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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;hotwheelsearl, post: 7955213, member: 75143&quot;]<i>Damnatio memoriae</i> is a Latin term that basically means &quot;damn the memory,&quot; IE the erasure of the memory of a particular person.</p><p><br /></p><p>This was often done for emperors who had fallen out of favor. The usual <i>damnatio</i> process tended to be: </p><p><br /></p><p>Destruction of statues</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1378934[/ATTACH]</p><p>Fig 1: Bronze portrait statue of woman, heavily damaged. </p><p><br /></p><p>Defacement of statues, to be recarved in a different image:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1378935[/ATTACH] </p><p>Fig 2: Portrait bust of Nero, defaced and recarved Claudius.</p><p><br /></p><p>Defacement of paintings:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1378937[/ATTACH] </p><p>Fig 3: Severan Tondo, showing Septimius, Domna, Caracalla, and a damned Geta.</p><p><br /></p><p>Erasure of portraits from multiple-headed coins:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1378936[/ATTACH] </p><p>Fig 4: Confronted coin of Septimius and Geta, with Geta smoothed and countermarked out.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Chiseling away of reliefs:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1378938[/ATTACH] </p><p>Fig 5: Egyptian ruler&#039;s image and cartouches chisled away.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>In ancient coin collecting, there are rarely cases as dramatic as the coin shown above. The usual method of <i>damnatio</i> was to deface the coin in a more simple manner, typically by striking a large scar/gouge across the face of the damned person.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I have one guaranteed <i>damnatio, </i>of Domitian who apparently wasn&#039;t the most popular:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1378945[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I also have another curious coin, which shows the hallmark of the <i>damnatio,</i> but far as I can tell Valentinian was never damned.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1378947[/ATTACH] </p><p>This could be simple PMD, but the gouge looks rather intentional. I wonder...</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Please show off your damned coins![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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