Visit Rome and you can walk along the Roman Forum. Here is a picture of the Forum taken last November from the Palatine Hill above the Forum. Here is one in the opposite direction, taken from the Forum. You can see people on the platform at the top where I took the first picture. Near that spot was the Rostra. Wikipedia notes, "Speakers would stand on the rostra and face the north side of the comitium towards the senate house and deliver orations to those assembled in between. ... It derives its name from the six rostra (plural of rostrum, a warship's ram) which were captured following the victory at Antium in 338 BC and mounted to its side." Here is a recent purchase showing that spot in the Forum: Lollius Palicanus, 45 BC 19-18 mm. 3.55 grams. LIBERTATIS down left behind head of Liberty PALIKANVS above tribune's chair on Rostra with three ship's beaks. Sear I 465. Crawford 473/1. Sear The History and the Coinage of the Roman Imperators 86. The moneyer's father, Marcus Palicanus, was tribune in 71 BC. Caesar was regarded (by some) as Liberator of the state (from the supporters of Pompey). There are other Roman coin types with monuments from the Forum. Show us a coin that relates to the Roman Forum.
Great coin Warren, lucky you squeezed that trip in just in time, we were in the area a month earlier. I have quite a few coins relating to the forum but your one has alluded me. Here's a coin of the senate house not far from there. Curia Julia senate house denarius 29 BC, Octavian. 3.5gm.
Hi @Andres2, I very much like the snake in the pediment. Nice coin. Any idea why either Roma or Venus might have a snake on their temple (aside from decoration)? - Broucheion
This is my coin. In the background, the temple of the divine Julius and the second rostra. A coin in poor condition but very rare, it only cost $ 8. And here is an interesting article about this very rare coin https://www.triposo.com/poi/Temple_...9-hdktecQoww_IolpN2XMRBKucT0nyNTLmv6tFDxMoBKA HADRIAN Setertius RIC 639 weight 23,7g
I think that is not a snake in the architrave or frieze of Maxentius' temple of Roma, but rather a wavy line with pellets under each crest and in every trough, an element that occurs quite often in Maxentius' type, for example RIC VI, pl. 6, 208. Drost's book on the coinage of Maxentius doesn't seem to mention this architectural detail, but he refers to an article by Bayet in Revue belge de num. 1993 that contains an architectural analysis of Maxentius' temple type so presumably comments on the wavy line. Unfortunately that particular RBN volume is not in Harlan Berk's or my own library, and I don't immediately find it online.
Here's the article: Bayet, Thomas, Architectura Numismatica : iconographie monétaire du temple de Rome, des mausolées et des ouvrages fortifiés au Bas-Empire, Revue Belge de Numismatique 139 (1993) p. 59-81 Although I do find it easy to see a head on the left end of that line? "...sometimes by two parallel lines inscribed with dots (d, e, j and k), or a wavy line (g) or the wavy line bordered by dots (f, h, i, l and p). On some coins we also see a design of foliage..."
Hi @Sulla80 & @curtislclay, I see a snake as @Sulla80 explains. I also see a hint of snakes or something else with a fat end in the other two sides of the metope. It might just be decoration or a floral garland. I’ve never seen this type before so I have nothing to compare it to. Interesting none the less. Thank you for your input! - Broucheion
