Janus, the God of beginnings, endings and transition, ironically, was likely NOT where we get the name of the month January. The ancient Roman's Farmers almanac states that Juno is the God whom the months name is derived! (Athena to Janus, "Don't look behind you!" Janus, irritated, "Haha. Verrrry funny." Rolls all four eyes.) Even more strangely, there is no Greek equivalent to the Roman God of doors. "There are things known and things unknown. In between are the doors of perception."... Oh, sorry. That's, The Doors. (Insert Jim Morrison picture here). However, the Greeks did make plenty of coins with Janiform heads. Just like my new little beauty with the double axe reverse to match the double faced obverse (also worth a chuckle, you can see a slight double strike on the Obv looking at her nose): TROAS.Tenedos.(Circa 500-400 BC).Obol. Obv : Janiform head, female on left, male on right. Rev : T-E. Double axe within incuse square. SNG Munchen 340; SNG Copenhagen 509; HGC 6, 387. Condition : Darkly toned.Very fine. Weight : 1.4 gr Diameter : 13 mm And this was far from the only coin type the Greeks made with the Janiform heads! Mysia. Lampsakos circa 500-450 BC. Obol AR 7mm., 0,77g. Female janiform head / Helmeted head of Athena left within incuse square very fine. SNG BnF 1128-31. Mysia, Lampsakos circa 390-330 BC. AR Diobol (11mm, 1.22g). Janiform female head, with circular earring / ΛΑΜ, helmeted head of Athena right . very fine SNG von Aulock 1295; Gaebler, "Die Silberprägung von Lampsakos", Nomisma XII, 52; SNG France 5, 1193. Former Kairos Numismatik LUCANIA, Thurium as Copia (193-150 BCE) AE As. 9.40g, 22mm. Obv: Laureate head of Janus Rev: COPIA in right field; Cornucopia, caduceus and I (mark of value) in right field. HN Italy 1935. Very rare. cf. CNG E-Auction 374, 11.05.2016, lot 9 (hammer 260 USD); same dies as NAC Auction 84, 20.05.2015, lot 564 (hammer 2250 CHF) Very rare and in fine style. Purchased from AMCC3 Even the Celts got in on the two faced fun. Though, living by the Romans they did have to always be watching their backs: Central Gaul. Lingones (1st century BC). Potin. Obv: Janiform head. Rev: Boar standing left. D&T 3262. Condition: Very fine. Weight: 3.3 g. Diameter: 17 mm. Chocolate Patina. Found in modern Normandy 2021 According to Livy the building of the Roman temple of Janus was done by their second king, the one after Romulus, Numa. (I've wanted one of the trifaced Janiform coins, like the one seen at the top of the temple ever since seeing @AncientJoe 's beauty. Guess I'll have to keep tri-ing) The Temples doors were known as the "Gates of Janus". And were closed in times of peace and opened in times of war. Which makes perfect sense if you're as confident as the early Romans. C. Fonteius - Galley Denarius 114-113 BC Obv: beardless janiform head of the Dioscuri, control letter R(?) below left, (XVI monogram) below right. Rev: [C FONT] with galley left, with pilot and three oarsmen; ROM[A] in exergue. 3.33 grams. Good fine. [No Reserve] Provenance Purchased from Timeline Auctions Feb 2021 M. Furius L. f. Philus AR Denarius. Italian mint, 119 BC. Laureate bust of Janus; M•FOVRI•L•F around / Roma standing left erecting trophy, gallic arms around; ROMA to right; PHILI (ligate) in exergue. Crawford 281/1; Sydenham 529; BMC (Italy) M. Furius Philus, son of Lucius, is considered to have been the nephew of the Consul P. Furius Philus who together with Caius Flaminius enjoyed the honours of a Triumph for victories gained over the Ligurian Gauls in 223 BC. In his capacity as monetal triumvir he here represents the triumph in question. Sextus Pompey wisely used his image with that of his deceased and wildly popular father as propaganda during Caesar's reign to stir up support: Sextus Pompey Ӕ As. Spain or Sicily, 45 BC. Laureate head of Janus, with the features of Cn. Pompeius Magnus; [MGN] above / Prow right; [PIVS] above, IMP below. Crawford 479/1; CPP I 671. 19.23g, 28mm, Fine. Ex-Savoca Alright, you've stuck with me this far, so I'll end on a joke:edited Please post up all of the Janiform coins you've got, stories or anything that makes you say, dammit Janus, I LOVE YOU!
Roman Republic AR Half-Quadrigatus (216-214 BCE) DRACHM 17.7mm, 3.2g OBV: Beardless Janiform (thought to represent the Dioscuri being beardless) REV: Iupiter and Victory in galloping quadriga LEFT (to distinguish it from Quadrigatus Didrachm), ROMA in ex REF: Sear 35
Lots of appealing Janus-faced coins there, @Ryro! I especially like the Tenedos and the Lucania. But you must have one of these kickin' around somewhere, yeah? If not, you need one... AE As, after 211 BCE. Crawford 56/2, McCabe group G1. 37.4g, 35.5mm. When flipping a coin, Romans didn't say "heads or tails" they said "heads or ships"! Of course these were a lot lighter by Sextus Pompey's time: 16.40g, 31mm
Man, that's a junk-load o' Janus, @Ryro!!! And by junk, I DON't mean ... I mean ... I only have one Janus coin in my numophylacium Anonymous, Second Punic War, 218-202 BC. Roman Republican Æ as, 27.8 g, 31.1 mm, 1 h. Uncertain mint south of Rome (Campania?). Obv: Laureate head of bearded Janus, I above. Rev: Prow of galley, right; I above, ROMA below. Refs: Group D1, McCabe, Andrew. "The Anonymous Struck Bronze Coinage of the Roman Republic" in Essays in honour of Roberto Russo / ed. by Peter G. van Alfen and Richard B. Witschonke. - Zürich ; London : Numismatica Ars Classica NAC, 2013, pp. 141-144. But I got plenty of Juno ... Faustina Jr, AD 161-175. Roman orichalcum dupondius, 12.76 g, 24.7 mm, 6 h. Rome, AD 161-175. Obv: FAVSTINA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: IVNO S C, Juno standing left, holding patera and scepter. Refs: RIC 1647; BMCRE 983; Cohen 123; RCV 5297; MIR 17.
Some great looking coins in this thread. Janus on Imperial Roman coins is not a common deity, so here's a sestertius of Commodus that is supposed to be showing Janus in a temple: Commodus Æ Sestertius (186 A.D.) Rome Mint M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT, laureate head right / [P M TR P XI IMP VII] around, COS V PP below, domed distyle temple w. Janus standing facing, holding sceptre, SC across fields. RIC 460; Cohen 489; Sear 5780. (24.77 grams / 30 mm) eBay April 2019 Here's a close-up:
Hehe! I thought you'd recognize that absolute rare beauty from your last auction #AMCC4orbust Speaking of, NOT my coin, I've tried to research the Lucania. However, as you know, there are very few. I found images of 3. Here's the most cherry: (Now that is a masterpiece and possibly my favorite image of Janus on coin) And yes, I've plenty more Janiforms, but needed room for a couple pictures. Though certainly nothing as stunningas yours. Ps, is it just me or does your Sextus appear intentionally "erased from existence" as doc Brown puts it?
As I recall, yours is actually a die match to that ex NAC beauty. I doubt it... just a weak strike and some extra scrapes I expect. Fun to speculate, though!!
Janiform coins are among those that have interested me the most for a long time. The writing of an article on this subject, in 2012, remains an excellent memory.
Wonderful coins, @Ryro! A few of mine: Roman Republic, M Fovri L.f. Philus, AR Denarius 119 BCE. Obv. Laureate head of Janus, M•FOVRI•L•F around / Rev. Roma with Corinthian helmet standing left holding scepter, crowning trophy surmounted by helmet and flanked by carnyx and shield on each side, Gallic arms around; star above, ROMA to right, PHLI in exergue. RSC I Furia 18 (ill.), Crawford 281/1, Sydenham 529, Sear RCV I 156 (ill.), BMCRR Italy 555. 20.13 mm., 3.66 g. [According to Crawford (Vol. I p. 297), this reverse probably refers to "the defeat of the Allobroges and Arverni and the triumphs of 120."] Roman Republic, C. Fonteius, AR Denarius, 114-113 BCE. Obv. Laureate, Janiform head of the Dioscuri, control mark N under left chin [mark of value * (= 16) under right chin is worn off], one dot beneath head / Rev. Galley left with three rowers, gubernator (pilot) at stern, rudder beneath stern, apotropaic eye on side, three-pronged ram with wolf’s head above extending from prow, banners/streamers extending from stern, C • FONT above (N and T in monogram), ROMA below. Crawford 290/1, RSC I Fonteia 1 (ill.), Sear RCV I 167 (ill.), Sydenham 555. 20 mm., 3.90 g. Ex: Auctiones GmbH, eAuction 67, Lot 55, 15 March 2020; Ex: CNG Auction May 2012, Lot 293; Ex: Bruce R. Brace Collection.* * According to H.A. Seaby in RSC I (at p. 48), the Janiform head on the obverse relates to the origins of the Fonteia gens -- which claimed as its founder Fons or Fontus, supposedly the son of Janus -- and the galley on the reverse relates to the naval exploits of the moneyer’s ancestor P. Fonteius Capito, who was praetor in Sardinia in 169 BCE. Crawford disagrees. (See Vol. I at p. 305.) He states that there is no good evidence for the existence of Fontus, and that the Janiform head should instead be regarded as that of the Dioscuri, because the gens Fonteia came from Tusculum, the chief cult-center of the Dioscuri in Latium. Crawford also states that the reverse is “doubtless” an allusion to the transmarine origin of Telegonus (the son of Ulysses and Circe), who was the legendary founder of Tusculum. Sear agrees with Crawford. Bruce R. Brace "was a scholar and by many considered to be a dean of Roman Numismatics in Canada. Coins from his extensive collection were sold by CNG in 2012 and 2013." https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/an..._ex_bruce_r_brace_library/630746/Default.aspx . According to Google, he was the former General Chairman of the Canadian Numismatic Association, the recipient of their J.D. Ferguson Award in 1984, and the former honorary curator of the McMaster University Museum of Art coin collection, at least a portion of which is now known as the Bruce R. Brace Coin Collection. This coin depicts not Janus himself, but his temple: Nero, AE As, 65 AD Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, [NER]O CAESAR • AVG • GERM IMP / Rev. Temple of Janus with closed double doors on right, garland hanging above doors, latticed windows and wall to left [flan flaw at wall], PACE P R VBIQ PARTA IANVM CLVSIT, S|C across fields. RIC I Nero 306, BMCRE 227, Sear RCV I 1974 (ill.), Cohen 171. 27 mm., 9.61 g., 7 h. Finally, something a bit more recent -- an interesting British medal presenting Bonaparte's escape from Elba as a smashing of the doors of the Temple of Janus. It's No. 32 in the James Mudie series of 40 medals issued in 1820, commemorating British Military and Naval Victories and other significant events during the Napoleonic Wars. Great Britain, Napoleon's Flight from Elba/Congress of Vienna, 1815 (struck 1820). Obv. French eagle with thunderbolt (symbolizing Napoleon) approaches the French coast, Isle of Elba in background, to left TEMPLUM. JANI (Temple of Janus), its doors lying broken (symbolizing the breaking of peace), four-sided Janus on roof. In exergue: XXVI. FEBRUARY MDCCCXV. / Rev. Mercury, displaying a scroll inscribed TO ARMS, flying over globe carrying the news of Napoleon's flight, DECLARATION OF THE CONGRESS OF VIENNA. In exergue: XIII MARCH. By N.G.A. Brenet/ A.J. Depaulis. AE 41 mm., 41.8 g. Mudie 32, Eimer 1064, BHM 869, Bramsen 1597.
LAMPSAKOS, MYSIA THRACE AR Diobol OBVERSE: Janiform female head, in circular earring and necklace REVERSE: Helmeted head of Athena right Struck at Lampsakos, Mysia 390-330 BC 1.28g, 13mm SNG Cop 189 - 192; SNGFrance 1195, SNGvA 1295 SEXTUS POMPEY; GENS POMPEIA AE As OBVERSE: MAGN above laureate janiform head with features of Pompey the Great REVERSE: PIVS above, IMP below, prow of galley right Sicilian 43-36 BC 22.8g, 31mm Syd 1044a, Cr479/1, Pompeia 20v, Cohen 16
What a great write-up, @Ryro . Good coins, all. I only have 3 coins with Janus. One is the Troas, Tenedos obol - my favorite. The first Janus I bought was this bronze from Thessalonica (I think Ryro likes this coin) Macedon. Thessalonica circa 187-131 BC. Bronze Æ 20 mm., 5,19 g. Head of Janus R/ ΘEΣΣAΛONIKHΣ, the Dioscuri riding in opposite directions. SNG Cop 369 I have just bought one of the coins that shouldn't be missing from my collection. Anonymous 211 BC. Rome As Æ 27 mm, 14,23 g
I have another one of those hard-to-get Half-Quadrigatus... RR Anon AR Heavy Quin Drachm Half Quadrigatus 225-212 BCE 3.1g 18mm Janus Jupiter in Quadriga L Victory ROMA Cr 28-4 S 35 SCARCE
This is supposedly a female "Janiform head" from Rhegium: Rhegium, Bruttium Æ 25 Pentonkion (c. 215-150 B.C.) Janiform female head / Asklepios seated left by tripod holding sceptre; PHΓINΩN to right [Π above tripod to left, serpent in exergue]. SNG ANS 745; HN Italy 2551. (10.05 grams / 25 mm) AZ Sep. 21, 2018
