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: 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?
Nice! The coins from this series are some of my favourites. 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 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. 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. 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.
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
Flying pig attempting take-off: 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."
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.
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
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. 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 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 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