This new purchase is only my second Roman Republican coin acquired this year, both of which depict the Dioscuri. (See my thread about the first coin, at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/roman-republican-coin-no-67-the-dioscuri-from-l-memmius.392712/.) This coin isn't in nearly as wonderful condition, but I'm very happy to have it. I guess I just can't resist those twins! Roman Republic, Mn. Cordius Rufus, AR denarius, 46 BCE, Rome mint. Obv. Jugate heads of Dioscuri right, each wearing a laureate pileus surmounted by a star, RVFVS III VIR downwards behind and below / Rev. Venus Verticordia (or Venus Genetrix [Crawford]) standing facing, head left, holding scales in right hand and transverse scepter in left hand, Cupid hovering behind [Sear CRI, BMCRR] or perched upon [Crawford, RSC] her left shoulder, MN CORDIVS (MN ligatured) downwards to right. Crawford 463/1a, CRI 63 (ill. p. 45) [David Sear, The History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators 49-27 BC (1998)], RSC I (Babelon) Cordia 2a (ill. p. 36), Sear RCV I 440 (ill. p. 156), BMCRR 4037, RBW Collection 1606 (ill. p. 339), Sydenham 976. Purchased from Jordan Scheckells (Louisiana, USA) Feb. 2022; ex. Diana Numismatica (Via Quattro Fontane, Roma). With Diana Numismatics ticket & old coin envelope (early 20th century).* The scratches on the reverse are almost invisible in hand except under magnification, and don't materially detract from the actual appearance of the coin. (I have no idea what the "408" on the older ticket represents; it doesn't correspond to any catalog number I'm aware of.) A video provided by the dealer: Media Information PlayCurrent Time 0:00/Duration Time 0:00Remaining Time -0:00Stream TypeLIVELoaded: 0%Progress: 0%0:00Fullscreen00:00MutePlayback Rate1Subtitlessubtitles offCaptionscaptions offChaptersChaptersThe video could not be loaded, either because the server or network failed or because the format is not supported.Foreground---WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan---OpaqueSemi-OpaqueBackground---WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan---OpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindow---WhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyan---OpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentFont Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyDefaultMonospace SerifProportional SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional Sans-SerifCasualScriptSmall CapsDefaultsDone Album: Cordius Rufus video Uploaded By: DonnaML Date: Feb 17, 2022 View Count: 641 Comment Count: 0 Cordius Rufus denarius by DonnaML posted Feb 17, 2022 at 9:07 PM Footnote: *If the reverse figure is identified as Venus Verticordia (“‘turner of hearts’, i.e. the goddess who turns minds from lust to chastity,” see Jones, John Melville, A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (London 1990), entry for Venus, at p. 317), to whom a temple was specially dedicated in Rome in 114 BCE after the corruption and trial of the Vestal Virgins, the depiction “may not only be a punning allusion to the Cordia gens but may also refer to the family of Julius Caesar, which claimed its descent from Venus herself. The Cordia family came originally from Tusculum where there was a special cult of the Dioscuri.” See RSC I at p. 36 (quoting BMCRR I p. 523 n. 3 almost verbatim, without attribution). Crawford agrees that the moneyer was of Tusculan origin, citing a Tusculan inscription naming him, on which his tenure of the office of Praetor was recorded (Crawford I p. 474), and also agrees that the depiction of Venus on the reverse is a Caesarian reference (id.); the balance or scales she holds “perhaps suggests that the coinage of Mn. Cordius Rufus is in the tutela [guardianship] of Venus and is hence a further compliment to Caesar.” Id. However, Crawford’s position is that “there is no reason to regard Venus here as Verticordia.” Id. He proposes instead that “the type as a whole, with [her son] Cupid perched on the shoulder of Venus, may derive from the statue placed in the temple of Venus Genetrix [“foundress of the family,” from whom Caesar claimed descent] in 46 [BCE], the year of issue of this coinage.” Id. at 474-475. At CRI p. 45, Sear – who, contrary to Crawford, identifies the reverse figure as Venus Verticordia, but without explanation – states regarding this type (and Crawford 463/1b, which has the same design except that the Dioscuri are decorated with fillets instead of laurel-wreaths) that “[t]his denarius coinage in the name of Manius Cordius Rufus is on a scale [it isn’t clear whether this pun was intended!] commensurate with the state’s requirements at the time of Caesar’s quadruple triumph when, it will be remembered, five thousand denarii were paid to each legionary soldier and ten thousand to each centurion. Other than his coinage, Rufus is known only from an inscription found at Tusculum [citation omitted] recording that he held the office of praetor. The obverse type of this denarius also indicates his Tusculan origin as there was a special cult of Castor and Pollux at this ancient city of Latium situated about 15 miles south-east of Rome. The reverse type of Venus was doubtless intended to be complimentary to Caesar, and the head of the goddess appears on another of this moneyer’s denarius types” (citing Crawford 463/3, depicting Venus on the obverse and her son Cupid riding a dolphin on the reverse, a type essentially reproducing the very similar depiction on the reverse of Crawford 390/2, issued by L. Lucretius Trio ca. 76 BCE.) I question whether there is any substantive reason to identify the reverse figure as Venus Verticordia other than the fact that this identification fits the presumed pun on the moneyer’s gens. Regardless of whether or not the coin’s depiction of Venus is actually based on the lost statue of Venus Genetrix in the temple that Caesar dedicated to that goddess, it would seem that the presence on Venus’s shoulder of her son Cupid (hardly a model for chastity!), the fact that Caesar specifically claimed descent from Venus Genetrix, and the fact that he dedicated a temple to her in 46 BCE, the very same year in which the coin was issued, would all militate in favor of Crawford’s Venus Genetrix interpretation. (Even if that interpretation destroys the Verticordia/Cordius pun!) See Jones, supra at p. 317: “It has been suggested that the figure of Venus, bearing scales and accompanied by Cupid, which appears on denarii of Mn. Cordius Rufus (46 BC) represents the cult statue of th[e] temple [of Venus Verticordia, built in 114 BCE], and that the type was chosen as a play on the name of the mint magistrate. . . . This is not impossible but it seems unlikely, and the coin and other coins of Cordus which show a head of Venus on the obverse, or a Cupid on the reverse, may only allude in a general way to Venus as the ancestress of the Julian family.” (Jones argues that it is “also unlikely” that the reverse figure specifically represented the statue of Venus Genetrix sculpted by Arcesilaus and placed in the temple to that goddess dedicated in the year of the coin’s issue, pointing out the many different numismatic representations of Venus Genetrix, and concluding that “there is enough variety to suggest that no particular work of art was automatically associated with this title.” Id.) See also the discussion of Venus Genetrix (and the variety of her images) at https://publications.artic.edu/roman/api/epub/480/490/print_view#fig-490-13, from an analysis of a statue fragment of Venus at the Art Institute of Chicago (footnotes omitted): "Roman Art at the Art Institute of Chicago Cat. 3 Fragment of a Statue of Venus Published by: Art Institute of Chicago The Origins of Venus Genetrix Venus had long been worshipped in Italy as a native goddess, and by the early third century B.C. she was venerated in the city of Rome.12 Although Venus was worshipped under numerous guises, including those associated with her domain of fertility, beauty, and seduction, by the first century B.C. she was viewed especially as a goddess of warfare and provider of military victory.13 In this aspect, she was venerated and honored by successful generals, such as Sulla (138–79 B.C.), Pompey the Great (106–48 B.C.), and Julius Caesar (100–44 B.C.), who claimed the goddess as their patron deity and protector.14 This emphasis on the goddess’s martial functions distinguished her from the Greek goddess Aphrodite, who, although associated to a certain extent with war, was seen primarily as a goddess of erotic love and female sexuality.15 Additionally, the martial role linked her to Mars (equivalent to the Greek Ares), the Roman god of warfare and agriculture, with whom she shared an erotic relationship.16 Despite these distinctions, over time Venus was assimilated to Aphrodite and absorbed aspects of the Greek goddess’s background.17 In particular, Aphrodite was considered to be the mother of the Trojan hero Aeneas, who settled in Italy following the fall of Troy, and so was the grandmother of Ascanius (also known as Iulus), the founder of the city of Alba Longa.18 This made her an ancestor of the royal line of Alba Longa, and thereby of Romulus and Remus, the twins associated with the mythical founding of the city of Rome.19 Consequently, Aphrodite was viewed as an ancestor of the Romans, a role that also came to be associated with Venus, who was described as the Aeneadum Genetrix, or mother of the Aeneadae (Romans).20 Moreover, the [glossary:gens] Iulia (Julian family), one of the oldest and most distinguished patrician families in Rome, also claimed their direct descent from Ascanius/Iulus (from whom they derived the name of their clan), thus making Venus their direct ancestor.21 Indeed, the Julian clan’s most famous member, Julius Caesar, prominently asserted his divine ancestry in a massive building project known as the Forum Iulium, which contained a temple to Venus Genetrix.22 Although it is presumed that Caesar’s forum was initially intended to function as a [glossary:monumentum] to his conquests in Gaul,23 it appears to have taken on new meaning following his victory in 48 B.C. at the battle of Pharsalus over his former ally Pompey the Great.24 Prior to this battle, Caesar is said to have vowed to build a temple to Venus Victrix (Venus the Victorious) in the event of his success.25 However, in 46 B.C., Caesar’s still-unfinished temple to Venus was dedicated not to Venus Victrix but rather to Venus Genetrix, a new epithet not previously assigned to the goddess.26 The appellation Genetrix not only retained the references to military victory associated with her epithet Victrix, but it also emphasized the goddess’s genealogical ties to both the Roman people and the Julian family.27 [Emphasis added.] The Images of Venus Genetrix According to Pliny the Elder, the Greek sculptor Arkesilaos was commissioned to create the statue of Venus Genetrix displayed in Caesar’s forum, which is generally understood by scholars to refer to the cult statue erected in the temple.28 Although the appearance of the republican cult statue is not known, it was previously thought that it might have resembled the Louvre-Naples statuary type. This identification was based on the appearance of a comparable image of Venus on coins and medallions carrying the inscription VENERI GENETRICI.29 However, numismatic evidence linking this statuary type to the epithet Genetrix is not contemporary with Caesar’s temple.30 Consequently, evidence of the Arkesilaon statue has been sought in late republican and early imperial images, particularly on coins and monuments.31 It has been suggested that the republican cult statue might have been fully and modestly clothed, with her son Cupid on her shoulder to indicate her role as Genetrix. A similar image is found on a relief, perhaps from a nonextant altar or other monument of Julio-Claudian date, depicting Venus in the pediment of the Augustan temple of Mars Ultor, where she is shown immediately to the left of Mars in the center (fig. 3.5). [Emphasis supplied.] 32 Fig. 3.5 Venus Genetrix - third figure from left [Note that she both has both Cupid on her left shoulder, and is holding a transverse scepter. No scales, though!] Alternatively, it might have resembled the image of Venus appearing on coins minted by Julius Caesar shortly after the temple’s dedication, which depict the goddess holding a diminutive, winged Victoria (the Roman personified goddess of victory) in her right hand and a scepter in her raised left hand (see fig. 3.6), thus alluding to the goddess’s dual roles as Caesar’s ancestor and patron deity, particularly in warfare.33" For all the foregoing reasons, I lean towards the Venus Genetrix interpretation, rather than Venus Verticordia. Finally, the “RVFVS III VIR” in the obverse legend refers to the moneyer’s position at the mint. See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=IIIVIR, defining the term as a “Latin abbreviation: Triumvir. On coins of the Roman Republic IIIVIR is used as a shortened abbreviation for IIIVIR AAAFF, which abbreviates ‘III viri aere argento auro flando feiundo’ or ‘Three men for the casting and striking of bronze, silver and gold,’ a moneyer or mint magistrate.” *** Another statue presumed to be Venus Genetrix, with Cupid on her shoulder, sold at auction in 2019; see https://www.bidsquare.com/online-au...so-of-a-venus-genetrix-mother-w-cupid-1294870: Apart from everything else, could someone please explain to me which way Cupid is facing on my coin, and why he looks like he has curved horns growing out of the side of his head? Please post your own coins depicting Venus and Cupid (alone or together), Venus Verticordia, Venus Genetrix, the Dioscuri, or anything else you think is appropriate. And please share your own opinions on the Verticordia vs. Genetrix debate regarding the reverse figure on this coins.
Thanks for the write up Donna. Wonder why Venus is holding a balance , thats more something for Moneta. Cupid is indeed looking strange.
I think the implication of both Sear and Crawford is that the balance represents the large mintage of the type (approximately 600 different dies for each side according to Crawford*), necessitated by Caesar's needs for paying the military at the time of his quadruple triumph (5,000 denarii per soldier and 10,000 per centurion). The fact that the balance is held by Venus, as stated by Crawford (see above), “perhaps suggests that the coinage of Mn. Cordius Rufus is in the tutela [guardianship] of Venus and is hence a further compliment to Caesar” given Venus's association with Caesar. *Given the usual estimate of 10,000 coins per die, that would mean a total of 6,000,000 denarii minted of this type alone, never mind the other denarii issued by this moneyer in 46 BCE.
Very nice details and toning. I do not have any RR coins with Venus and/or Cupid but I have a Plautilla similar to the one posted by @Andres2 PLAUTILLA (Augusta, 202-205) AR Denarius. Rome. Obv: PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA - draped bust right. Rev: VENVS VICTRIX - Venus standing left, holding apple and palm frond, and resting elbow upon shield decorated with hourglass(?); to left, Cupid standing left, holding helmet. RIC 369 (Caracalla); RSC 25; BMC 429 3,24 g, 19 mm A Mamaea sestertius Julia Mamaea. Augusta AD 222-235. Rome Sestertius Æ 30 mm, 19,80 g Obv: IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA, bust of Julia Mamaea, diademed, draped, right / VENERI FELICI SC, Venus, draped, standing right, holding sceptre in right hand and Cupid in left hand RIC IV Severus Alexander 694; RCV II 8232; BMCRE 190 A Veneri Genetrici from Sabina SABINA AVGVSTA, bust of Sabina, diademed, wearing stephane with hair in queue, draped, right / VENERI GENETRICI, Venus standing right, arranging drapery and holding apple RIC II, Part 3 (second edition) Hadrian 2576; RSC 73; BMC 944
That may be the best of the type I've seen @DonnaML And I LOVE old collector's tickets I'd bet the 408 is simply the # for their collection/ catalog. My humble addition needs a reshoot: *Edit: @DonnaML I can't tell you how much I appreciate the well thought out, insightful and extremely well researched threads you create and share. Admittedly, I read some of them in pieces as I usually have a screaming kid, dirty butt or my actual work that needs taking care of. It's threads like yours that keep me on CT.
Thanks for the very nice compliment, @Ryro. I appreciate knowing that somebody reads these things! This happens to be a kind of coin I really enjoy writing up: one for which there's an unresolved disagreement among scholars as to the identification of a deity or other personage on a coin, and there are defensible arguments for each interpretation. Especially when I think I'm qualified to offer an opinion on who's right, rather than simply presenting the different interpretations. Another example of such a coin that comes to mind is the M. Herennius denarius, for which there's been an unresolved disagreement since the 19th century (at least!) as to whether the figures on the reverse represent one of the Catanaean brothers carrying his father to escape from Mt. Etna, or Aeneas carrying his father to escape from fallen Troy. That led to one of my longest writeups ever! (See the thread at https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ro...as-or-catanaean-brothers.380718/#post-7568886.) PS: Your opinion on the meaning of "408" makes sense to me.
Lovely coin, Donna. I don't have one of that type, but here's another by the same moneyer. ROMAN REPUBLIC AR Denarius. 3.82g, 18.8mm. Rome mint, 46 BC. Mn. Cordius Rufus, moneyer. Crawford 463/2; Sydenham 978. O: Crested Corinthian helmet right, surmounted by owl, RVFVS to left. R: Aegis of Minerva decorated with facing head of Medusa in center, MN CORDIVS around.
@DonnaML - this is a fascinating issue. I also incline towards the Venus Genetrix identification as I assume that the moneyer wished to ingratiate himself with Caesar. Here is my example There are considerable stylistic differences between our two coins. On mine, the Dioscuri are side by side, whereas yours seem to be looking away from each other. As for the reverse, neither cupid is easy to make out - mine may be facing to the front.
JULIA DOMNA, Antoninianus Rome, 217 4.82 g - 22 mm S 7099 - C 205 - RIC 389a IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG, Diademed bust right VENVS GENETRIX, Venus seated left, Cupid at feet
Yours is great. There's certainly more of the second twin's face showing on the obverse than on mine. The cupids are actually rather similar, and suggest to me that perhaps mine is facing front after all. I notice a trace of the same "horns" extending from each side of your Cupid's head as the ones visible on mine.
@DonnaML.....That's a lovely example! and thoroughly enjoyed the write up Thanks. Here's my little cupid... Plautilla AR Denarius. 20mm/2.66gr minted 204 AD Obverse-PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, draped bust right Reverse- VENVSVICTRIX, Venus standing left holding apple (pomegranite) & palm, leaning on shield,winged Cupid at her feet holding apple or pomegranite or helmet?....RIC# 369
It's a lovely description and I'm now slightly poorer, as I went out and also bought a halfway decent one, although it's not nearly as nice as Donna's.
Beautiful Denarius, @DonnaML , congrats on the great find. Mine was an early find in my collection... CORDIUS RUFUS RR Cordius Rufus 46 BCE AR Den Jugate Dioscuri Venus scales S 440 Cr 463-1
Nice write-up and coin, as usual! I think it is interesting that Empire coins normally have Moneta (money) or Aequitas (justice) holding scales. The Roman Republic had Venus holding scales, on @DonnaML 's coin. Several RR issues have scales for die markers. The coins of C. Annius T.f. T.n. and L. Fabius L.f. all have scales not held by anyone (unless it is a necklace). My coin is unusual, it has two scales. I have seen several brockages of this issue. The Roman Republic C. Annius T.f. T.n. and L. Fabius L.f. Hispaniensis. Denarius, Northern Italy and Spain 82-81, AR 4.04g. Obv - C·ANNI·T·F·T·N·PRO·COS·EX·S·C· Diademed and draped female bust (Anna Perenna) r.; below chin scale Rev. Same type incuse. Babelon Annia 1. Greuber Spain 31. Sydenham 749. Crawford 366/4. It is interesting that Grueber and Sydenham call her Anna Perenna. Crawford and Sear say female head. Grueber had a long write-up on this issue. I do not know why the smartest RR heads changed their minds.
