You're in the army now

I couldn't resist this Caracalla coin. I love coins with military depictions. On the reverse is the emperor with spear and a standard bearer behind him. My guess is that the standard bearer is the braver of the two.


Caracalla Denarius
Obv. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head right
Rev. PROFECTIO AVG, Caracalla in military attire standing right holding spear, standard bearer to left.
RIC 226

In the Roman Legions, standards were very important. Every century, cohort, and legion had a standard. These symbols represented their units, acted as a symbol of unity and pride, and served as a rallying point during battle. During the Roman Empire, there were many different kinds of signifers: aquilifers that bore the legion’s eagle, imaginifers that carried an image of the emperor, vexillifers who bore a banner with the legion’s name and symbol, and signifers that carried a signum, a tall pole with an open hand, the symbol of the legionaries’ oath of loyalty. All signifers wore animal-skin headpieces in order to be distinguished from the normal soldiers.



The task of carrying the standard in battle was dangerous, a soldier had to stand in the first rank and could not defend himself easily. If the standard was lost in battle, the whole unit was dishonored.

Show me your standard bearers or any other military coins

 

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THANKS! I often wondered what the hand signified and you have solved my problem!

Maximus. Caesar, 235/6-238 AD. Æ Sestertius. (31mm; 23.10 gm; 12h).Rome mint. 2nd emission of Maximinus I, 236 AD. Obv: Bareheaded and draped bust right. Rev: Maximus standing left, holding baton and spear; two signa behind. RIC IV 9; BMCRE 123-4 (Maximinus); Banti 5

 

The standards were deities and were worshipped.
Here are some vexillums :

Caracalla, Rhesaina (Ras al-'Ayn, Syria).
Obv.: illegible legend, laureate head on eagle, right.
Rev.: LEG / III / P retrograde / S, vexillum bearing the letter Γ.
Rhesaina was the base of the Legio III Parthica.


Rhesaina again but I don't identify this radiate emperor, left. Probably Caracalla or Severus Alexander. Same rev. as previous coin, but vexillum inscribed A or Λ.



Philip the Arab, Dacia.
Obv. IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind.
Rev. PROVINCIA DACIA, Dacia seated left holding vexillums inscribed V and XIII, eagle and Lion at sides. Ex. AN II.
The province of Dacia had 2 legions : the Legio V Macedonica at Potaissa (Turda), its emblem was an eagle and a crown, and the Legio XIII Gemina at Apulum (Alba Iulia), its emblem was a lion.

 

Oath ceremony of the Eight Tribes of the Marsic Confederation, banding together to fight the unfairness of Rome against her Allies for The Social War...


Marsic Confederation / Italian Allies
Social War 90-88 BCE
AR Denarius
19x17.9mm, 3.7g
Anonymous Issue, Corfinium Mint
Obv: Italia head, l, ITALIA behind
Rev: Oath-taking scene with eight warriors, four on each side, pointing their swords towards a sacrificial pig, which is held by an attendant kneeling at the foot of a standard. -

Binding the Marsi, Picentines, Paeligni, Marrucini, Vestini, Frentani, Samnites, and Hirpini Tribes into the Marsic Confederation against Rome during the Social War

Comment: The reverse is based on the gold Stater and Half-Stater from the Second Punic War, and the Ti Viturius denarius...
Sear 227 SYD 621 SCARCE

 

There is a webpage on "PROFECTIO" types:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/PROFECTIO/

The page has a list of emperors who issued types with that legend.

Here is my favorite:



Severus Alexander, emperor AD 222-235, departing in 231 for a Persian war.
Sestertius. 30 mm. 21.68 g. Lovely green patina.
IMP SEVERVS ALEXANDER AVG
PROFECTIO AVGVS-TI
Emperor with spear on horseback right, led by Victory bearing wreath. SC below. RIC 596. Sear II 8012.

The symbolism of the reverse is clear. He is going off to war, led by Victory.

In 227 the Parthians were overthrown by Ardeshir, the first Sasanian King. In 230 he invaded Roman territory across the Euphrates river. Attempts to negotiate peace failed and Rome went to war (see this type).

 

Constantine I ("the Great)
Augustus, A.D. 307-337
AE Nummus, 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.

 

Great post, @Marsman !

Here’s my favorite coin reverse of Mars holding a standard like trophy.

 

This is one of my favorite "emperor and standard" coins because it looks like a manga cartoon!


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman billon antoninianus, 3.61 g, 21.1 mm, 12 h.
Cologne, AD 257-258.
Obv: GALLIENVS P F AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: VIRTVS AVGG, Gallienus in military attire standing right, holding spear and standard.
Refs: RIC 58F; Göbl 8821; Cohen 1309; RCV 10413; Hunter 58; ERIC II 1030.

 

Arcadius, A.D. 395-408
AE22, 5.7 grams, Antioch mint

Obverse: D N ARCADI-VS P F AVG
Rosette-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: GLORIA ROMANORVM
Emperor standing facing, head right, holding standard and globe

Mintmark: ANT

Reference: RIC IX Antioch 68C, pg. 294

 

Beautiful coins

In a thread about standards, the most famous ones, the ones that emperor Augustus lost in the Teutoburg Forest, shouldn’t go unmentioned.
Germanicus returned the standards, as you can read on the reverse of this dupondius:
‘signis recept devictis germ'

 

M COMMODVS ANT P FELIX AVG BRIT – Laureate bust of Commodus right
P M TR P XI IMP VII [COS V P P] - Concordia standing frontal, head left, holding legionary eagle standard, vertical, in each hand; S-C, left and right, in field, CONC MIL in exergue
Sestertius, Rome 196 a.D.
29,5 mm / 20,20g
RIC 465 (a); Cohen 57 corr (COS IIII); BMCRE 576 (plate 106, Nr.8); Banti 27 (one specimen = the one in the BM), Sear 5738

 

thats a stellar coin.

 

Yes, indeed!!!

 

Some standards:

Nerva



Marcus Aurelius & Lucius Verus, Restoration Issue -- 200th anniversary of Actium:



Elagabalus:



Severus Alexander:



Maximinus I Thrax:



Delmatius:

 

Splendid @DonnaML

 

This reverse is describe as "legionary eagle between two vexilla." They look like standards to me. Is there a difference between a standard and a vexillum?

Constantine I ("the Great")
Augustus, A.D. 307-337
Ostia mint, A.D. 312-313
RIC 94
Obv: IMP C CONSTANTINVS P F AVG
Rev: S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI - Legionary eagle between two vexilla; hand atop left, wreath atop right
MOSTT in exergue
21 x 16 mm, 4.6 g.

 

A labarum is a standard (or vexillum) with a Chi-Rho on it. Here's one of my favorites:

Constantius II
Caesar, A.D. 324-337
Augustus, A.D. 337-361
(Bronze) AE3
Siscia mint, A.D. 350
Obv: D N CONSTAN-TIVS P F AVG
Rev: HOC SIG-NO VICTOR ERIS - Emperor, standing, facing left, holding labarum (standard with Chi-Rho) being crowned by Victory
•ΓSIS✳ in exergue; A in left field
RIC 291
21mm, 3.8g.

 

Diocletian, Antoninianus, Siscia Mint. RIC V 278.

The two Augusti in military attire, holding Victoria on a globe who hands them a well-deserved Dutch smoked sausage for their efforts!

https://www.hema.nl/eten-drinken/snacks/rookworst/rookworst-250gram-27801301.html