laureate head right REVERSE: UP AGRIPA (sic) NIKOPOLITWN PROS ISTRWN, Aequitas standing right, holding scales and cornucopiae Struck at Nikopolis ad Istrum, 217 AD 10.2g, 26mm Moushmov 1243
