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<p>[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3263711, member: 75937"]<i>[ATTACH=full]859166[/ATTACH] </i></p><p><i><br /></i></p><p><i>Liberalitas</i> was the personification of the Roman virtue of generosity.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Liberalitas</i> was employed as a propaganda vehicle by Roman leaders. From time to time, a political leader of the Roman Republic or an emperor of the imperial era would display his largess by issuing a <i>congiarium</i> or liberality. The leader would distribute money to the people for various reasons -- to ease economic hardship among the people, to increase the leader's "approval rating," etc. Tiberius gave a <i>congiarium</i> of 75 denarii (300 sesterces) to each citizen. Caligula gave the same amount of three hundred sesterces on two occasions. Nero, whose <i>congiaria</i> were the earliest known examples represented numismatically, gave four hundred.</p><p><br /></p><p>A civil servant charged with the task would use a <i>tessera</i>, or counting board, to quickly count out a share of money to distribute to the people attending the <i>congiarium</i> (donative event). The <i>tessera </i>was a square tablet furnished with a handle, on which was arrayed a certain number of holes or compartments. These boards were used to quickly count the proper number of coins for distribution to each person. The <i>tessera</i> would be dipped into a container, covered with coins and the excess swept away back into the container. The proper number of coins would fill the holes and then would be dumped out to the recipient.</p><p><br /></p><p><i>Liberalitas</i> is depicted on coins as a female figure holding a <i>tessera</i> in one hand and a <i>cornucopiae</i> in the other. These coins may have been struck specifically for such <i>congiaria </i>so as to remind the populace of the emperor's<i> liberalitas</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>Let’s see your coins depicting Liberalitas!</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]859160[/ATTACH]</p><p>Marcus Aurelius, AD 161-180.</p><p>Roman AR denarius, 3.53 g, 17.4 mm, 1 h.</p><p>Rome, AD 169.</p><p>Obv: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXIII, laureate head right.</p><p>Rev: LIBERAL AVG V COS III, Liberalitas standing left, holding tessera and cornucopiae.</p><p>Refs: RIC 206; BMCRE 492; Cohen 412; RCV 4914; MIR 181.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]859162[/ATTACH]</p><p>Commodus, AD 177-192.</p><p>Roman AR denarius, 3.42 g, 18 mm, 12 h.</p><p>Rome, AD 180.</p><p>Obv: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.</p><p>Rev: LIB AVG TR P V IMP IIII COS II P P, Liberalitas standing left, holding tessera and cornucopiae.</p><p>Refs: RIC 10; RSC 302; BMC 3; Szaivert 496/4.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Roman Collector, post: 3263711, member: 75937"][I][ATTACH=full]859166[/ATTACH] Liberalitas[/I] was the personification of the Roman virtue of generosity. [I]Liberalitas[/I] was employed as a propaganda vehicle by Roman leaders. From time to time, a political leader of the Roman Republic or an emperor of the imperial era would display his largess by issuing a [I]congiarium[/I] or liberality. The leader would distribute money to the people for various reasons -- to ease economic hardship among the people, to increase the leader's "approval rating," etc. Tiberius gave a [I]congiarium[/I] of 75 denarii (300 sesterces) to each citizen. Caligula gave the same amount of three hundred sesterces on two occasions. Nero, whose [I]congiaria[/I] were the earliest known examples represented numismatically, gave four hundred. A civil servant charged with the task would use a [I]tessera[/I], or counting board, to quickly count out a share of money to distribute to the people attending the [I]congiarium[/I] (donative event). The [I]tessera [/I]was a square tablet furnished with a handle, on which was arrayed a certain number of holes or compartments. These boards were used to quickly count the proper number of coins for distribution to each person. The [I]tessera[/I] would be dipped into a container, covered with coins and the excess swept away back into the container. The proper number of coins would fill the holes and then would be dumped out to the recipient. [I]Liberalitas[/I] is depicted on coins as a female figure holding a [I]tessera[/I] in one hand and a [I]cornucopiae[/I] in the other. These coins may have been struck specifically for such [I]congiaria [/I]so as to remind the populace of the emperor's[I] liberalitas[/I]. Let’s see your coins depicting Liberalitas! [ATTACH=full]859160[/ATTACH] Marcus Aurelius, AD 161-180. Roman AR denarius, 3.53 g, 17.4 mm, 1 h. Rome, AD 169. Obv: M ANTONINVS AVG TR P XXIII, laureate head right. Rev: LIBERAL AVG V COS III, Liberalitas standing left, holding tessera and cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 206; BMCRE 492; Cohen 412; RCV 4914; MIR 181. [ATTACH=full]859162[/ATTACH] Commodus, AD 177-192. Roman AR denarius, 3.42 g, 18 mm, 12 h. Rome, AD 180. Obv: M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: LIB AVG TR P V IMP IIII COS II P P, Liberalitas standing left, holding tessera and cornucopiae. Refs: RIC 10; RSC 302; BMC 3; Szaivert 496/4.[/QUOTE]
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