Over the years, I've managed to accumulate nearly every personification that appears on the reverse of Roman coins. But somehow, Abundantia got overlooked. No more! I picked this one up from @John Anthony and I really like it. And talk about a neck beard! Holy cow! Abundantia (εὐθένεια [Euthenia] in Greek) was a profuse giver of all things, at all times. This distinguishes her from Liberalitas, who gives money, Uberitas, who represents agricultural fruitfulness, and Annona, who personified the grain supply in particular. She is typically portrayed wearing a stola and holding a cornucopiae and corn-ears, or is emptying a cornucopiae, as on my coin. This type of Abundantia illustrates the last line of Horace's Epistle 1.12*: Aurea fruges Italium pleno diffudit copia cornu -- "On Italy, golden sheaves pour full-spouted from a horn of plenty." (Translation mine.) Post your Abundantia coins, Gallienus coins, or anything you deem relevant. *Horatius Flaccus (Horace). Horace, Satires, Epistles and Ars Poetica. H. Rushton Fairclough. London; Cambridge, Massachusetts. William Heinemann Ltd.; Harvard University Press, 1929. Gallienus, AD 253-268 Roman billon Antoninianus; 2.68 g, 19.5 mm, 1 h Rome, AD 265-267 Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head, right Rev: ABVNDANTIA AVG, Abuntantia standing right, emptying cornucopiae with both hands; B in left field Refs: RIC 157K; Göbl 0574a; RCV 10164. Over the years, the Latin abundantia became the Italian abbondanza. Admit it -- you thought of this Mama Celeste pizza commercial, didn't you?
Inevitably for me it would have to be Probus from Lugdunum. An early one:- IMP C PROBVS • P • F • AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right Rev:– ABVNDATIA AVG, Abundatia, standing right, empting cornucopiae Minted in Lugdunum (//IIII) Emission 4 Officina 4. Middle to End A.D. 277 Reference(s) – Cohen 1. Bastien 195 (54 examples cited). RIC 17 Bust type F (C) 3.49 gms, 22.50mm x 21.67mm And a later one:- Obv:–IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right Rev:– ABVNDANTIA AVG, Abundantia standing right, emptying cornucopiae Minted in Lugdunum (//IIII) Emission 6 Officina 4. A.D. 278 - A.D. 279 Reference(s) – Cohen 4. Bastien 291 (15 examples cited). RIC 59 Bust type F 3.65 gms, 22.94mm x 22.60mm
Very nice RC .. this is a very worn one i've had for years not knowing for sure what it was till @dougsmit pointed out the control mark on the reverse convinced me(silly Moboy)
The question is what is Abundentia pouring out of the cornucopia. Coins? Severus Alexander Gallienus (where is it now?)
Trajan Decius Abundantia. Can't tell what she is pouring out of the cornucopia. I am going to call her Mama Celeste. Hmmm...where's the pizza?
Antoninus Pius AE Sestertius Rome Mint 153-154 AD Obverse: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TR P XVI Laureate head right Reverse: INDVLGENTIA AVG COS IIII Indulgentia seated left on throne, extending hand and holding scepter; SC in exergue References: RIC 904 Size: 32mm, 20.08g So I did not know Indulgentia involved money? I thought she was "Clemency" in general. Here is the definition from forum dictionary of terms:Indulgentia. Clemency, lenity, grace, favour. -This word is used on Roman coins to denote either some permission given, some privilege bestowed, or some tribute remitted. -In inscriptions of a very early date, princes are called indulgentissimi.
Yes, she is Clemency! My bad. I have edited my OP accordingly. I got her confused with Liberalitas, the personification of the indulgences given out by emperor, such as this one of Commodus:
GALLIENUS Antoninianus OBVERSE: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right REVERSE: ABVNDANTIA AVG, Abundantia standing right, emptying cornucopiae; B in left field Struck at Rome, Sole Reign, 257-258 AD 2.4g, 18mm RIC 157 HADRIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS, laureate head right, drapery on left shoulder REVERSE: COS III, Abundantia standing left with hook and cornucopia; right foot on modius Struck at Rome, 125-8 AD 2.8g, 17mm RIC 169
Nice Silver antoninianus, SRCV III 9364, RIC IV 10b, RSC IV 2, VF, 4.268g, 22.5mm, 180o, Rome mint, 250 - 251 A.D.; obverse IMP C M Q TRAIANVS DECIVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust right, from behind; reverse ABVNDANTIA AVG, Abundantia standing right, emptying cornucopia held in both hands; scarce;
BTW- just to include the "first"(?) of these deities: from wiki:"Upon the death of Augustus, the emperor Tiberius established an altar to Providentia Augusta in recognition of "the godhead manifested in his father's provisions for the Roman state." The cult title Augusta was attached also to such goddesses as Pax, Justitia, and Concordia during the Imperial era. Traditional epithets invoked a deity within a specific functional sphere by declaring their power. The title Augusta thus fixed the divinity's force within the sphere of the emperor as Augustus.[4] Bought this MA denarius as "unidentified". Providentia I think?
Abundantia is occasionally facing the other way. Probus Obv:– IMP C PROBVS P F AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right Rev:– ABVNDANTIA AVG, Abundantia standing left, emptying cornucopiae Minted in Siscia (XXIS in exe) Emission 5, Officina 2. A.D. 278 Reference:– RIC 618 Bust type F
this is the coin on vcoins that i used to identify... maybe the seller is wrong- now to acserach...https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/lo...ck_1667_ad__r_providentia/879035/Default.aspx