Thunderbolts!

Among the many attributes of Jupiter/Zeus, such as an eagle, scepter, or statue of Victory, was the thunderbolt. That's because Zeus was the god of thunder!



Indeed, Jupiter/Zeus was the premier god in the Greco-Roman pantheon. He is often portrayed in ancient art holding thunderbolts, such as on this 2nd century Roman wellhead, the Moncloa Puteal, now in the National Archaeological Museum in Madrid.




Unsurprisingly, then, thunderbolts appear often on Greek and Roman coins, often in Jupiter/Zeus' grasp, sometimes in the talons of his eagle, sometimes as a design element on its own, and sometimes as a control mark on the obverse or reverse.

This little article makes no attempt at completeness. Rather, it's an overview of the subject. Let's see your thunderbolts!!

In Jupiter's grasp:


Gordian III, AD 238-244.
Roman AR antoninianus, 3.62 g, 21.6 mm, 5 h.
Rome mint, 2nd officina, 3rd emission, AD 241-243.
Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: IOVI STATORI, Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding scepter and thunderbolt.
Refs: RIC 84; Cohen 109; RCV 8615; Hunter 51.


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman billon antoninianus, 3.10 g, 20.1 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 261.
Obv: IMP GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: IOVI VLTORI, Jupiter standing, head right, holding lightning bolt in right hand, cloak flying right; S in left field.
Refs: RIC 220F; Göbl 383x; RCV 10247; Cohen 404 var.


In the grasp of Jupiter/Zeus' eagle:


Ptolemy V Epiphanes, 205 BC-180 BC
Greek Æ hemidrachm, 18.84 g; 28.4 mm
Alexandria, ca. 197-183/2 BC
Obv: Corn-wreathed head of Isis, right
Rev: ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ, eagle standing on winged thunderbolt, left
Refs: Svoronos 1235; Sear Greek 7880; BMCG 6.94,72; SNG VIII (Hart) 1175; Forrer


Titus as Caesar, AD 69-79.
Roman AR Denarius, 3.27 g, 18.5 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 76.
Obv: T CAESAR IMP VESPASIAN, laureate head right.
Rev: COS V, Eagle standing front on garlanded altar, thunderbolt in claws, wings open, head left.
Refs: RIC.191a; RIC2.861; BMCRE 191; CBN 166; RSC.59a; RCV 2438.

Thunderbolts as a design element:


Faustina II, AD 147-175.
Roman provincial Æ 23 mm, 9.0 g.
Cilicia, Olba, c. AD 158-165.
Obv: ΦΑVCΤΙΝΑ CЄΒΑCΤΗ, draped bust of Faustina, right, wearing stephane.
Rev: ΟΛΒЄ-ΩΝ, winged thunderbolt.
Refs: RPC IV.3, 5828 (temporary); BMC 21.125,25; SNG von Aulock 5795; SNG Levante 657.
Notes: Obverse die-match to SNG von Aulock and SNG Levante specimens.


Hadrian, AD 117-138.
Roman orichalcum semis, 4.06 g, 18.1 mm, 7 h.
Rome, AD 121-23.
Obv: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, eagle standing half right, head turned left, wings open but not spread.
Rev: P M TR P COS III S C, thunderbolt.
Refs: RIC 625; RIC 2.3, 624; BMC 1279; Cohen 1167; Strack 579; RCV 3704.

Thunderbolts as control marks:


Troas, Alexandria, 3rd-2nd c. BC.
Greek Æ 13.5 mm, 2.20 g, 11 h.
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo, right.
Rev: AΛEΞAN above horse grazing left, monogram beneath, thunderbolt in exergue.
Refs: Sear 4028; BMC 17.10,18-20; SNG Cop 81-82; SNG von Aulock 7546.


Mn. Fonteius C.f., 85 BC.
Roman AR Denarius, 3.97 g, 21.0 mm, 5h.
Rome mint.
Obv: MN. FONTEI C. F, Laureate head of Apollo-Vejovis right; thunderbolt below; Roma monogram below chin.
Rev: Infant Genius seated right on goat; pilei of the Dioscuri above; below, filleted thyrsus right; all within wreath.
Refs: Crawford 353/1a; Sydenham 724; Fonteia 9; BMCRR 2476; RCV 271; Varesi 290.


Philip II of Macedon.
Æ Unit, 6.30 g, 18.6 mm.
Kingdom of Macedon, uncertain mint.
Obv: Diademed head of Apollo, r.
Rev: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΥ, youth on horseback r.; thunderbolt below.
Refs: Bellinger 43; SNG ANS 883.

 

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My coin of Domitian with Minerva holding a thunderbolt in right hand.

RIC II-1 580
Rome Mint
19.5mm
3.26 g.

 

Here are my two favorite thunderbolts!

Claudius II. Holding the t-bolt.


Antoninus Pius. Big bolt as the reverse element.


Curiously, this stylized thunderbolt shows up in a very similar form in India and Tibet as the vajra, or dorje, respectively.

 

Almost no Ptolemy coin without a thunderbolt:



Pallas Athena with thunderbolt

 

BaBoom!!! Fantastic thread idea aaand excellent coins!
Bird on a hot wire

 

Commodus:

Zeus

Mint of Alexandria, Egypt.

Commodus (180-192. A.D.)

Type: Billon Tetradrachm, 25mm, 11.06 grams

Obverse: M AVΡ KOMMO ANTΩNINOC CE, Laureate bust of Commodus right

Reverse: VΠAT OCTOΔ, Zeus seated left, holding scepter and thunderbolt, K theta in field

Reference: Emmett 2567

 

Here is a Probus I am working on that has Mint Mark R Thunderbolt Z.

 

Sound of the drums
Beating in my heart
The thunder of guns
Tore me apart
You've been
Thunderstruck



19.9 mm 2.38 g
Postumus (260-269 A.D.)
Billon Antoninianus
Colonia Agrippina (Cologne, Germany) mint, (ca. 260-61 A.D.)
Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped &cuirassed bust of Postumus right
Rev: IOVI VICTORI, Jupiter walking right, hurling a thunderbolt
RIC 311




Hadrian AD 117-138. Rome Quadrans Æ 18 mm., 2,52 g.
Date Range: AD 121 - AD 123
RIC II Hadrian 624
Æ SEMIS . Rome mint. Struck AD 121-122. Eagle standing facing, head right / Winged thunderbolt.
Obverse Legend: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG
Eagle standing right
Reverse Legend: P M TR P COS III // S C (in field)
Type: Thunderbolt



Claudius II (Gothicus) AD 268-270. Siscia Billon Antoninianus 20 mm., 3,22 g.
RIC V Claudius Gothicus 52
Date Range: AD 268 - AD 270
Rome not Siscia (described by auction house as Siscia but I'm pretty sure this is Rome)
Obverse Legend: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG
Type: Bust of Claudius Gothicus, radiate, draped, right
Reverse Legend: IOVI STATORI
Type: Jupiter, nude, standing right, holding sceptre in right hand and thunderbolt in left hand




13.62 g 24.5 mm

SICILY, Syracuse. Timoleon and the Third Democracy. 344-317 BC. Æ Hemidrachm Timoleontic Symmachy coinage. 1st series, circa 344-339/8 BC. Laureate head of Zeus Eleutherios right / Upright thunderbolt; to right, eagle standing right. Castrizio Series I, 1γ; CNS 72; HGC 2, 1440. Dark green patina, slight roughness.

 

I got to see Kiss right before the Rona started. Had tickets for The Stones but they canceled.



Ionia, Metropolis. Ares/thunderbolt. AE15.
Obv: Helmeted head of Ares right.
Rev: MHTΡOΠO-ΛITΩN above and beneath winged thunderbolt.
BMC 1


Lycia, Phaselis.
Obv: Prow of galley right.
Rev: Athena standing right, wielding thunderbolt and aegis.


Macedonian Kings, Philip V. Bronze AE17. Aegis shield.
Macedonian Kingdom, Philip V, 221 - 179 B.C. Bronze AE 17, obverse laureate head of Zeus right; reverse B-A / Φ, Athena Alkidemos standing right, brandishing javelin in right, aegis in left hand with head of medusa, dolphin lower right. SNG Cop 1244-1246var.


Phrygia, Peltae. AE14
Obv: Zeus, head r.
Rev: PELTHNWN / Winged thunderbolt.
BMC 2.

 

Oh, and I think I forgot to mention

 

LICINIUS I, Follis
AQS . Aquileia, 317
3.81 g - 21 mm
S 15203 - C 83 - RIC VII, 7
IMP LICINIVS PF AVG, laureate bust right
IOVI CONSERVATORI, Jupiter standing left, holding sceptre and thunderbolt

 

Most of these are rather pathetic as thunderbolts go, but here they are.

A vertical thunderbolt beneath the horse:



Ptolemy VI, eagle on thunderbolt:



M. Fonteius, thunderbolt below Apollo's neck:



Q. Cassius Longinus, eagle on thunderbolt:



Dea Caelestis holding thunderbolt and scepter:

 

This reverse also has a bonus thunderbolt down by the mint mark.


Probus, Antoninianus (24 mm, 3.39 g), Rome, 282. Radiate and cuirassed bust r./Rev. Jupiter standing front, head to l., holding thunderbolt in his r. hand and scepter in his l. R(thunderbolt)B. RIC 175

 

Just worked up this little AE from Selge:


Pisidia, Selge Æ 14
(c. 200 - 10 B.C.)
Bare head of Herakles to right; before, K. / CΕΛΓΕ Winged thunderbolt; to right, bow (topped with a griffin head?).
SNG BN 1998; Paris 764 var.; SNG France 1988; BMC 50; Sear 5412.
(2.10 grams / 14 mm)
eBay April 2021 Lot @ $1.24
Attribution Notes:
Type with K on obverse rather scarce (three auctions found). Possible die match with: Nomos Obolos Web Auction 17 Lot 334, 20.12.2020, which notes SNG BN 1998 (same dies). In this auction, bow is described as being topped with a griffin head, but I do not see it.

 

Don't forget Augustus, who also has thunderbolts

Æ Dupondius, Colonia Romula (Sevilla), struck after 14 AD under Tiberius
33 x 34 mm, 25.52 g
RPC I 73; SGI 189; Heiss 393, 2; SNG Copenhagen 423.13.35

Ob.: COL ROM PERM DIVI AVG Radiate head of Divus Augustus to r.; six-rayed star above, thunderbolt at r.
Rev.: IVLIA AVGVSTA GENETRIX ORBIS head of Livia to l., set on globe, crescent above

​

 

Hi All,

Here's a Ptolemaic small bronze with thunderbolt/eagle that's not often seen. Probably after c 198 BCE.



∎ OBV: Thunderbolt with wings. No centration depression. Dotted border.
∎ REV: Εagle on thunderbolt facing left, wings closed, [cornucopia on shoulder not visible]; unclear inscription [ΠΤΟΛΕΜΑΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ]. No centration depresion. Dotted border.
∎ Reference: Svoronos 1246, pl xl, 28 [2 listed].
∎ Provenanced find: Nea Paphos excavations, Nicolaou (1990), 170-172.

- Broucheion

 

This has to be my favorite thunderbolt. This coin is interesting in that back in 2005 when I bought it no one loved it. It was remaindered and I bought it after the auction had closed. Furthermore this coin is part of a major shift in the propaganda centering on the emperors fitness to rule. Up to the time of Trajan that was simply his ability as a military commander. Under Hadrian and then Pius the notion became that he was emperor because of the wisdom of the gods. In this coin Pius alludes to that theory using the thunderbolt of Jupiter and the legend PROVIDENTIAE DEORVM.
Sestertius of Antoninus Pius 142 AD Obv. Head right laureate Rv Winged thunderbolt RIC 618 23.63 grms 30 mm Photo by W. Hansen

 

..some nice thunderbolts!...the only one i can recall off the flip is on this bronze Alexander..

 

More thunderbolts:

Sicily:


and nearby Luceria:

On a good day, even the favourite daughter was allowed to play with the toys.

More Sicily:

Pyrrhos. Athena Promachos holding thunderbolt in her right hand.

 

Neat coins! I really like the first one. Also, it seems unusual for Athena to hold a t-bolt. Cool!