BRIT/BRITANNIA Roman Coins

I'll toss in another Caracalla:


Caracalla AD 198-217.
Roman AR Denarius 3.37 g, 19.7 mm.
Rome mint, AD 211.
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head, right.
Rev: INDVLG FECVNDAE, Julia Domna as Indulgentia, wearing polos, seated left on cerule chair, extending right hand and holding scepter.
Refs: RIC 214; BMCRE 73; RCV 6805.

 

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Nice Caracalla @Roman Collector.

 

I find it interesting that Commodus issued an extensive series of coins (mostly denarii?) with BRIT as part of his titulature although he never set foot in Britain. Maybe living vicariously through the exploits of others?

 

@jamesicus Nice collection! I'm especially partial to your Severan BRIT coinage. Here are a few bronzes from my collection:


Septimius Severus. Æ sestertius, Rome, 211 CE; 27.88g, 6h. BMCRE 261a var (BRIT in obv. legend)., C 723 (no BRIT in obv. legend, which Mattingly and Sydenham questioned as a possible error), CRB 46, RIC 808 var. (BRIT in obv. legend, cf. 818), Hill 1166. Obv: L SEPT SEVE–RVS PIVS AVG; head laureate r. Rx: VICT BRIT P M TR P XIX COS III P P / S | C in exergue; two Victories standing r. and l., affixing shield to palm tree, at the foot of which are two captives. Rare; VF.

From the Lawrence R. Stack Collection.

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Caracalla. Æ sestertius, Rome, 210–3 CE; 32mm, 24.02g, 12h. Banti 8, C 29, Hill 1220, RIC IV 508a (R2). Obv: M AVREL ANTONINVS – PIVS AVG BRIT; laureate head r. Rx: CONCORDIAE AVGG / S C in exergue; Caracalla and Geta standing r. and l., vis-à-vis, one crowned by Apollo (?), the other by Hercules. Rare; near VF.

From the estate of Thomas Bentley Cederlind.

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Caracalla. Æ sestertius, Rome, 210–1 CE; 30mm, 21.72g, 6h. BMCRE 819, C 639 var (without drapery), CRB 64, Hill 1184, Mazzini 640, RIC IV 464 (R2), Sear 6958. Obv: M AVREL ANTONI–NVS PIVS AVG; laureate head right, with drapery on l. shoulder. Rx: VICTORIAE BRITTANNICAE / S C in exergue; On left, Victory standing r., l. foot on helmet, erecting trophy; on r., woman (Britannia?), towered, standing front; at her feet, captive seated with hands tied behind back. Rare. Good F or near VF.

From the Chris Rudd Collection.

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Geta. Æ dupondius, Rome, 211 CE; 25mm, 14.12g, 12h. BMCRE 272 var (obverse legend)., C 153, Hill 1206 (Fortuna), RIC 174a (S). Obv: P SEPTIMIVS GETA — PIVS AVG BRIT; man’s radiate head r., bearded. Rx: PONTIF TR P III COS II round edge / S | C in field; Woman (Britannia?) standing r., holding scepter and drawing out drapery from breast: to r., two small figures (infant Geta and Caracalla or Dioscuri?) lifting hands to one another. Rare; near EF/EF.

From the Hannelore Scheiner Collection.

 

Thank you for posting those truly wonderful bronzes @benhur767! It is a real treat to see three very nice Sestertii each with a great provenance. I especially like the Geta dupondius - a “killer” coin indeed - the reverse depiction and legend are, as you point out, full of intrigue and possible interpretations. Great stuff!

 

Finally, my coin arrived!


Septimius Severus, AE As
Struck 211 AD, Rome Mint
Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT, head of Septimius Severus, laureate, right
Reverse: FORT RED P M TR P XIX COS III P P, Fortuna, draped, seated left on low seat, holding rudder set on globe in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand; under seat, wheel; SC below.
References: RIC IV Septimius Severus 810, BMC 262, RCV 6461
Size: 24.4mm, 11.9g

 

Well, it finally showed up! I forgot it was coming from Canada, so not too much of a delay. The coin is fine for me - surfaces are rough alright and the inscriptions hard to read - but I didn’t want to sink too much money into this sub-collection, and I have found that Britannia inscribed coins are hard to come by. Here is how the collection looks now:

Coins with Brtannia Inscriptions


RIC Vol. II, HADRIAN, Sestertius, No. 845 (Replica Coin)
Obverse: Hadrian, laureate head right
Inscription: HADRIANVS AVG COS III PP
Reverse: Britannia seated half left with feet on rocks holding sceptre with shield to right
Inscription: BRITANNIA - SC (in exergue)


BRITISH 1920s PENNY (For comparison - Britannia adoption)
Obverse: George V, bare headed, facing left
Inscription: GEORGIVS V DEI GRA BRITT OMN REX FID DEF IND IMP
Reverse: Britannia wearing Corinthian helmet, seated left, holding trident with left hand and supporting shield with right hand
Inscription: ONE PENNY - 1929 (in exergue)


RIC Vol. IV, SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, Denarius, No. 335
Obverse: Septimius Severus,, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: Victory seated left writing on shield
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT


RIC Vol. IV, CARACALLA, Denarius, No. 231a
Obverse: Caracalla, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: winged Victory advancing right holding trophy
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT


RIC Vol. IV, GETA, Denarius, No. 91
Obverse: Geta, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: P SEPT GETA PIVS AVG BRIT
Reverse: Victory standing left holding wreath and palm branch
Inscription: VICTORIAE BRIT


RIC II, COMMODUS, Denarius, No. 146
Obverse: Commodus, laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT
Reverse: Pietas standing left, holding a box and dropping incense from a patera onto an altar
Inscription: AVCT PIET PM TRP XII IMP VIII COS V PP


RIC II, ANTONINUS PIUS, As, No. 934
Obverse: Antoninus Pius, laureate, draped, bust facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: ANTONINVS AVG PIVS PP TRP XVIII
Reverse: Britannia seated on rock, shield and vexillum in background
Inscription: BRITANNIA COS IIII - S C (exergue)


RIC II, COMMODUS, Sestertius, No. 452
Obverse: Commodus, Laureate head facing right
Inscription clockwise from bottom: M COMMODVS ANTON AVG PIVS BRIT
Reverse: Winged Victory seated, writing on shield
Inscription: S C (left and right) VICT BRIT (exergue)

 

My goodness, I had forgotten that I have a George III “cartwheel” tuppence stashed away in a coin box in a drawer that has been there for some fifty years! Of course, it has a great Britannia reverse. So I photographed it and added it to my Britannia web page - http://jp29.org/000brit.htm


BRITISH TWO PENCE (Circulated)
Obverse: George III, laureate and draped bust, facing right
Inscription: GEORGIUS III D G REX
Reverse: Britannia, seated right, on rock over ocean waves, cradling trident in left arm and holding olive branch in right hand
Inscription: BRITANNIA - 1797 (in exergue)

“There are three sure signs of growing old. The first is loss of memory ..... I have forgotten the other two,”