The Great Sow of Alba Longa

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by SeptimusT, Jul 25, 2019.

  1. SeptimusT

    SeptimusT Well-Known Member

    Great Sow.jpg
    AE As of Antoninus Pius
    Obverse
    : ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III; Laureate head right
    Reverse: IMPERATOR II; sow right under tree, piglets suckling beneath.
    Struck at Rome in AD 143/4, RIC 733

    This fascinating coin arrived recently. At the time I bought it, I had no idea of the significance of the imagery on it, I just liked the idea of having a coin with a big, fat pig on it. That got me to wondering why this coin had such a big, fat pig on it.

    The answer seems to be that it is a commemorative issue, tied with Pius' well known Wolf and Twins issue (RIC 734 and others) of the same year. Other associated coins included one showing Aeneas and Ascanius, and another showing Mars and Rhea Silvia (parents of Romulus and Remus). All refer to the origin of the city of Rome, and were struck in commemoration of the 900th anniversary of its founding.

    In the case of the sow, it is a reference to the prophecy given by the river god Tiberinus to Aeneas (according to Aeneid VIII 26-65), saying that where he would find "a huge sow lying on the shore, under oak trees, that has farrowed a litter of thirty young, a white sow, lying on the ground, with white piglets round her teats, that place shall be your city." This prophecy was fulfilled at the site where Aeneas would found Alba, which would set in motion events which would lead to the founding of Rome. An almost identical image (although the sow appears to be of a more domesticated type than on the coin) is found on a relief at the British Museum, dating to around the same time as the coin:

    2346378516_afb5529083_o.jpg

    Just another example of how digging deeper into our coins, no matter how humble they might be, can make them ten times more interesting. Does anyone else have any issues from this series, or other interesting commemorative (or just pig related) coins that they'd like to share?
     
    Last edited: Jul 25, 2019
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  3. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    I'd love to get a big ol' pig rome founding reverse, nice one|!
     
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  4. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    Nice!

    The coins from this series are some of my favourites.

    [​IMG]
    ANTONINUS PIUS
    AE As. 11.02g, 28.6mm. Rome mint, AD 140-144. RIC 733; Cohen 450. O: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right. R: IMPERATOR II, Sow seated by a river under an oak tree suckling three piglets, another one before her; SC in exergue.
    Ex Old Sable Collection

    [​IMG]ANTONINUS PIUS
    AE As. 11.34g, 27.8mm. Rome mint, AD 140 AD. RIC 694a. O: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P, laureate head right. R: TR POT COS III SC, Mars right, holding spear and shield, descending through the air toward sleeping Rhea Silvia.

    [​IMG]
    ANTONINUS PIUS
    AE As. 9.56g, 27.9mm. Rome mint, AD 143-144. RIC 736a. O: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right. R: IMPERATOR II, two ancilia (oval shields with rounded projections above and below); ANCILIA in exergue, S C across field.

    [​IMG]ANTONINUS PIUS
    AE As. 9.33g, 27.6mm. Rome mint, AD 140-143, RIC 734a. O: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P COS III, laureate head right. R: IMPERATOR II, She-wolf suckling the twins Romulus and Remus; boat in exergue, between S C.
     
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  5. Hookman

    Hookman Well-Known Member

    I thought you liked Turtles !?!
     
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  6. Shay OBriain

    Shay OBriain New Member

    I have a silver ring with a bezel of the exact image of the pig under the oak tree . I too was intrigued by this image and looked thru a catalog of Roman coins until I found this coin .

    The image of the pig only exist with Vespasian , Titus and Antoninius Pius but I had no idea of the significance until I googled and found this site .
    This ring is a celebration ring and also has engraving of IMP on the arm and F P A . I think
     
  7. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    “ Look at all the little piggies living piggy lives....”

    5AE7C702-2C98-4AE2-AB79-3D5A3D7AA3A6.jpeg
     
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  8. Ed Snible

    Ed Snible Well-Known Member

    Flying pig attempting take-off:

    822244-both.jpg
    IONIA. Klazomenai. Pseudo-autonomous issue circa c. 180-218 AD. Bronze AE15, 2.17 g.
    Obv: Helmeted and bust of Athena wearing aegis, right.
    Rev: KLA/ZOM around and beneath winged boar running right.
    Ref: SNG Cop. 114-5v; BMC 111-2; RPC IV online 907.

    Barclay Head wrote “The distinctive badge of the city appears from the later inscribed coins to have been a winged boar; cf. Aelian (De Natura Animalium, xii. 38), who relates, on the authority of Artemon, that such a monster once infested the Clazomenian territory.”

    Although Barclay Head and numismatists describe this as a winged boar, on Thoi.org it is being called a sow: https://www.theoi.com/Ther/HusKlazomenaios.html

    Aelian, On Animals 12. 38 (trans. Scholfield) (Greek natural history C2nd A.D.) :
    "I have heard that on Klazomenai (Clazomenae) [an island west of Smyrna] there was a sow with wings, and it ravaged the territory of Klazomenai. And Artemon records this in his Annals of Klazomenai. That is why there is a spot named and celebrated as ‘The Place of the Winged Sow,’ and it is famous. But if anyone regards this as myth, let him do so."
     
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  9. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    I was not aware of this pig of the legend being on coins other than Antoninus Pius' (or did you mean 'any' pig?). The Flavian pigs are considered a slap at the Jews after the Jewish Wars. My Titus shows a sow and two piglets but they also come with three little pigs. rb1345fd3310.jpg
     
  10. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    [​IMG]
    Campania, CAPUA
    AE Uncia
    Attribution: SNG ANS 210
    Date: 216-211 BC
    Obverse: Bust of Diana right, with bow and quiver over shoulder
    Reverse: Boar right, one pellet above, KAPV (retrograde) in exergue
    Size: 20.72 mm
    Weight: 6.56 grams
    2nd Punic War - Hannibal promises Capua as Capital of Italia after Rome destroyed.
    Scarce
     
  11. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Gaul, Remi.jpg
    NORTHEAST GAUL, REMI
    AE Potin Unit
    OBVERSE: Figure seated facing with legs crossed holding torque and plait of hair
    REVERSE: Boar standing right with snake-like ornament above, star below
    Struck at unknown Mint, 100-50 BC
    21mm, 6.12g
    D&T220 // Depeyrot NC VII, 33 // BMC447-9 // DeLaTour8145
    M. VOLTEIUS M.F 2.jpg
    M. VOLTEIUS M.F. ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VOLTEIA
    AR Denarius
    OBVERSE: Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion skin
    REVERSE: Erymathian Boar right, M VOLTEI M F in ex
    Rome 78BC
    3.76g, 18mm
    Syd 775, Cr385/2, Volteia 2
    C Hosidius Cf Geta.jpg
    C HOSIDIUS CF GETA ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS HOSIDIA
    AR Denarius
    OBVERSE: GETA before, III VIR behind, diademed & draped bust of Diana right, bow and quiver on shoulder
    REVERSE: C HOSIDI C F, wild boar of Calydon right, pierced by spear and attacked by dog
    Struck at Rome 64 BC
    3.6g, 17mm
    Cr407/2; Hosidia 1
    MYSIA Kyzikos A.jpg
    MYSIA
    AR Hemiobol
    OBVERSE: Forepart of running boar left, tunny fish behind upward
    REVERSE: Head of roaring lion left within incuse square, star above
    Struck at Kyzikos, 480-450BC
    0.41 g, 9.5 mm
    Sear 3850
     
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