I Promise, the Corn Is on It's Way, Let's Shake on It!

This beauty arrived over the weekend. Unfortunately, the photography doesn't quite capture the fetching greenish-grey patina very well.



Titus as Caesar
Æ As, 10.20g
Rome mint, 72 AD (Vespasian)
RIC 444 (R). BMC 642.
Obv: T CAES VESPASIAN IMP P TR P COS II; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: FIDES PVBLICA; S C below; Hands clasped over caduceus and corn ears
Acquired from Gert Boersema, April 2019.

The clasped hands type had been introduced during Vespasian's great bronze issues of 71. It perhaps symbolises good faith in the corn supply (corn ears), trade (caduceus), and agricultural abundance. From the moment coins were issued in Titus Caesar's name in 72 he shared many of the reverses struck for his father, such as this clasped hands type. It must have contained a very important message for the regime since it was also produced in silver.

Here's my example struck in silver for Titus Caesar from Rome.


Titus as Caesar
AR Denarius, 3.12g
Rome Mint, 73 AD (Vespasian)
RIC 528 (R). BMC 91a. RSC 87b.
Obv: T CAES IMP VESP PON TR POT CENS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: FIDES PVBL; Hands clasped over caduceus, two poppies and two corn-ears
Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection.

And a bit later from Ephesus(?).

Titus as Caesar
AR Denarius 3.28g
Ephesus (?) mint, 76 AD (Vespasian)
RIC 1485 (R). BMC p. 102 note. RSC 87. RPC 1459 (2 spec.).
Obv: T CAES IMP VESP CENS; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. 'o' mint mark below neck
Rev: FIDES PVBL; Hands clasped over caduceus, two poppies and two corn ears
Ex eBay, October 2016.


Post your hand shakes!

NB: Corn = grain, not maize.

 

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Very nice coin ! I also liked the precision about de ‘corn’. Here is a funny story about it :In German, corn means rye. In 1946, when famine struck post-war Germany, the Americans asked what they could do to help and received the answer, "Send corn." Germany was flooded with American corn, maize of course, a grain almost unknown by the German people at that time.(NumisWiki)

 

haha..yeah...it's one of those words whose definitions is lost in translation..

 

Nice addition with a great portrait.

 

It was a popular type, wasn't it? Note the fingers are always straight not gripping the other hand.

Vitellius


Vespasian (embarrassing compared to yours)


Nerva dupondius


Antoninus Pius


Herennius Etruscus

 

Not for corn, but a hand-clasp.


RI Marius 269 Gallic Usurper BI Ant CONCORD MILIT Clasped Hands


Shakin’

FLORIAN AE23mm 3.54g Antoninian/Aurelian (VF, patina, deposits)
AV: IMP C M AN FLORIANVS P AVG; radiate, cuirassed and draped with paludamentum, seen from rear bust r.
REV: CONCORD MILIT; Emperor togate stg. r., clasping the hand of Concordia stg. l.
EXE: S
REF: LV 2738; RIC V-1 57var (unlisted bust type), RIC Online #4294 7 specs listed, only one in La Venera, and only 2 from prior sales; 1st issue for Siscia mint, 2nd officina, july-august 276AD.
A rare coin from a very brief reign, as Florian has only reigned for a couple of moths in the summer of 276AD
Ex: @seth77

 

Thanks everyone for the kind words and great 'hand shakes'!

@Roman Collector, thanks for posting a modern version for comparison!

And thank you @dougsmit and @Alegandron, I was curious how late this clasped hands type was depicted.