In recognition of our Canadian friend’s Thanksgiving holiday on Monday, I decided to round up a few of the many double cornucopias from my Judaean and Nabataean collections. I know that we’ve done this before but we have a lot of new coins and a lot of new collectors. Feel free to post yours.
Sumpin’ different… Roman I Empire era Tessera ca 1st C CE PB 13mm 1.39g Obv: Fortuna rudder cornu Rev: DP Rostovtsev 2307 Ruggerio 808-9
I love it! Great presentation, as always, @Deacon Ray! Here's Annona with a big ol' cornucopiae! Marcus Aurelius, Augustus AD 161-180. Roman AR denarius, 3.15 g, 18.1 mm, 11 h. Rome, 36th emission, AD 178. Obv: M ANTONINVS AVG, laureate head, right. Rev: COS III P P, Annona standing left, holding corn-ears in right hand over modius and cornucopia in left hand; to right, prow. Refs: RIC 424; BMCRE 691; Cohen 151; RCV 4893; MIR 436-4/30.
Good idea for a thread! Here are some of my favorites Titus, AD 80, Sestertius Obverse IMP T CAES VESP AVG P M TR P P P COS VIII. Head of Titus, laureate, right; Reverse FELICIT PVBLIC S C. Felicitas standing left, holding sceptre and cornucopiae RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Titus 143. Old RIC II Titus 89 Constantius I, as Caesar, Æ Nummus. Treveri, AD 298-299. FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, laureate bust left / GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius, towered and nude to waist, standing facing, head turned left, holding cornucopiae with his left hand, patera in his right hand; B- gamma across fields, TR in exergue. RIC 196 Lydia, Thyateira, Trajan Obverse ΑΥ ΝΕΡ ΤΡΑΙΑΝΟΝ, laureate head of Trajan, r. Reverse ΘΥΑΤΕΙΡΗΝΩΝ, Tyche standing facing, head l., holding rudder in r. hand, cornucopia in l. RPC III, 1826, BMC 75 Antoninus Pius AD 138-161. Rome Denarius AR 19 mm., 2,64 g RIC III Antoninus Pius 234 Date Range: AD 153 - AD 154 Obv: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P TR P XVII Type: Head of Antoninus Pius, laureate, right Reverse: LIBERALITAS VII COS IIII Type: Liberalitas, draped, standing left, emptying coins out of cornucopiae, held in both hands (interesting design!) Julia Maesa. Augusta AD 218-224. Rome Denarius AR 19 mm., 2,31 g. RIC IV Elagabalus 249 Date Range: AD 218 - AD 222 Obverse Legend: IVLIA MAESA AVG Type: Bust of Julia Maesa, hair waved and turned up low at the back, draped, right Reverse Legend: FECVNDITAS AVG Type: Fecunditas, draped, standing left, extending her right hand over a child and holding cornucopiae in left hand Domitian AD 81-96. Rome As Æ 27 mm, 10,73 g RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 707 Old RIC 394 AD 90 - AD 91 Obverse Legend: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM COS XV CENS PER P P Type: Bust of Domitian, laureate, right Portrait: Domitian Reverse Legend: FORTVNAE AVGVSTI S C Type: Fortuna standing left, holding rudder and cornucopiae Trajan AD 98-117. Rome Dupondius Æ 27 mm, 9,85 g RIC II Trajan 385 Date Range: AD 98 - AD 99 Obverse Legend: IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG GERM P M Type: Head of Trajan, radiate, right Reverse Legend: TR POT COS II S C Type: Abundantia seated left on chair with crossed cornucopiae, holding sceptre in right hand Otacilia Severa AD 244-249. Rome Antoninianus AR 23 mm, 3,54 g RIC IV Philip I 125 Date Range: AD 246 - AD 248 Obverse Legend: M OTACIL SEVERA AVG Portrait: Otacilia Severa Type: Bust of Otacilia Severa, diademed, draped, on crescent, right | Bust of Otacilia Severa, diademed, draped, right Reverse Legend: CONCORDIA AVGG Type: Concordia, draped, seated left, holding patera in right hand and double cornucopiae in left hand Here is one where the cornucpiae is the main star CILICIA. Soloi (ca 1st century BC) AE19 Obv: Head of Artemis right, wearing stephane. Rev: ΣΟΛΕΩΝ - Double cornucopia; to left, Є above Θ. Ziegler -; SNG BN 1209-10 var. (controls); SNG Levante 865 var. (same) 5,68 g, 19 mm
Nicely presented (as usual!), @Deacon Ray Judaean and Nabataean coinage certainly loved their cornucopiae. The cornucopia seems to be a favorite accoutrement of many gods and personifications. Here's a sampling. Held by Annona, who is swapping swag with Ceres: Nero struck in Rome, CE 63 Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24 Held by Dido: PHOENICIA, Tyre. Julia Maesa CE 218-224/5 AE 27, 12.71g (11h) Obv: IVLIA MAE - SA AV[G] Draped bust right, wearing stephane Rev: TVRIORVM Dido standing left on deck of galley sailing right, extending right hand and holding cornucopia in left; to left, sailor throwing sack of sand overboard; to right, sailor extending right hand and holding curved staff in left; stern decorated with a shield and aphlaston, [two murex shells] in exergue Ref: CNG e320, 12 Feb. 2014, lot 323 (same dies). Rouvier 2408 Held by the personification of Africa: HADRIAN. CE 117-138 AR Denarius. 18 mm, 3.53 gm. struck CE 134-138, Rome Obv: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate head right Rev: AFRICA, Africa with elephant skin headdress, reclining on rock, holding scorpion and cornucopia, basket of fruit before her Ref: RIC II 299 Held by Athena: CILICIA, Tarsos. Valerian I 253-260 CE AE 32 mm, 19.06 gm Obv: AVKΛΙΠOVΛΙOVAΛЄPIANOCCЄ; Π - Π; radiate, draped, and cuirassed (?) bust right. Rev: TAPCOVMH TP OΠOΛЄΩC; A/M/K - Γ/Γ in fields; KOINOBOVΛION ЄΛЄVΘЄ__ in exergue; Athena seated left on throne, holding cornucopia and dropping a voting pebble into amphora to left; shield below. Ref: SNG Levante 1193; SNG BN 1821-2 (I do not have these reference books; references taken from similar ex CNG coin) ex Doug Smith Held by the genius of the Roman people: Commemorative Series under Constantine I 330 CE; Æ 14.5 mm, 1.16 gm Constantinople mint, 1st officina Obv: POP ROMANVS; draped bust of Genius left, with cornucopia over shoulder Rev: Milvian Bridge over Tiber River; CONS//A Ref: RIC VIII 21; LRBC 1066; Vagi 3043 ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection https://www.cointalk.com/threads/celebrating-the-site-of-constantine-is-vision-and-victory.280747/ Held by Homonoia: EGYPT, Alexandria. Aelius 137 CE Billon tetradrachm; 23 mm, 13.16 gm Obv: ΛAIΛIOCKAICAP; bare head right Rev: ΔHM EΞOVC VΠAT B; Homonoia standing left, holding cornucopiae and patera over garlanded altar Ref: Emmett 1350.2; Köln 1271; Milne 1539 Secret Saturn gift 2018; Ex Theodosius Collection Ex John A. Seeger Collection Held by a half-man, half-crocodile mutant: Egypt, Alexandria. Trajan AE drachm, 32.07 mm, 18.28 gm, 1 h Regnal year 15 (111/12 CE) Obv: [AVT T]PAIAN C-ЄB ΓЄ[PM ΔAKIK]; laureate bust of Trajan right, drapery on left shoulder Rev: Harpocrates of Canopus with hindparts of a crocodile, standing left, pointing finger at mouth and holding cornucopiae; LI - E across field Ref: Emmett 500.15; Milne 659 ex Tom Buggey Collection Held by Nilus: EGYPT, Alexandria. Trajan Regnal year 18 (114/5 CE) billion tetradrachm, 24 mm, 12.8 gm Obv: AVTTPAIANAPICEBΓEPMΔAKIK; laureate bust right, star in right field Rev: draped bust of Nilus right, crowned with taenia and lotus bud; cornucopia at left shoulder; LI-H Ref: Dattari 670 (this coin); Dattari-Savio plate 26 #670 (this coin); RPC 4851.16 (this coin cited); Emmett 387.18, R4. ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923) Held by Zeus-Ammon-Serapis-Helios-Poseidon-Nilus-Asklepios: EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius year 5, CE 141/2 AE drachm, 20 gm Obv: Laureate draped bust of Antoninus Pius right Rev: Radiate and draped bust of Serapis-Pantheos right, wearing calathus and horn of Ammon; trident and cornucopia behind; L-Є in right field Ref: Emmett 1676.5, R1
Great theme and nice presentation as always. Here are a couple more cornucopiae: Philip II, Antoninianus, (21mm, 3.12 g). Antioch mint. 1st issue. Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind / AEQVITAS AVG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopia. Bland Study 61; RIC IV 240a var. From the Richard McAlee Collection Septimius Severus, Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis. AE Pentassarion (27mm, 9.94 g). Struck 201-202 AD. Aurelius Gallus, legatus consularis. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust r. / Tyche Soterios (Fortuna Redux) standing l., holding rudder set on ground and cornucopia. From the Benito Collection
Here's another, an interesting Alexandrian. I haven't shown this coin before-- backlog of coins to show . It's an upgrade but I'm keeping the coin that was upgraded . EGYPT, Alexandria. Antoninus Pius AE drachm, regnal year 21 (157/8 CE) 32 mm, 23.22 gm Obv: Α[ΥΤ Κ] Τ Α ΑΔ[Ρ ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝΟC CЄΒ ЄΥC]; laureate head right Rev: Isis-Sothis, seated facing and holding a cornucopia and scepter, riding a dog (Sirius?) right; the dog is looking back at Isis Ref: Emmett 1593.21; Dattari (Savio) 8581; RPC IV.4 online 15227. From the Rhakotis Collection, formed in the 1960s and 1970s About the type: This coin represents Isis as the Egyptian Sepdet (Sothis in Greek), a personification of Sirius, the brightest star in the firmament. Sirius' heliacal rising in mid-July heralded the coming of the Nile inundation, without which civilized life would be impossible in the scorching sands of Egypt. So important was this event to the Egyptians that the start of their civil calendar originally coincided with the heliacal rising of Sirius. However, although the Egyptian civil calendar only lasted 365 days, there are 365.25 days between two successive heliacal risings of Sirius. In other words, every four years, the civil calendar shifted by one day versus the “Sothic year”. After 1460 Sothic years, or 1461 civil years, the heliacal rising of Sirius again took place on the first day of the month Thoth (Egyptian New Year), and a Sothic cycle was completed. According to Censorinus (De Die Natali 21.10) such a cycle was completed in 139 CE, at the start of Antoninus Pius' reign. (-from Leu Numismatik) Thanks... I agree . I love the reverse. So artistic! The engraver did a fine job of conveying distances. Look how the ship is shallowly engraved so that it appears far away, for instance. The coin is definitely of "fine style" .
It never dawned on me how utterly prevalent the cornucopia was on ancient coins. Wowsers! I started going through my coins chronologically (beginning with the oldest), pasting images of my coins with that device into one large image, so that I could post it on this thread. But I stopped when I got to 23 because I had not even made it up to my Judaean and Nabatean coins yet. I have a veritable cornucopia of cornucopias. :-o However... I've noticed through the years that numismatic descriptions sometimes use this spelling: cornucopiae. And I've also noticed that when two of this 'thing' we call cornucopia are paired together on the same coin type, some numismatic descriptions cite it as "double-cornucopia", and others cite "double cornucopias". (Might any grammarian want to weigh in on that?) And still others use "double cornucpiae". And so... I searched a certain online site which typically proves to hold a cornucopia of interesting information related to ancient coins, and I found a thread in which @Gavin Richardson and @dougsmit explain the interesting Latin backgrounds of our modern day spellings. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/corny-question-ric-and-cornucopiae.300319/
Hi All, Here is a lead monetiform object with types of Berenice II, possibly a trial strike or decadrachm coin weight Ptolemy III Euergetes (246-222 Bce) Uncertain Mint, Year 05 (243/242 BCE) LORBER: CPE-B403A (This specimen, CPE Plate Coin). Svoronos- Unlisted (but see Sv-972 for reverse of Au Dekadrachm) Pb Size: 36.1 x 39.4 mm (16.7 mm thick) Weight: 77.1 g Die Axis: 00:00 OBV: Uniface REV: The reverse devices of CPE-B403. Single fileted cornucopia (twist left) amid two stars of the Dioskuroi. Legend at left: ΒEΡEΝΙΚΗΣ; at right: ΒΑΣΙΛΗΣΣΗΣ. Below, E (= year 5). Dotted border. PROVENANCE: CPE Plate Coin. Ex-Ancient Imports (July 2007), examined and authenticated by CC Lorber. Notes: The types and controls of this unique item relate it to the enigmatic Attic-weight gold decadrachms and pentadrachms issued for Berenice II (see CPE 744-745), though the reverse design differs slightly in the contents of the cornucopiae and in the omission of the royal diadem normally tied around it. Alexandria, mint of the Attic-weight coinage for Berenice, could be the source of this object, but differences in style and iconographic detail leave open the possibility that it was fabricated elsewhere. - Broucheion
Yes, I’m with @philologus_1 . Please give us your thoughts on the proper pluralization of the word — cornucopia . Is pluralization the correct word?
Cornu copiae = horn of plenty. Copiae is in the genitive. Cornua copiae = horns of plenty. Cornua is plural, copiae is genitive.
These are great! I have quite a few coins, from various emperors, showing one cornucopiae (the formation I use as the singular, in accordance with Jones's Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins). Here's one: Hadrian, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 22 (137/138 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate bust right, ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙϹ ΤΡΑΙΑ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟϹ ϹƐΒ / Rev. Nilus seated left on rocks, holding reed in right hand and cornucopiae in left; crocodile below; L KB (Year 22) in left field. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. III 6254 (2015); RPC III Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/3/6254; Emmett 879.22 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Milne 1569 [Milne, J., A Catalogue of the Alexandrian Coins in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford, 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay)]; Köln.1241 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band II (Hadrian-Antoninus Pius) (Cologne, 1978, corrected reprint 1987)]. 24 mm., 12.9 g. By contrast, all my coins showing someone holding two cornuacopiae (or, if you prefer, one double cornucopiae) -- compare with the two crossed cornuacopiae type specifically referenced in the OP -- are Roman Imperial coins issued in the name of various empresses: Faustina I [Senior] [wife of Antoninus Pius], AR Denarius 139-Oct 140 AD [lifetime issue], Rome Mint. Obv. Diademed and draped bust right, FAVSTINA AVGVSTA / Rev. Concordia standing left, holding patera with extended right hand and double cornucopiae with left arm, CONCORDIA AVG. RIC III 335 Antoninus Pius, RSC II 151, Sear RCV II 4668 (ill.), BMCRE 133, Dinsdale 008710 [Dinsdale, Paul H., Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius Caesar AD 138-161: Antonine Coinage (2018) at p. 99; photo at p. 100] [see http://romanpaulus.x10host.com/Antoninus/04 - Faustina I - Undated 139-140 (med_res).pdf pp. 10-11]. 19 mm., 2.84 g. Aquilia Severa (second wife of Elagabalus), AR Denarius 220-222 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AQVILIA SEVERA AVG, Draped bust right/ Rev: CONCORDIA, Concordia standing left, holding patera over lighted altar and double cornucopiae; star in lower right field. RIC IV-2 226 (Elagabalus); RSC III 2. 18 mm., 3.2 g. Sallustia Orbiana (wife of Severus Alexander) AR Denarius 225-227 AD. Rome mint. Special marriage emission of Severus Alexander, AD 225. Obv: SALL BARBIA ORBIANA AVG, Draped bust right, wearing stephane/ Rev: CONCORDIA AVGG, Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopiae. RIC IV-2 319 (Sev. Alexander); RSC III 1, BMCRE 287 (Sev. Alexander). 19 mm., 3.5 g. Otacilia Severa (wife of Philip I) AR Antoninianus, 246-248 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right, wearing stephane, on crescent, M OTACIL SEVERA AVG/ Rev. Concordia seated left holding patera and double cornucopiae, CONCORDIA AVGG. RIC IV-3 125(c), RSC IV-3 4, Sear RCV III 9147 (ill. p. 173). 22x25 mm., 4.5 g. An obvious question arises, which I don't believe has been addressed in this thread: are this kind of double cornuacopiae on Roman Imperial coins (or Provincial coins, if any) limited to coins of empresses, or does anyone know of any coins of emperors depicting them? If they are confined to empresses, does anyone know why?
Thanks. Although these are crossed as opposed to being held next to each other, so not exactly the same type.
It doesn't seem to be gender-specific. A quick check of the CNG archives finds numerous examples of twinned cornuacopiae on coins of emperors. A random example: