As of Germanicus restored by Titus 80-81 A.D. Obv. Bare head of Germanicus Left. GERMANICVS CAESAR TI. AVG. F. DIVI AVG. N.Rv Large S.C. T. CAES. DIVI VESP. F.AVG. F. AVG. REST. 9.20 grms 25 mm
Thank you for posting that @Terence Cheesman. In my opinion it is an exceptional coin with especially nice inscriptional lettering.
In order for the Empire to be able to issue restoration coinage, which it apparently did (as I see from this thread) at least as late as Marcus Aurelius, the mint presumably had to have ready access to the original coins from as long as a couple of hundred years previously. Do we know if there was some kind of organized archive or library in Rome that preserved examples of all the previous coin issues, back at least as far as the late Republic? I would doubt that old dies were kept that long, given my understanding that they were usually destroyed after the minting of a particular type was done. (Which is the explanation I've seen as to why so few Roman coin dies have been discovered.)
Excellent question and observations @DonnaML. I have only researched and read about the Restoration coinage of Titus, Domitian & Nerva (that is about all I can handle right now) and so I cannot provide an answer to your question - or offer any meaningful commentary. Hopefully someone like @dougsmit can do that. Added via edit: newly designed and cut dies were used to produce the Restoration coinage of Titus, Domitian & Nerva.
Thank you for your interesting write up @jamesicus. Here's my 'restored' issue, but without the eagle:
Thank you @Limes. And thank you for posting that beautiful coin - unfortunately it is a different issue and not a Restoration coin. Here is my Titus Restoration example of your coin (but nowhere near as nice). Note the reverse legend ending in REST. AUGUSTUS AS, TITUS RESTORATION ISSUE, 80-81 AD (27mm, 10.03 gm) BMCRE Volume II, Rome, Titus No. 271 (variant) RIC Volume II, Part 1 (second edition), Titus, No. 454 Obverse depiction: Augustus, radiate head facing left Inscription: DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER Reverse depiction: Altar enclosure with double doors Inscription: IMP T VESP AVG REST - S C (left and right) - PROVIDENT (in exergue)
They kept in circulation coins even older than 180 years. I will give as example the Martellago hoard , 496 sestertii buried around 253 AD : Vespasian(69 AD) to Trebonianus Gallus (253 AD ). https://chre.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/hoard/13919 30% of the coins were minted between 69 - 180 AD :
Thanks. Very interesting. But I would think that the mint officials must have had an easier way of finding examples of old coins to be "restored" than looking through spare change for them, as if they were trying to complete one of those old Whitman folders!
Previously I posted: * Trajan’s Restoration/Restitution coinage was based on different criteria and he issued it in bronze, silver and gold. He also issued this coinage to honor Distinguished Republican families. There is some very interesting information relating to the Restoration/Restitution coinage of Trajan via the following CNG research link: https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=301355 A little (inevitable) thread drift here, but I thought the above information might be of some interest, and relevant to the discussion now.
Here's a Tiberius restoration under Titus. Titus restoration of Tiberius, AE As Rome 80-81 AD, 27mm, 11.1gm, RIC 432.
Thank you for posting that nice example @Ancient Aussie. I couldn’t resist buying an identical coin to the one you just posted (but nowhere near as nice as yours). Well, it was inevitable - it just shows that you can never believe Ancient coin enthusiasts when they say they are finished collecting and will never buy another coin!
Trajan Decius's Divi issues honour 11 emperors. Mattingly suggested that it was part of his policy of reviving old Roman virtues at a time of crisis. 2 of the 11 seem odd choices - Augustus,Vespasian,Titus,Nerva, Trajan,Hadrian,Antoninus Pius,Marcus Aurelius, Commodus (- !!),Septimius Severus and Severus Alexander(-! ) I have these two : Divus Antoninus Pius AR Antoninianus. Commemorative issue struck under Trajan Decius. Rome, AD 250-251. DIVO PIO, radiate head right / CONSECRATIO, lighted altar. RIC IV 90 (Decius); RSC 1189. 3.75g, 21mm, 2h Divus Trajan AR Antoninianus. Commemorative issue struck under Trajan Decius. Rome, AD 249-251. DIVO TRAIANO, radiate head right / CONSECRATIO, eagle standing right, with head left and wings displayed. RIC 85a. 3.82g, 23mm, 5h.
This link covers the question as I understand it. Start with the paragraph that begins 'Curtis Clay'. I see the Trajan restorations as rather like I see the Renaissance Paduans. There was a demand for old coins by people unable to find the real thing so some were made to satisfy the need. Most of us would not be satisfied with such things and might put these down as medals or tokens. The majority of people in the world would not be able to tell or care about the difference. Another more recent example is the modern production of Chinese cash for use by people interested in ceremony rather than numismatics. I prefer old ones but I, and most of you, are strange in our tastes by worldwide standards. https://fengshuibeginner.com/feng-shui-coins-significance-and-uses/ Theirs are cleaner and you get ribbon. Pretty ribbon. How many of you have an EID MAR, dekadrachm by Slavei or Antiquanova, Maria Teresa Taler or some other space filler? I would love to know if Trajan produced those coins for general circulation or sold them for twice face value to people who bemoaned the demonetization of all the old coins under Trajan. Moaning about the loss of the good old days started on day two. Perhaps he gave them out to special friends at a ceremony for those who served the state well.
DRUSUS REST TITUS DRUSUS (Died AD 23). Restoration issue struck under Titus (AD 80). As. Rome. Obv: DRVSVS CAESAR TI AVG F DIVI AVG N. Bare head left. Rev: IMP T CAES DIVI VESP F AVG REST. S C; legend around. RIC II² 437 (Titus).
Thank you for posting that @Alegandron - it is the first Drusus Restoration Coin in such nice condition I have encountered.
Thank you. Since I am not near my coins now, I was able to dig it up from my email archives. I knew I had a Drusus, but it was not in my database.
27 mm, Dupondius. Restoration of Augustus by Titus. DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER IMP T VESP AVG REST RIC Titus 446, dated 80-81. I don't have an original to show. The point of a "restoration" coinage is that the design has been used before (usually long ago) and is now being reproduced, except with a legend identifying who is taking credit for the restored issue. "T VESP" is Titus.
Wonderful article about a more obscure imperial coin topic. It is great to have these coins, without which I could never afford to buy an Augustus and Tiberius sestertius (still waiting for my Tiberius). In fact, as part of one of those weird things that come down the pike in ancient coins there has been an influx of Augustus Nerva restoration sestertii - as to why such coins are more available than usual you might as well as ask why is there a moon in the sky - it is just one of those things. I actually had an example that I was able to upgrade - I’ll post it shortly. Blake