The Staff of Life, Our Daily bread

@kevin McGonigal , that is a wonderful writeup. Thank you.

My page
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/Repub/TimelineTable.html
on how Roman Republican coins are dated has this about this Republican type that references a datable current event--a law about buying grain.


100 BC. PISO CAEPIO Q
AD FRV EMV
EX SC, ear of grain
Obverse: head of Saturn with harpa behind

Cr 330/1. Sear 210. Syd 603. BMC 1125. Carson 121. Calpurnia 5.

Head of Saturn right, harpa behind, PISO CAEPIO. Q / two figures seated, grain-ear to left, AD FRV[mentum] EMV[undum] "For buying grain" EX SC.
This is an unusual case where the reference of the type can be determined precisely. BMC says "L. Saturninus proposed his lex frumentaria de semissibus et trientibus by which the state let the people buy corn at a semis and a triens (i.e 5/6 of an as) for a modius. This occurred during the second tribuneship of Saturninus in BC 100 and we have, therefore, the precise date of the issue of these coins" [p.I. 170]. Sutherland agrees "They had to produce a special and senatorially authorized coinage in order to implement a new law enabling the people to buy cheap corn" [Roman Coins, p. 70.] There are many references to grain on Republican coins and grain shortages were not uncommon. So, we use additional information to pin down this coin to a particular date. The obverse of Saturn with his attribute the harpa makes the reference to Saturninus. The remaining question is if the type might have been issued somewhat after the event (which the dates above [on that page] show some scholars thought) rather than the year of the event. The Sutherland quote seems to suggest he thought the state issued coins for buying grain, as opposed to merely using coins to remind the users of the generosity of the state and Saturninus in particular. In that case, they would have been issued in the year of the event, which Crawford selected.

 

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I'm just an American college student who happens to also collect Australian Pre-decimal coins, among other things. I simply posted it since it seemed relevant to the overall subject of this thread. Regardless, 1943 isn't ancient by means, at least in my opinion.

 

Now that is an interesting story. Five-sixths of a copper as for a modius of grain is incredibly cheap considering that is a whole peck of wheat. Do you know if every citizen was entitled to this heavily subsidized grain? Was only the head of the household entitled to this and would that amount be for his whole family? How often would he be permitted to buy the grain at that price? I can't imagine this would be a daily allotment.

 

I certainly hope my wife thinks that about 1943. My grandkids think 1993 is ancient.

 

I have only a couple of relevant coins, both with Annona legends:

Hadrian AR Denarius 134-138 AD. Obv. Bare head right, HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P/ Rev. Four grain ears in modius with one poppy in middle, ANNO-NA AVG. Old RIC II 230 (1926 ed.), RSC II 172. 18 mm., 3.2 g.



Philip I AR Antoninianus, 246 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Radiate, draped, & cuirassed bust right, IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG/ Rev. Annona standing left, holding grain ears over modius & cornucopiae, ANNONA AVGG. RIC IV-3 28c, RSC IV 25. 23 mm., 3.8 g.

 

Now that raises an interesting question. Just why would a poppy pod be included with the stalks of grain on this coin?

 

I'm pretty sure I've seen that combination in other coins. I have no idea of the reason.

 

WREATHs of GRAIN


Carthage Third Punic War Serrate Double Shekel 149-146 BCE 12.8g 26mm Wreathd Tanit-Horse pellet raised leg SNG COP 404



Carthage - Zeugitana AR Shekel-Didrachm 360-264 BCE Tanit Horse r head l palm SNG COP 141



Carthage 300-264 BCE AR 2/3 Shekel Tanit-Horse Sear6491 SNG COP143var-tile



Carthage Zeugitania First Punic War 264-241 BCE Double Shekel 26 mm 13.9 g Wreathed Tanit Horse stndng r star above SNG Cop 185 Rare

 

Here’s a very informative article I found on a site hosted by Forvm Ancient Coins that sums up the significance of poppies on ancient coins quite nicely.

"Their colorful flowers were commonly seen in amongst the grain crops, and that is because the seeds are stimulated to germinate by scratching and scraping such as is caused by plowing. So poppy heads were always associated with corn in the worship of Ceres, the Roman equivalent of Demeter."

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/moonmoth/reverse_corn.html

 

Here are 2 Imperatorials

Metellus Scipio
48-47 BC



Livineius Regulus
42 BC

 

jdmKY, great photography...and great coins.

 

My favorite coin appropriate for this thread is a fraction of the issue that gave us that lovely Terence Cheesman coin. While the type is the same on the obverse (just smaller) the incuse reverse was simplified to a single barley grain. While I grew up in Indiana where corn was what the British called maize, we did use 'barleycorn' to mean a single grain of barley or something of that general size.
Metapontion AR litra


These little fellows also came with the reverse of the full stalk matching the obverse.


Between the tiny coins and the Terence Cheesman full size coin was a 1/3 stater. Mine weighs 2.58g and is doublestruck on the reverse showing the stalk with two central ribs.
Metapontion, AR 1/3 stater, 509-645 BC

 

Interesting reading. I also have a coin from Metapontum and a Leontini tetradrachm. The only two ancient coins I have with grains of any sort on them.

 

That article on Forum was a good one and it made me think more about this. I was wondering if a flowering poppy was a visible sign, an indicator, that the grain crop was ready for cutting. Bright red poppies would stand out in a field of golden grain and if they germinated at the same time, from the planting of the grain and the turning of the soil taking place at the same time as the germinating of the grain seeds. Knowing when a field of grain is ready for cutting might be indicated by seeing those red poppies waving in the breeze within the fields of grain. Sort of a semaphore flag saying, get your scythe out here, right now. Thanks for posting the Forum article.

 

Informative and fun write-up, @kevin McGonigal! When I think of ancient grain, I think of Annona, the personification of Rome's grain supply. She's almost always portrayed holding stalks of grain and usually with a modius full of grain and/or the prow of a ship, which brought grain to Roman Europe from Egypt. Here's a typical example:


Antoninus Pius, AD 138-161.
Roman orichalcum sestertius, 23.16 g, 29 mm.
Rome, AD 142.
Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P COS III, laureate head right.
Rev: ANNONA AVG S C, Annona standing right, between modius and prow, holding corn ears and out-turned cornucopiae.
Refs: RIC 597; BMCRE 1228; Cohen 37; RCV 4147; UCR 502.

 

Your coin also shows the comparative size of a modius by picturing one next to a person. At about one peck (as in a bushel and a peck) it held about eight quarts.

 

Cool, @Roman Collector ... I have a "fake" Annona


RI Fouree Denarius Severus Alexander with Annona Avg reverse

 

What a fun writeup and thread Kevin!
Here's some of my favorites:

 

LOL, I FORGOT I had this Denarius... It is not a CORN-EAR, nor is it a GRAIN EAR as a device. RATHER, it is a HUMAN-EAR!


Roman Republic
Julius Bursio
85 BCE
AR Den Male head, with the attributes of Apollo, Mercury and Neptune, EAR behind-
Quadriga
Sear 268 Craw 352-1a


Ok, to get serious again:

MODUS


RR Minucius-Augurius AR Denarius 18mm 3.9g Rome mint 134 BCE column corn-ears togate figure loaves modius lituus Cr 243-1 S 120



RI Maximinus II Daia 305-308 CE Folles AE 26mm Trier mint GENIO POPV-LI Genius-Serapis Modius on head standing RIC VI Treveri 667b



RI Didumenian and Macrinus 217-218 CE AE28 Markianopolis mint Serapis Modius on head