Legionary Eagles

Throughout Roman history legionary eagles were featured on the coinage. Here is perhaps an example of the most famous type, Marc Antony's output from his famous traveling mint...to pay his legionaires.

But first, Augustus' tirade about losing his eagles in the Teutoburg forest barbarian ambush...



And now the legionary coin...lovably worn, of course - meaning that it has passed through many hands over the decades..





Feel free to post your eagles!!!

 

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I have only two, LEG III and LEG IV





Q

 

Ain't pretty, but it's a coin of Quinctilius Varus from Phoenicia, possibly showing two of the Aquiliae that he would later lose in the Teutoberg

 

Great coins!
I've put a few bids on a few Marc Antony denari but haven't won one yet. One day.

 

I liked that scene so much when that first aired, that I went out and bought his coin!

PUBLIUS QUINCTILIUS VARUS

AE OF ANTIOCHEIA, SYRIA

RPC 4252, SNG Cop. 92, 20.4mm, 8.03 grams, Dated year 27 = 5/4 B.C.E.

Obverse: Laureate head of Zeus to right

Reverse: Tyche of Antioch seated to right, holding palm branch; below, river-god Orontes swimming right, in right field, date ZK (year 27 = 5/4 B.C.E.)

This rare coin was struck during Varus' assignment as Governor of Syria from 7 - 4 B.C.E. Varus guarded the borders from Parthia and violently quelled unrest in Judaea and Samaria. Josephus records an incident wherein after the death of Herod., Varus occupied Jerusalem and crucified 2,000 Jews.

Later Varus was transfered to the Northern front, where he met disaster fighting the Germanic tribes in the Teutoburg forest. Three legions under his command, legions XVII, XVIII and XIX were completely annihilated. This caused emperor Augustus great grief and he was said to have cried out on occasion "Quintili Vare, legiones redde!" or "Quinctilius Varus, give me back my legions!"

 

Not the most photogenic example, but ...


Severus Alexander, AD 222-235.
Roman provincial Æ 20.4 mm, 4.59 g.
Bithynia, Nicomedia.
Obv: Μ ΑVΡ CΕV ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟC ΑV, laureate and draped bust, r., seen from behind.
Rev: ΝΙΚΟΜΗΔΕΩΝ ΔΙC ΝΕΩΚ, aquila between two military standards.
Refs: RPC VI, 3442; SNG Copenhagen 577 var. (radiate bust); Recueil général 329.

 

And look what came back from the Teutoburg Forest some years later....

Germanicus, struck under Caligula, to commemorate his father and the retrieval of the lost legionary standards from the Teutoburg Battle.

Gaius (Caligula) 37-41. Dupondius, 28,5 mm, 14,77gr.
Obv: Gaius in triumphal quadriga to right. GERMANICUS CAESAR.
Rev:Germanicus in military attire, right hand raised, holding aquila.
SIGNIS RECEPT DEVICTIS GERM.

 

MARCUS ANTONIUS (44-31/30 BCE)
MILITARY MINT: PATRAE (?); EPHESUS (?)
Autumn 32 - Spring 31 BCE
Size: 17mm
Weight: 3.2 g
Die Axis: 02:30
OBV: Praetorian galley facing right with rowers and standard above prow. Above: ANT ∙ AVG, below: III VIR[ ∙ R ∙ P ∙ C]. Dotted Border.
REV: Three standards (signa) of the COHORTIS SPECVLATORVM showing garlanded eagles facing right above garlanded ship's prows (rostra).
Legend starts at 7:00 and goes to 4:00 around edge. Dotted border.

Extended excerpts from Fernando Lopez Sanchez (INR 2010):
"The epigraphic formula employed by coin engravers in the seriation of legiones XII Antiqua (RRC:540, No 544/9; Pl 21:1), XVII Classica (RRC:540, No 544/10; Pl 21:2), XVIII Lybica (RRC:540, No 544/114; Pl 21:3) and of cohors speculatorum (RRC:540, No 544/12; Pl 21:4) and cohortes praetoriae (RRC:539, Nos 544/1,8; Pl 21:5) is indeed highly distinctive and original. These five coin types appear to make up together a legionary mini-series of a very limited quantity which differs from Antony’s other legionary issues (Keppie 1983:27). The hoards that contain legionary coins of Antony show lower frequencies of these five types compared with the others (Keppie 2000: 80 and n 51).

The denarii for the cohors speculatorum (RRC:540, No 544/12) depict on the reverse three signa, each decorated with two wreaths and a prow. These are per se the most remarkable coin issues of all those in Antony’s legionary series. If the wreaths signal a triumphant military action, then the rostra make it clear that it was naval in character. These two elements, the scout boat together with features of the legend CHORTIS SPECVLATORVM (RRC:540, No 544/12) appear to suggest that it is Antony’s watchful attitude, as described by Cassius (50:11.1) that is specifically referred to in these denarii. Antony’s vigilance proved successful, as Cassius indicates in his statement that Octavian’s fleet was unable to proceed beyond Corcyra and had to return to Brundisium. There can be little doubt that this was viewed as a victory by Antony’s troops, and, consequently, Antony was granted the salutation Imp IIII on the RRC:542-543, Nos 546/1-3c series of Scarpus in Cyrenaica in 31 BCE.

The mention of the Praetorian Guard and of speculatores on Antony’s denarii, with the similar type of coin legend (CHORTIVM PRAETORIARVM and CHORTIS SPECVLATORVM) suggests that the victorious scouts of Antony’s army were not alone in watching over the straits of Otranto and that the Praetorian Guard may have been left there together with them.

Antony’s abandonment of Corcyra and its subsequent occupation by Agrippa's forces may therefore be considered the key moment that shifted the balance of the war in Octavian’s favor. The special distinction bestowed by a peculiar Antonine coin series on legions XII Antiqua, XVII Lybica and XVIII Classica, the cohortes praetoriae, and above all the cohors speculatorum, may thus be better understood in the context of the successful blockade by Antony of Octavian’s first attempt to disembark in Epirus in the beginning of 31 BCE. Scarpus, then commander of all the troops based on the island of Corcyra, won a significant tactical victory for Antony, earning the salutation imperator for himself for the first time, and for the triumvir for the fourth."

- Broucheion

 

Postumus (260 - 269 A.D.)
AR Antoninianus
O: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
R: FIDES EXERCITVS Four military standards, hand on top of second, eagle on third.
Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck 266 A.D.
3.8g
20mm
RIC V 303; Cunetio 2432; Elmer 417; RSC 65

 

I know someone out there was expecting one of my Septimius legionaries but instead you get the 200th anniversary of Actium commemorative by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus.


If there is anyone who has not seen my Septimius set, some of them are on my old pages:
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/legions.html
and the next five pages linked from that one (all Rome mint).

 

I find the Tiberius eagle equally nice as its legionary counterparts.



DIVUS AUGUSTUS AE as. Struck under Tiberius, circa 34-37 AD.
O: DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER, radiate head left.
R: Eagle standing on globe, wings spread, head right, S C at sides.
RIC 82 [Tiberius], Cohen 247.

 

Here are other standards, although i do not know what standards they are exactly.

 

A scarcer eagle, Crawford 441/1, Cn. Nerius, L. Lentulus and Claudius Marcellus, 49 BC.



Phil Davis

 

Beautiful coin @Volodya !

 

Excellent!

 

RI Trajan AR Denarius 98-117 CE 3 Standards

 

Show off!

 

Speaking of Elagabalus, here's a different coin from the one I posted earlier. No horn on this one!

Elagabalus AR Denarius, 218-219 AD, Antioch Mint. Obv. Laureate draped bust right, no beard, ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG/Rev. Two standards between two legionary eagles, CONCORDIA MILIT. RIC IV-2 187, RSC III 15, Sear RCV II 7505 (ill. p. 602). 18 mm., 2.8 g.

 

LOL, whatever, Mr Cool Republican Coin Guy!!! You just keep bustin’ yers out to see! They are great, and thanks for the coin peep show.