April 21st: the founding of ROME

The (true) story
The myth of the founding of Rome does not begin with the twins Romulus and Remus breastfed by a wolf. But with… Aeneas, one of the heroes of the Trojan War, whose actions were later sung by the Roman author Virgil (70-19 BC) in his poem The Aeneid. In the 12th century BC, legend has it that the Trojan, fleeing his city devastated by the Greeks, came to settle, after an adventurous journey through Sicily and Carthage, on the banks of the Tiber. There he married Lavinia, the daughter of a king named Latinus. In honor of his father-in-law, Aeneas gives his people the name Latins. Four centuries later, a succession conflict between two of his descendants, the brothers Numitor and Amulius, rages on. The latter dethroned Numitor and, to ward off the danger of offspring, forced the daughter of his rival, Rhéa Silvia, to join the order of the vestals, dedicated to celibacy and chastity. This was without counting on the god Mars who, in love with the young girl, unites with her and gives her twins, the future Romulus and Remus ... Amulius decides to throw the children into the waters of the flooding Tiber. The flood lays their wicker cradle at the foot of the Palatine Hill. Nursed by a wolf in a cave, the Lupercal, the newborns are taken in by a couple of shepherds. As teenagers, they overthrow the usurper Amulius and reestablish their grandfather Numitor on the throne of Lazio. Then they set out to found a city on the site of the Palatine where they were miraculously saved. Designated, in 753 BC, by a sign of the sky like founder and king of this place, Romulus traces with the plow the furrow marking the enclosure of the city, but must face the jealousy of his brother. Remus, by bravado, crosses this sacred limit. And Romulus kills him. Rome was born. In the blood. It was an April 21st.


A classic Roma/ she-wolf

The coinage
Many coins bore the image of the goddess Roma in effigy (Roma aeterna, Thea Roma). The goddess Roma was not, indeed, a pure and simple abstraction. It was given a concrete form, she was represented under human features and also invested with various attributes. This type was not immutable. Even before the Asians and Greeks made the Roman city a goddess, the Romans themselves had personified their city. On several consular and patrician denarius from the 3rd century BC, Roma is already depicted in profile or face, standing and affixed to a spear or else to a trophy of arms: sometimes she looks like Pallas; sometimes she recalls the type of the Amazons, and her right breast is uncovered but always her attitude and her character are clearly warlike. It is obviously from the Greeks of southern Italy that the Romans borrowed the images they used to represent their city personified.




Roma escorting the Emperor. Arch of Titus

Other coins of the Roman republic bear a helmeted woman's head to the right, which has given rise to many discussions between numismatists. Some wanted to see in it an image of Rome itself: such was the opinion of Aldini and especially of Mommsen. The others, on the contrary, denied that this head could ever represent Rome: after Eckhel and the abbot Cavedoni, Kluegmann supported this thesis; he pointed out, not without reason, that the ornamentation of the helmet, with which this head is capped, derives totally or almost totally from the cricket; however this animal decorated the helmet of the Athena Parthenos of Phidias, and, on the other hand, it never seems to have had any relation with Rome, consequently, this helmeted head is that, not of Rome, but of Minerva.


Roma On the antoninus Pius' column.

Babelon, in his coins of the Roman Republic, tried to reconcile the two opposing opinions: according to him, it is indeed Rome personified which is represented on these coins; but the Romans designed this image in imitation of the Greek type of Pallas. This choice is all the less surprising than in Magna Graecia, in southern Italy, Pallas was sometimes characterized by the epithet Roma, a Greek word meaning: strength, vigor. What is certain is that the oldest iconographic type of personified Rome is a distinctly warlike type of character.


Roma seated beside Augustus. Gemma augustea sculpture by Dioscurides.

On this day when the Great city was founded, please show me your coins related to ROME !


Roma seated ( my only RIC I)

 

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ROMA AETERNA VICTRIX

 

Happy Romaversary! Here's my Domitian with Romulus and Remus, ex. Biaggi and ex. Boscoreale:

 

The power of this image was understood even in the eastern part of the empire. Though colonies like Antioch in Pisidia did employ the wolf and twins motif on their coins thus emphasizing their "Roman" ism even some cities such as Tarsos placed the image on their coins. I didn't realize that Al Kowsky had submitted a coin of Antioch in Pisidia while I was composing my thread. Good job Al.
Tarsos Ae 36 215 -217 AD. Obv Bust of Caracalla laureate draped and cuirassed seen from back. Rv. Wolf standing right head reverted suckling the twins Romulus and Remus . On a personal note What is particularly interesting about this coin to me was back in 2007 no one loved this coin and it was remaindered and so I bought it.

 

Hadrian Romae Aeternae - RIC III Hadrian 2342
Rome Mint 134-138 AD. Obverse: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, bare head right. Reverse: ROMAE AETERNAE, Roma seated left on low seat, shield at her side, holding palladium and spear. 18mm, 3.30g
One of my first denarii, got it at a very low price and I thought this is the standard price for a good denarius ... oh well

The popular VRBS ROMA, in full option and demo versions.

 

Ocat, another interesting article with excellent illustrations ! The RR denarius pictured below gives another view of the "Founding of Rome" myth.

Sex. Pompeius Fostlus, 137 BC, Rome Mint. AR Denarius: 3.92 gm, 18 mm, 6 h. Obverse: Roma facing right, X under chin, capis in left field. Reverse: She-wolf suckling Romulus & Remus, the shepherd Faustulus is standing in the left field (the man who found the twins on the Tiber River), & a fig tree with birds in the background. Crawford 235/1c; Sydenham 461a. Ex Numismatic Fine Arts, Summer Bid-Buy Sale 1993, lot 861 (part of 10).

I bought this coin in a group of 10 coins for the princely sum of $600.00 . Over the years I made better than 4 times what this lot cost me . I sold this denarius in CNG 483, lot 375 for $442.50, with an estimate of $150.00 .

 

Happy Birthday, Rome!


Roman Republic, moneyer: Sex. Pompeius Fostlus, AR denarius, 137 BC, Rome mint. Obv: head of Roma, helmeted, r.; behind, jug; before, X. Rev: SEX·PO[M FOSTVLVS]; she-wolf suckling twins r.; behind, ficus Ruminalis with birds; in l. field, the shepherd Faustulus leaning on staff; in exergue, [RO]MA. 18mm, 3.87g. Rev: RRC 235/1c.

 

Eternal Rome personified:


Trebonianus Gallus, AD 251-253.
Roman AR antoninianus, 3.56 g, 21.1 mm, 5 h.
Antioch, 4th officina, 3rd series, AD 252-3.
Obv: IMP C C VIB TREB GALLVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right; •••• below bust.
Rev: ROMAE AETERNAE AVG, Roma seated left, holding Victory and spear; shield beside her; •••• in exergue.
Refs: RIC 89; Cohen 108; RCV 9647; Hunter p. cvi.

Temple of Eternal Rome:


Maxentius as Augustus, AD 307-312.
Roman billon follis, 6.53 g, 24.6 mm, 10 h.
Rome, AD 307-308.
Obv: IMP C MAXENTIVS P F AVG, radiate head right.
Rev: CONSERV VRB SVAE, Roma seated facing in hexastyle temple, head left, globe in right hand, scepter in left, shield at side behind, Victories as acroteria, wreath on pediment, H left, R S in exergue.
Refs: RIC 202a; Cohen 21; RCV 14986.

Rome personified/the Lupa Romana:


Constantine I, AD 307-337.
Roman billon reduced centenionalis, 2.44 g, 17.4 mm, 12 h.
Constantina/Arles, AD 331-332.
Obv: VRBS ROMA, helmeted bust of Roma, left, wearing imperial robes.
Rev: Lupa Romana, left, suckling Romulus and Remus; branch between two stars above; SCONST in exergue.
Refs: RIC vii p. 273, 368; RCV 16497; LRBC I 371; Cohen 17.

 

Happy anniversary Rome!




My favorite Romulus and Remus reverse:


Maxentius, Follis, (Silvered Bronze, 25 mm, 7.36 g), Ostia, 308- 312. Laureate head of Maxentius to right./ Rev. AETERNITAS AVG N /MOSTA, The Dioscuri standing facing, each with a star above their caps, holding bridle of horse in right hand and scepter in left; between them, she-wolf standing left, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus. RIC 16

 

FIRST SILVER COIN of ROME

Roman Republic Anon AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm 310-300 BCE 7.3g 21mm Mars-Horse ROMANO - FIRST Cr 13-1 Left


AES GRAVE


Roman Republic Aes Grave AE Quadrans 269-242 BCE Dog 3 pellets Six spoked wheel 59.8g Craw 24-6a Th-Vecchi 34 ex Sellwood

 

Yes I've heard of the story it's with those two guys and the wolf right

 

A couple of Eternal Rome...

 

..well, if it can be tied down to a day...happy birthday Rome! ..my oldest Roman republican coin as of now...136BC (with doggo)

 

Like most of us, I have so many Roma coins it's very difficult to choose! So I'll limit myself to a few that are unusual in one way or another (i.e., more than just a head on the obverse), and/or show the wolf and twins, etc.

Unusual because it's the very first Roman Republican denarius with the legend "ROMA" on the obverse instead of the reverse, and has a heavily bejeweled Roma:

Roman Republic, C. Servilius M.f., AR Denarius 136 BCE. Obv. Head of Roma right wearing winged helmet, wreath behind neck, ROMA beneath with * [XVI monogram] to left / Rev. Dioscuri on horseback galloping in opposite directions, heads turned back to face each other, both twins holding their spears downwards behind horses, C. SERVEILI M F in exergue. RSC I Servilia 1, Crawford 239/1, Sydenham 525, Sear RCV I 116 (ill.), BMCRR Italy 540. 19.35 mm., 3.89 g. [Sear says that this is the first Republican denarius with “ROMA” legend on obverse, and the second to use the monogram * for XVI .]



Unusual because Roma, instead of being portrayed on the obverse, is standing on the reverse crowning a trophy:

Roman Republic, M Fovri L.f. Philus, AR Denarius 119 BCE. Obv. Laureate head of Janus, M•FOVRI•L•F around / Rev. Roma with Corinthian helmet standing left holding scepter, crowning trophy surmounted by helmet and flanked by carnyx and shield on each side, Gallic arms around; star above, ROMA to right, PHLI in exergue. RSC I Furia 18 (ill.), Crawford 281/1, Sydenham 529, Sear RCV I 156 (ill.), BMCRR Italy 555. 20.13 mm., 3.66 g. [According to Crawford (Vol. I p. 297), this reverse probably refers to "the defeat of the Allobroges and Arverni and the triumphs of 120."]



Unusual because it's anonymous, and because Roma appears not only on the obverse but also on the reverse, where she's depicted together with the wolf and twins:

Roman Republic, Anonymous* AR Denarius, 115-114 BCE. Obv. Head of Roma right wearing winged Corinthian helmet; below, ROMA; behind, X [despite earlier change from 10 to 16 asses in value] / Rev. Roma, wearing Corinthian helmet, seated right on pile of shields, holding spear in left hand; helmet on ground between pile of shields and her right foot; before her, she-wolf right, suckling twins Romulus and Remus; on either side, birds flying. Crawford 287/1, RSC I 176 (ill.), Sear RCV I 164 (ill.). 20 mm., 3.07 g. Ex. Silbury Coins, UK, Jan. 3, 2019.



* See Sear RCV I at p. 104: "An issue lacking the moneyer's name is surprising and noteworthy at such a late date. The omission must have been his own decision and not the result of a change in government policy. Remarkably, this distinctive reverse type was revived almost 200 years later on an aureus of Titus (see no. 2417). [Italics in original.]

Skipping all the way to Hadrian, my new ADVENTVS issue with Roma greeting Hadrian upon his return to Rome:

Hadrian, AR Denarius 133-135 AD (according to RIC II-3) [134-138 according to Mattingly & Sydenham in old RIC II], Rome Mint. Obv. Bare head right, HADRIANVS - AVG COS III PP / Rev. Roma standing right in military dress, with right shoulder bare, holding inverted spear with left hand, receiving the arriving Emperor Hadrian standing left, togate, bearing a scroll in left hand, the two clasping their right hands, ADVE-NTVS AVG. RIC II-3 1984 (2019 ed.), old RIC II 225a (1926 ed.), RSC II 84a, BMCRE 581. 18 mm., 3.46 g. {Part of Hadrian’s Travel Series, commemorating Hadrian’s arrival in Rome at the end of his travels.]



A 1000th-anniversary commemorative coin of Philip I, portraying the wolf and twins:

Philip I AR Antoninianus, 248 AD, Rome Mint, 2nd Officina. Obv. Radiate, draped, & cuirassed bust right, IMP PHILIPPVS AVG/ Rev. She-wolf standing left, suckling twins Romulus and Remus, SAECVLARES AVGG; II in exergue. RIC IV-3 15, RSC IV 178, Sear RCV III 8957 (ill.). 22.75 mm., 4.72 g. (Games commemorating 1,000th anniversary of founding of Rome.) Ex. Madroosi Collection (Joe Blazick).



And, finally, what else but an example of the VRBS Roma coin:

Constantine I, Billon reduced Centenionalis, Trier Mint 330-331 AD. Obv. VRBS ROMA, helmeted bust of Roma left/ Rev. She-wolf stg. left suckling twins (Romulus & Remus), 2 stars above; TRP• [Trier, First officina] in exergue. RIC VII 529, Sear RCV IV 16487. 17 mm., 2.4 g. (Found by metal detecting in Wiltshire, England, 2014).

 

An opportunity to squeeze in one of Augustus: the usual Ara Trium Galliarum dedicated to the Goddess Roma and the Roman Emperors.

Gallia, Lugdunum, 8/7 BC - 3/2 AD
24 x 26 mm, 10.849 g
RIC 230; Lyon 73;

Ob.: CAESAR PONT MAX laureate head to right.
Rev.: ROM ET AVG Altar decorated with the corona civica between laurels, flanked by stylized male figures; at the sides, Victories on columns, each holding a palm frond and wreath. On the altar two shrines for Roma and Augustus, alongside perhaps busts of the imperial family

​

 

Sextus Pompeius Denarius. 137 BC. Head of Roma, X below chin, jug behind / SEX POMP FOSTLVS, wolf standing right, head turned, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus, shepherd to left, birds on fig tree behind, ROMA in ex. Syd 461, C235/1a.

 

A more unusual version of the standard VRBS ROMA, this time with a VOT reverse.


In our case here, Philip's Eternal Rome was splintered and broken.