Could there be anything more foreboding of doom than to be a Caesar in the third century? Just being declared Princeps Juventutis ("Head of Youth") pretty much meant that you were going to be killed within a few years. Here are my PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS coins in chronological order. Let's see yours!! Maximus, Caesar AD 235/6-238. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 21.54 g, 31.5 mm, 12 h. Rome, 3rd emission, late AD 236-237. Obv: MAXIMVS CAES GERM, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS S C, Maximus standing left in military dress, holding baton in right hand and transverse spear in left hand; behind him, two standards. Refs: RIC 13; BMCRE 213-17; Cohen 14; RCV 8411; MIR 37-5; Banti 6. Philip II as Caesar under Philip I, AD 244-247. Roman AR Antoninianus 4.87 g, 23.5 mm, 11 h. Rome, AD 245-246. Obv: M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES, radiate and draped bust right. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENT, Philip II in military dress, standing left, holding globe and resting on spear. Refs: RIC 218d; Cohen 32; RCV 9240; Hunter 3. Philip II as Caesar under Philip I, AD 244-247. Roman orichalcum sestertius, 19.61 g, 28.3 mm, 11 h. Rome, AD 245-246. Obv: M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES, bare-headed and draped bust right. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENT S C, Philip II in military dress, standing left, holding globe and resting on spear. Refs: RIC 256a; Cohen 49; RCV 9249; Hunter 14. Herennius Etruscus as Caesar, AD 249-251. Roman AR antoninianus, 3.83 g, 22.4 mm, 11 h. Rome, 5th emission, early AD 151. Obv: Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C, radiate and draped bust, right. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS, Apollo seated left, holding branch and resting left elbow on lyre. Refs: RIC 146; RSC 24a; Cohen --; RCV 9522; Hunter 9; ERIC II 40. Hostilian as Caesar, AD 250-251. Roman AR antoninianus, 4.32 g, 20.5 mm, 5 h. Rome mint, 5th officina. 5th emission, early AD 251. Obv: C VALENS HOSTIL MES QVINTVS N C, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS, Hostilian standing slightly left, holding signum and reversed spear. RIC 181d; RSC 34; RCV 9561; Hunter 4.
R.C., I've posted my Maximus sestertius a number of times but always enjoy posting it . It's the same issue as yours. Maximus as Caesar, AD 235-238, AE Sestertius: 26.39 gm, 31 mm, 12 h.
Caesar at 7, consul at 9, murdered by the Praetorian guard at 12, not exactly a long and prosperous life as young prince... Philip II Caesar, AD 244–247, Æ Sestertius, struck AD 244-246 Obv: M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES, bareheaded and draped bust right Rev: PRINCIP IVVENT S – C, the prince, in military attire, standing right, holding spear and globe Ref: RIC 255 Note: an interesting read: Pohlsander, H. (1982). Did Decius Kill the Philippi? Historia: Zeitschrift Für Alte Geschichte, 31(2), 214-222.
Dang. I was gonna shout from the roof tops how lovely your example is RC... then I saw @Al Kowsky 's Great thread idea as well! Daddies overly ambitious. Time to make up my will before Latin lessons:
Interesting thread and coins. It made me look up my own "young princes" and I have more than I thought: Philip II - a Sestertius; two asses, both rough: Philip II antoninianus (new purchase - just in last week): "IVVENTVTIS" from Domitian: Domitian (Caesar) Denarius (80-81 A.D.) Rome Mint CAESAR DIVI F DOMITIANVS COS VII, laureate head right / PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS, Minerva advancing right, wielding javelin and holding shield at the ready. RIC 268; RSC 381a, BMC 86 (2.65 grams / 18 mm) Another IVVENTVTIS - Valerian II crowning a trophy: Valerian II Antoninianus (son of Gallienus) (c. 256-258 A.D.) Antioch or Samosata Mint VALERIANVS NOBIL CAES, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust rt. / PRINC IVVENTVTIS prince standing crowning trophy to left, holding spear and shield. RIC 49; Göbl 1694b; RSC 67a. (3.26 grams / 21 x 18 mm) Leave it to Commodus to make it weird: IOVI IVVENI Commodus Æ Sestertius (189 A.D.) Rome Mint [M] COM[MOD ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT P P], laureate head r. / IO[VI IVV]ENI P M TR P XII[II IMP VIII COS V DES VI] S C: Jupiter standing left, holding thunderbolt & sceptre, eagle left. RIC III 542. (15.07 grams / 26 x 24 mm) Attribution Note: There are several IOVI IVVENI types from this era: RIC 499: TR P XII RIC 525: TR P XIIII COS VI RIC 542: TR P XIIII COS VI DES, based on other examples, layout of visible reverse legend seems to best match RIC III 542.
Gordian III as Caesar Ar Denarius. 238 AD Obv. Head right bareheaded and draped. Rv Sacrifical implements RIC 1 3.05 grms 18 mm Again we have an image of a 13 year old who is probably wondering is he is going to survive at all. First his grandfather then his uncle are killed while they raised the flag of revolt against Thrax and then his his raised to the purple by Balbinus and Pupienus who appear to spend most of their time fighting each other. As a friend of mine once observed "I should have stood in bed."
Coins of "principes iuventutis" of... 1. aureus of Vespasian with his two sons, Titus and Domitian. The latter was assassinated. 2. Antoninianus of Herennius Etruscus - Prin. Iuvent. - died in battle with his father. 3. Two aurei and two denarii of Nero who was Princeps Iuventutis under Claudius. Things did not go so well for him in the end. 4. Sestertius of Maximus - the Princeps Iuventutis under his dad Maximinus. - Killed as well.
Proclaimed as Augustus in 260 AD, but within a few weeks or months of his accession he was captured and executed. He was about 18 years old, though on this Antoninianus I think he looks older. Numismatics.org attributes this issue to Gallia, Lugdunum, acsearch attributes it to Cologne or Mediolanum. Sear is the most recent reference and attributes it to either Viminacium or Mediolanum (Milan) Saloninus as Caesar, Æ Antoninianus Viminacium or Mediolanum, 258 - 260 AD; 1st emission, struck under Valerian and Gallienus 22 x 24 mm, 2.946 g RIC V Saloninus 10, Göbl MIR 36, 939z; Sear 10770 Ob.: SAL VALERIANVS CS radiate and draped bust right Rev.: PRINC IVVENT Saloninus standing facing, head left, holding baton and transverse spear; signum at right
I have only two PRINC IVVENT-type coins. The first is for Gaius and Lucius, who certainly died prematurely, but of illness rather than being murdered. Unless one wishes to blame Livia for their deaths as well! Augustus AR Denarius, 2 BCE-13 AD Lugdunum [Lyons] Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, CAESAR AVGVSTVS DIVI F PATER PATRIAE/ Rev. Gaius & Lucius standing front, each with a hand resting on a round shield, a spear, & in field above, a lituus [curved augural staff] right & simpulum [ladle] left [in "b9"-like formation], AVGVSTI F COS DESIG PRINC IVVENT (beginning at 4:00); C L CAESARES below. RIC I 207, RSC I 43, Sear RCV I 1597, BMCRE 533. 18 mm., 3.9 g. (The photo of both sides is Frank Robinson's usual somewhat blurry effort; the photo of the reverse is mine, to permit the reading of the legend. I haven't gotten around to photographing the obverse myself.) The second is a standard Philip II type that it actually seems I've never posted here before: Philip II, Caesar (son of Philip I) AR Antoninianus, 247 AD, Obv. Radiate head right, M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES/ Philip II standing left holding a globe and scepter, captive at his feet, PRINCIPI IVVENT. RIC IV-3 219, RSC IV 57. 23 mm., 4.42 g.
Here's one of mine that I bought recently. It's actually a mule of Tetricus I, with a Tetricus II reverse!
Seems like the designation was less of a curse in the 4th century: (All coins of Constantine I) Treveri (Trier) mint, A.D. 307 RIC 734 Obv: FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB C Rev: PRINCIPI IV-VE-NTVTIS - Prince in military dress holding 2 standards PTR in exergue; S in left field, A in right 27 mm, 8.8 g. Treveri (Trier) mint, A.D. 307-308 RIC 781 Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: PRINCIPI IV-VENTVTIS - Prince in military dress, head left, wtih standard in each hand. PTR in exergue; S in left field, A in right 26 mm, 7.4 g. Lugdunum (Lyons) mint, A.D. 309-310 RIC 306 Obv: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: PRINCIPI IV-VENTVTIS - Prince, standing right, in military dress, with globe and transverse spear PLG in exergue; F in left field, T in right 21 x 24 mm, 3.6 g. London mint, A.D. 310-312 RIC 222 Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: PRINCIPI IV-VENTVTIS - Prince, head left, with globe and inverted spear PLN in exergue; star in right field 24 mm, 4.3 g. London mint, A.D. 312-313 RIC 265 Obv: CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Rev: PRINCIPI IV-VENTVTIS - Prince, standing, in military dress and cloak, holding globe and transverse spear PLN in exergue; star in left field 24 mm, 4.0 g.
Splendid coins, @Roman Collector ! I particularly like your Maximus sestertius. A nicely patinated coin with an expressive portrait. Here are mine. The first is Geta: Geta, Roman Empire, denarius, 200–202 AD, Rome mint. Obv: P SEPT GETA CAES PONT; bust of Geta, bare-headed, draped, r. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENTUTIS; Geta, holding baton and sceptre, standing l. next to trophy r. 18mm, 3.40g. Ref: RIC IV Geta 18. Philip II: Philip II, Roman Empire, antoninian, 245–246 AD, Rome mint. Obv: M IVL PHILIPPVS CAES; bust of Philip II, radiate and draped, r. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENT; Philip II standing r., holding spear and globe. 23mm, 4.01g. Ref: RIC IV Philip I 216c. Crispus: Crispus, Roman Empire, AE 3, 317–318 AD, Trier mint. Obv: FL IVL CRISPVS NOB CAES; laureate and cuirassed bust of Crispus r. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENTVTIS; Crispus standing l. holding spear and globe; in fields, F-T; mintmark .ATR. 19.5mm, 3.19g. Ref: RIC VII Trier 171.
Cool coins and thread, @Roman Collector ... Here is one: RI Valerian II 256-258 CE Silvered Ant PRINCIP IVVENTVS
A Princeps Juventutis who is not yet in the list DIADUMENIAN, Denarius Rome, 217 3.28 g - 20 mm S 7448 v. - C 12 - RIC 107 M OPEL DIADVMENIANVS CAES, Bare headed bust right PRINC - IVVENTVTIS, Diadumenian standing left, holding baton and sceptre, two standards to right
Domitian as caesar under Titus. CAESAR DIVI F DOMITIANVS COS VII laureate head right. PRINCEPS IVVENTVTIS lighted & garlanded altar. Domitian Caesar 69-81 AR Denarius Struck 80-81 3,08g/19mm Ric 266 (Titus) Ex Künker
One of my favorites are obviously the Gaius & Lucius denarii, I like even the subaerats. In the past, I have shared mines' in another thread. RIC dates these denarii as part of a series minted from 2 BC to 4 AD. It just doesn’t make sense that this dynastic type would continue to be minted after the death of Lucius in 4 AD.
Great coins all around folks. I didn't even know I had so many of them.... Caius & Lucius, denarius Geta, denarius Maximus, sestertius Philippus II, antoninianus Saloninus, as Numerianus, antoninianus Constantinus II, nummus Q
This Domitian struck me as a very nice type which I only afforded because of the scratches. I decided to sell it because it does not fit my collecting interests (not 12 Caesars). Does anyone here have a nice one?