Abundantia!

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Roman Collector, Jan 20, 2018.

  1. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    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 ABVNTANTIA AVG Antoninianus.jpg
    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?

     
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2018
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  3. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    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

    RI 132ep img.jpg

    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

    RI 132ea img.jpg
     
  4. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    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:p) herennius etruscus 002.JPG herennius etruscus 006.JPG
     
  5. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    The question is what is Abundentia pouring out of the cornucopia. Coins?

    Severus Alexander
    rn0310bb2079.jpg

    Gallienus (where is it now?)
    rp1600xx2458.jpg
     
  6. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    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?

    decius1.jpg

    decius2.jpg
     
  7. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

    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
    upload_2018-1-20_8-25-55.png
    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.
     
  8. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

  9. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    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:

    Commodus Liberalitas denarius.jpg
     
  10. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Gallienus 15.jpg
    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 4.jpg
    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
     
  11. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

    Nice
    1509820_649071311796450_723220009_n.jpg
    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;
     
  12. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    ABUNDANTIA

    RI Gallienus 253-268 CE Ant Abundantia.jpg
    RI Gallienus 253-268 CE Ant Abundantia
     
  13. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

    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? coinboughtunidentitydenariusobv.jpg coinboughtunidentityrev.jpg
     
  14. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    More likely Fortuna, given that she's steering a rudder set on globe.
     
  15. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    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

    [​IMG]
     
  16. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

    thank you, i will check it out....
     
  17. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

  18. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

  19. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

    It is not a rudder but a wand- lots of them for Providentia on ascearch
     
  20. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    If it's a wand over a globe, then it's Providentia. RIC III 176; Cohen 890.
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2018
  21. Mike Margolis

    Mike Margolis Well-Known Member

    got it-thanx!
     
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