Julius Caesar - Trophy & Captives

The Julius Caesar elephant/priestly implements coin is rightfully popular with collectors, but this particular JC type with the trophy and captives on the reverse - trumpeting his Gallic victories - has long been on my want list. Caesar's coin is not the first time we see a trophy accompanied by captives as main devices, but it's the first we see of this specific configuration - a central trophy flanked by two captives seated on the ground. It's a reverse that should be familiar to those who collect Roman coins as it was revived frequently in the centuries that followed, first and ironically by Brutus (on a rare denarius issue), but also by emperors such as Titus, Trajan, Septimius Severus, Gallienus, Probus, Constantine and many more. Nothing exclaims "They just got pwned by Rome!" more than a show of captured arms and weeping captives.

On the obverse is Venus, who was claimed by Caesar as ancestress and divine patron. I like her portrait on this coin, but I actually think it's the slightly creepy little Cupid playing peekaboo from behind her shoulder who is the real star of the show here .

As always, feel free to show any related coins (trophy-and-captives, JC, Venus, Cupid, etc)!


JULIUS CAESAR
AR Denarius
3.98g, 18mm
Military mint travelling with Caesar in Spain, circa 46-45 BC
Crawford 468/1; Sydenham 1014
O: Head of Venus right, wearing stephane; Cupid behind shoulder.
R: Trophy of Gallic arms between two seated captives: female resting head in right hand to left, and bearded male with hands tied behind back on right; CAESAR in exergue.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I love the Creepy Cupid and hadn't noticed this before!! Now I want one .

 

Me too I guess

Q

 

Very cool @zumbly ! I like coins with captives too and have a couple to share though mine are from later periods. I'll toss a couple up later.

 

Sweet new addition, Z-Bro ... I love it (sadly, I don't have anything to add to your thread) ... ummm ...

 

Well actually, I do have this Janus baby with a cool reverse ...

Roma is holding a spear and wreath, trophy of Gallic arms and a carnyx left and star above, ROMA to right (is that okay, my coin-friend?)

 

Yeah, it looks like Roma having fun decorating her version of a Christmas tree, doesn't it? The scene is just missing some captive gnomes, but those enticing-looking presents under the trophy tree more than make up for it!

 

Beautiful Caesar traveling mint variety! Venus and Cupid are great!

 

Nice Z. Very nice. Cupid reminds me of the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other.

 

What a great example, Z! I also like the trophy/captives types. Does anyone know when the design first appears on RR coinage? I'm always on the lookout for this reverse type done in good style. Here's one with a standard as opposed to a trophy, from Constantine, with well-chiseled and expressive captives...

 

Terrific coin Z! I really love that obverse.

Titus struck a two captives type, supposedly for a British victory by Agricola.


Titus
AR Denarius
Rome mint, 80 AD
RIC 102 (C), BMC 37, RSC 306
Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG PM; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: TR P IX IMP XV COS VIII P P; Captives, two, back to back, seated either side of trophy (woman on l., man on r.)

 

That is an exceptionally clear 'creepy Cupid'. The coin is one of several types relating to the wars against Vercingetorix. Seaby in Roman Silver Coins (#13) suggests that the right side captive may be the king but that would really require a sharper coin to even suspect. I don't have this one.

I do have this fourree RSC 18 showing a trophy of captured Gallic arms. This also has the LII behind the head ("Pietas or Venus") believed to refer to Caesar being 52 years old that year.



My contract here requires I show a few Septimius Severus from Emesa.

 

Thanks, John. This issue is in fact the first time the 'trophy and two seated captives' design appears on a Roman coin.

 

Another standard and captives.....I like the way the one on the right appears to be 'giving the bird' and muttering some obscenity at the standard, or his buddy!

RIC VII Lyons 113

 

lol... brilliant coin!

 

Even on clearer examples, right side captive just looks like a generic bearded, shaggy-haired Gallic male to me. If I had to call Vercingetorix on one of his coins, it would be this one:
http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1588594
The 0.2% price-equivalent example of that coin is on my want list.

 

View attachment 479293

 

I like the one on the right looking up and saying "we are so screwed"!

 

There are many issues of the emperor-dragging-captive types from the Valentinian Dynasty. I collected this coin of Valens because it has one of the largest and most detailed of captives I've found on the types. The is the first issue of these types, before they started sprinkling the fields with control marks, so the engraver had plenty of room to carve out an elaborate captive. Typically they are much smaller and simpler...

 

Just a word of caution. There is another popular Rebublican with head of Vercingetorix on the obverse. A small dealer I know took his to Baltimore at the last show to determine if his friends were right telling him it was a fake. He showed it to the big dogs at the show. They agreed it was fake. Asking first before buying a coin worth thousands might just have been a good idea for him. Being a collector requires care. Making the transition to second career dealer when you retire can involve education with expensive tuition.