Bastille Day (Roman Mints in France)

It turns out that I have eight coins minted in Lugdunum, my four favorites being:


GAIUS (CALIGULA)
AR Denarius (3.68 g.) Lugdunum 37 - 38 A.D. RIC 16
C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT laureate head of Caligula right.
Rev. DIVVS AVG PATER PATRIAE radiate head of Divus Augustus right


AUGUSTUS
AV Aureus (7.90 g.) Lugdunum circa 11 - 10 B.C. RIC 196
AVGVSTVS - DIVI-f Laureate head right.
Rev. IMP - XII Diana, wearing polos and long drapery, advancing r., holding bow and taking arrow from quiver. In exergue, SICIL
From the Biaggi collection, ex Gilhofer & Ranschburg and Hess 22 May 1935


GAIUS (CALIGULA)
AV Aureus (7.66 g.) Lugdunum ca. 37 - 38 A.D. RIC -- cf. 19
C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT Laureate head r.
Rev. S P Q R / P P / OB C S within oak wreath.
From the Biaggi collection.


NERO
AE Sestertius (26.56 g.) Lugdunum circa 65 A.D. RIC 441
NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head of Nero left.
Rev. PORT AVG Port of Ostia, river Tiber reclining below.

 

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That certainly is an original and beautiful style of imagery. It reminds me of the Uffington White Horse in Oxfordshire, England.

 

I only have one Roman coin minted in France, and I can't find my pic of it. I thought a Gallic coin would work but all of mine were minted in Cologne. I think this coin was minted in modern France....no promises.

 

An astute observation! I've seen it cataloged with this similarity specifically mentioned.

 

I have a follis of Constantius I from the mint of Lugdunum. It is one of my favorites.

 

The Parisii happened to settle in an ideal region: their position in the Seine river placed them in the middle of a major trading route to Cornwall where tin was extracted and exported to Europe for the production of bronze. This brought them a significant quantity of gold and justified the creation of such a high value coin.

It is quite remarkable to see a style separated by nearly 2,000 years between the ancient celators and Dali, Picasso, and other surrealist artists.

 

Wonderful coins @IdesOfMarch01 I am especially fond of the Caligula denarius. Those portraits are truly superb.

 

That's a beautiful coin, James! The detail and imagery are superb! I have purchased some re-strikes of commemorative coins over the years and the quality always amazes me.

 

Thank you so much @Deacon Ray for celebrating Bastille Day
And thanks to everyone else who posted their coins minted in places that are now France.


I will of course not post everything I have that have been minted around there, you would all fall asleep before I've finished. I will just show you a few that were issued before and after the King Louis XVI has been dethroned so you can notice they actually are slightly different


Louis XVI (1774-1792) - Demi Ecu aux lauriers 1791 A Atelier de Paris, 2° semestre de 1791 (.A)
LUD . XVI . D . G . FR . ET . NAV . REX ., buste habillé a gauche orné du cordon du Saint Esprit. Point sous le D de LUD
. SIT . NOMEN . DOMINI BENEDICTVM lyre 1791, ecu ovale couronné entre deux branches de laurier, .A sous l'ecu
Tranche inscrite : DOMINE SALVVM FAC REGEM
14.70 gr
Ref : Ciani # 2189

This coin and the following three give a "shortcut" of how the person of the King was considered through the french revolution : on this one Louis XVI is monarch by Divine right "Ludovicus XVI Deo Gratia Fran. et Nav. Rex



Constitution - 12 deniers 1791 A Atelier de Paris (A)
LOUIS XVI ROI DES FRANCOIS, buste drapé a gauche, A sous le buste
LA NATION LA LOI LE ROI rose 1791 . 3 . DELALIB . faisceau surmonté d'un bonnet phrygien entre deux branches de chêne
11.82 gr
Ref : Ciani # 2253

We now have a King being on the same level as his subjects and the Law. He his king of the french instead of being king of France



Constitution - 30 sols 1792 I Atelier de Limoges (I)
. LOUIS XVI ROI DES FRANCOIS . a l'exergue 1792, buste drapé a gauche
REGNE DE LA LOI, le genie de la liberté a droite, gravant la CONSTITUTION.
Dans le champ 30 | SOLS . et I, a l'exergue L'AN 4 DE LA LIBERTE . en deux lignes
10.16 gr
Ref : Ciani # 2241

Louis XVI is still there on the obverse, but the reverse says "the Law is now above all and everything"



Convention - Sol aux balances 1793 AA Atelier de Metz (AA) refrappe
REPUBLIQUE FRANCOISE, la table de la loi, avec gravé LES HOMMES SONT EGAUX DEVANT LA LOI en cinq lignes, de part et d'autre une grappe de raisin et des epis de blé, a l'exergue L'AN II
LIBERTE EGALITE, balance surmontée d'un bonnet phrygien, entourée d'une couronne de chêne, au centre I . S a l'exergue AA 1793 en deux lignes
10.89 gr
Ref : Gadoury 2003 # 19

The King is no more present (he's had been executed on jan 21st the same year), and "humans are equals towards Law"

Q

 

I'm glad you saw the post, @Cucumbor ! Beautiful coins from the time of France's Revolution. French history has always been particularly fascinating for me. When I was a kid I used to collect and paint lead Napoleonic soldiers. I had quite a large army. The French Hussars were my favorite.

 

A wonderful demonstration of history from numismatics.