My Juno Sospita denarii

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Mr.MonkeySwag96, May 30, 2022.

  1. Mr.MonkeySwag96

    Mr.MonkeySwag96 Well-Known Member

    Juno Sospita was an incarnation of Juno that was worshipped in the Latin city of Lanuvium. The epithet “Sospita” translates as “the Savior.” Juno Sospita
    was usually depicted wearing a goat skin cloak and wielding a javelin and shield. She’s often associated with serpents.

    [​IMG]

    Juno Sospita was a common subject on Roman Republican coinage. In fact, four of my Republican denarii depict Juno Sospita on the obverse. However, Juno Sospita was rarely featured on Imperial coinage. I believe the only Imperial coins to depict Juno Sospita are brass sestertii of Antoninus Pius, correct me if I’m wrong.

    Here’s my collection of Republican denarii depicting Juno Sospita:

    [​IMG]

    Obv: I S M R, Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin. Rev: L THORIVS / BALBVS, Bull charging right; A above. Crawford 316/1. Good VF. Flan flaw. Condition: Good very fine.

    [​IMG]

    C. 80 BC Obverse: Head of Juno Sospita wearing goat skin. Reverse: Juno Sospita in biga hurling spear. Serrated edges with a grey tone and good detail. Ref: Crawford 379/2; Procilia 2 Weight: 3.94g Size: 19mm

    [​IMG]

    AR Serrate Denarius 18mm. 3.80g. Rome Mint Head of Juno Sospita r., wearing goat's skin; helmet and sword behind. Gryphon springing r., ladle(?) below; In ex.: L.PAPI RSC I Papia 1; Craw 384/1

    [​IMG]

    L. Roscius Fabatus AR Serrate Denarius. Rome, 64 BC. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat-skin headdress; control mark behind, L•ROSCI below Female standing right facing serpent; control symbol 106 in left field, FABATI in exergue. Crawford 412/1; RSC Roscia 3. 3.90g, 18mm, 6h.

    Please share your coins of Juno Sospita!
     
    Last edited: May 30, 2022
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  3. ambr0zie

    ambr0zie Dacian Taraboste

    Here is one of my favorite designs in my collection.
    upload_2022-5-30_9-33-3.png


    Papius. L. Papius Celsus 45 BC. Rome. Denarius AR. 17 mm, 3,70 g

    Obv: Head of Juno Sospita right. Border of dots / Rev: L·PAPIVS CELSVS·III·VIR, wolf, right, placing stick on fire; on right, eagle fanning flames . Border of dots.

    Crawford 472/1; RCV I 461

    The curious scene depicted on the reverse of this type refers to a foundation myth for the city of Lanuvium, parent city of Rome. According to a legend related by Dionysius of Halicaranassus in Roman Antiquities, the hero Aeneas saw a fire burning in a nearby forest and went to investigate. As he drew closer, he saw the fire was being fed by a she-wolf, who was dropping sticks into the blaze, while an eagle standing nearby fanned it with his wings. A fox kept intruding, trying to snuff out the fire by wetting his tail in a nearby stream and beating the flames down with it, but was driven off by the eagle and wolf. The fox was interpreted as Carthage, trying to snuff out Rome before its flame could burn brightly, while the eagle and she-wolf are symbols of the Roman army and people respectively.
     
  4. Mr.MonkeySwag96

    Mr.MonkeySwag96 Well-Known Member

    This is one Juno Sospita coin I don’t have. I’ve always wanted to own this type due to the interesting design. I’ve noticed that this particular type is often weakly struck or poorly centered.
     
  5. ambr0zie

    ambr0zie Dacian Taraboste

    Yes. And many examples I have seen in past auctions (including coins in excellent condition) have the eagle completely missing. Or in the better case, the eagle's wing extending the dotted border missing (one of the things I like about this coin's design).
    Although my coin was, probably, harshly cleaned in the past and the condition is not extraordinary, I was very happy to get it as the reverse - the strong point of this type of coin - shows exactly what I wanted.
     
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  6. Mr.MonkeySwag96

    Mr.MonkeySwag96 Well-Known Member

    Yeah, I like how your example has a nearly complete reverse
     
  7. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    I used to have a Roscius Fabatus, but parted with it.

    Wonderful coins.
     
    Mr.MonkeySwag96 likes this.
  8. Terence Cheesman

    Terence Cheesman Well-Known Member

    Denarius of L. Thorius Balbus 105 BC Obv. Head of Juno Sospita right wearing goat skin headdress Rv. Bull charging right Crawford 316/1 3.95 grms 19 mm Photo by W. Hansen 316-b.jpg Mine does differ from the one seen above as mine has the control letter O Overall an interesting series of coins.
     
  9. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

  10. Al Kowsky

    Al Kowsky Well-Known Member

    Mr.Monkey., That's an excellent group of denarii :happy:. The last coin is the jewel of the group :cool:! It has perfect centering, a wonderful high-relief portrait, & a great composition on the reverse. Are you building a set of Juno Sospita denarii o_O?
     
  11. Mr.MonkeySwag96

    Mr.MonkeySwag96 Well-Known Member

    Thanks. The last coin, the L. Roscius Fabatus denarius, happens to be one of my favorite coins in my Republican collection. It was never my intention to build a type set of Juno Sospita denarii. I started posting this thread because I was surprised how many of my denarii feature Juno Sospita.
     
    DonnaML likes this.
  12. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

    A wonderful set of Juno Sospita @Mr.MonkeySwag96 and all shown in this thread.

    Juno was above all revered in Lanuvium, an ancient city in Latium about 30 Km. southeast of Rome. Several moneyers came from this city and are represented on late Roman Republican denarii. The Papii themselves maintained that they had come from Lanuvium. Lucius Papius was one of the triumvir monetalis in 79 BC.
    According to Livius, Lanuvium was famous for its rich and often visited Juno Sospita temple. Her cult goes back to the archaic cult of a goat queen.

    Wanted always one Juno Sospita, and was finally able to win my one and only one recently at cng. It is quite worn, but I am happy to have it.

    Sydenham proposed that the symbols on these denarii represent trade guilds and merchants (collegia opificum) in "Symbols on Denarii of L. Papius and L. Roscius", Numismatic Chronicle, 1931. The control marks on this type are normally paired related symbols. Each pair has only one set of dies. H.A. Seaby writes there are at least 235 pairs and "They are well executed and cover the whole range of Roman life and industry, etc., and are of great interest to the antiquarian. They are mostly symbolic of the various trade-guilds.” However, Crawford in RRC, suggested that there is no such association with the collegia. Rather he believes they are a "random selection of pairs of everyday objects".
    https://bonannocoins.com/l_papius/l_papius_db.php lists all the known Papius denarii varieties.

    Denarius Serratus, Rome, 79 BC
    Crawford 384/1, type 33; Sydenham 773; RSC I Papia 1; SRCV I 311

    Ob.: Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat's skin; shallow cup behind.
    Rev.: Griffin springing right; rhyton ending in a horse left below L•PAPI in ex.
    upload_2022-5-31_16-22-39.png upload_2022-5-31_16-22-53.png
     
  13. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    L ROSCIUS FABATUS a.jpg
    L ROSCIUS FABATUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS ROSCIA
    AR Serrate Denarius
    OBVERSE: Head of Juno Sospita in goat skin, L ROSCI below, Jug to left
    REVERSE: Girl standing right feeding serpent before, Unknown control mark (?) to left, FABATI in ex.
    Rome 59 BC
    3.7g, 18mm
    Cr 412/1; Syd 915
     
  14. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Great Roman Republican Juno Sospita denarii in this thread.

    I happen to have the Antoninus Pius sestertius referenced in the OP. It is not pretty, but thanks to @curtislclay I have am confident about the attribution:

    Antoninus Pius - Sestertius Juno Sospita Lot May 24 2018.jpg
    Antoninus Pius Æ Sestertius
    (140-144 A.D.)
    Rome Mint

    ANTONINVS AVG PIVS [PP TR P COS III], laureate head rt. slight drapery on left shoulder / [IVNONI SISPITAE] S-C, Juno Sospita advancing right, preceded
    by snake, brandishing javelin and holding shield pinched in middle.
    RIC III 608; BMCRE 1248.
    (24.25 grams / 32 mm)
    eBay May 2018 Lot @ $7.19
    Notes: "Since the obv. legend of your sestertius clearly begins ANTONINVS AVG PIVS all on the left, you are correct to restore the rev. legend as IVNONI SISPITAE, also a scarce to rare coin, and interesting for providing the name of the goddess, illegible though it is on your specimen."
    Curtis Clay, Coin Talk Mar. 2020
    https://www.cointalk.com/threads/you-dont-come-across-one-of-these-very-often.356425/

    Here's a nice example on FORVM, with notes about the issue:

    https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=4280&pos=44

    In addition to Antoninus Pius, there are other Juno Sospita types for Commodus, though they are apparently scarce. Here's an OCRE search that came up with some:

    http://numismatics.org/ocre/results...Antoninus+Pius"+OR+portrait_facet:"Commodus")

    Not sure why Sospita is spelt SISPITAE with an I instead of an O, but despite several years of Latin in school, I'm quite ignorant!
     
  15. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    My own six Juno Sospita coins, in no particular order and without the descriptions:

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  16. red_spork

    red_spork Triumvir monetalis

    sos1.jpeg
    Roman Republic AR Denarius(3.90g), L Thorius Balbus, 105 BC, Rome mint. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat's skin; behind, ISMR. Border of dots / Bull charging right; above, control-mark T; below, L•THORIVS; in exergue, BALBVS. Border of dots. Crawford 316/1
    Privately purchased from CNG, 17 January 2020 at NYINC 2020, ex Spink auction 19004, 27 March 2019, lot 175

    sos2.jpeg
    Roman republic, AR Denarius(4.10g) L Papius, moneyer. 79 BC(Crawford), Rome mint. Head of Juno Sospita right; behind, mace. Bead-and-reel border / Gryphon leaping right; below, club with strap; in exergue, L PAPI. Bead-and-reel border. Crawford 384/1(symbols 73); BMCRR Rome 2977; Sydenham 773; RSC Papia 1.

    sos3.jpeg
    Roman Republic L. Procilius AR Denarius(3.70g, 19mm). Rome, 80 BC. Head of Jupiter right; S•C behind / L PROCILI F, Juno Sospita advancing right, holding spear and shield aloft; serpent before. Crawford 379/1; Sydenham 771; Procilia 1.
    Privately purchased from Mike Vosper on October 9, 2016

    sos4.jpeg
    Roman Republic L. Procilius AR denarius serratus(3.895g, 19.3mm). Rome, 80 BC. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat-skin headdress; S•C behind / L PROCILI F, Juno Sospita, holding spear and shield, in biga right; serpent below. Crawford 379/2; Sydenham 772; Procilia 2; Russo RBW 1407.
    Ex Andrew McCabe collection, privately purchased from Roma Numismatics in 2009
     
  17. DonnaML

    DonnaML Well-Known Member

    Are there any other Roman Republican Juno Sospita types besides the six I posted? I don't think I've seen any in this thread.
     
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  18. red_spork

    red_spork Triumvir monetalis

    There are the extremely rare issues of Quintus Cornuficius in North Africa circa 42 B.C. which feature Juno Sospita on the reverse. Not sure if anyone on Cointalk owns one. Also the issues of M Mettius from Rome circa 44 B.C.
     
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