Lupa Romana coins -- post yours!

The history of the relationship between Rome and the wolf goes back to the very beginning of the new city. The myth of the she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus was known at least from the beginning of the 4th century BCE, possibly already in the first half of the 6th century BC.[1] Wolves also had a major religious role in the early Roman cult of the Lupercalia.

In the development of the she-wolf motif on coins, the most important milestone is the silver didrachm minted in 270-265 BCE (RRC 20/1; CRR 6; RCV 24):


Ira & Larry Goldberg, Auction 72, lot 4115, February 3, 2013.

The position of the animal (standing in a trapezoidal composition, with its neck turned three quarters to face the twins, who are on their knees beneath her), became the archetype of the Lupa Romana and was repeated for centuries, the she-wolf facing either right, as on this coin, or left. The double nature of the she-wolf is clear: she is both a loving foster mother (characterized by her attention on the nursing infants), and a ferocious beast, as shown in her predator’s jaw and her shaggy mane.

The Lupa Romana was not an official – or the only – symbol of Rome, but it was more distinctive than other commonly used icons, the goddess Roma or the eagle, which was used on the standards of the Roman legions.

The Lupa Romana symbolized Rome also without the twins, as can be seen on a denarius minted by Publius Satrienus in 77 BCE (RRC 388/1; CRR 781; RCV 319),[2] and on coins minted by the Samnites during the Civil War of 90–89 BCE.

The first widespread minting of coins with the she-wolf motif was introduced by the Emperor Vespasian and his sons Titus and Domitian in 71–79 CE. Their coins of different values (aureus, denarius, sestertius) were minted in Rome, and have been found in many provinces of the Empire. On the obverse there is an image of the emperor, on the reverse the she-wolf with the twins (RIC II, nos. 66, 70, 194, 204, 241, 442). The representation of the she-wolf on coins did not change much over the centuries. The pictorial motif used on imperial coins varied little from that on the 3rd century BCE silver didrachm presented above. The coins were minted in abundance in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, especially during the reigns of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Philip II.

On Roman coins the she-wolf represented both the divine protection afforded to Romulus and Remus – and consequently, to the Roman Empire – and the idea of aeternitas, the eternity of Rome, as on this issue of Gallienus minted in Antioch bearing the reverse inscription, AETERNITAS AVG:


Gallienus, AD 253-268.
Roman Billon Antoninianus, 2.84 g, 21.2 mm, 11 h.
Antioch, AD 265-266.
Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: AETERNITAS AVG, Lupa Romana (she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus), right; branch in exergue.
Refs: RIC 628; Göbl 1628e; Cohen 46; RCV 10171 var.

In the 4th century, Constantine the Great favored the image of the goddess Roma on the obverse of his she-wolf VRBS ROMANA coins:


Constantine I, AD 307-337.
Roman billon reduced centenionalis, 2.09 g, 17.4 mm, 1 h.
Cyzicus, AD 331, 333-334.
Obv: VRBS ROMA, bust of Roma, left, wearing plumed helmet and imperial cloak.
Rev: Lupa Romana standing left, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus; two stars above; SMKS in exergue.
Refs: RIC vii, p. 656, 91; LRBC I 1232; Cohen 17; RCV 16523.

~~~

1. J. N. Bremmer: Romulus, Remus and the foundation of Rome. In: J. N. Bremmer – N. Horsfall: Roman Myth and Mythography. London 1987, 47–48.

2. Crawford (RRC, p. 388) suggests that the reason for the appearance of the "predatory" wolf without twins could possibly be a counter-reaction to the coins minted by Italian rebels.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Nice OP coins, especially that silver drachm.

Here's one of my coins with the wolf motif:

 

It is nice, but it's not mine. Your VRBS ROMA has a lot of eye-appeal!

 

Great post.. I do love the imagery on these coins and variations make them even more interesting.

 

My only wolf and twins.


Sex. Pompeius Fostlus. (137 B.C.)
AR Denarius
O: Helmeted head of Roma right; jug behind.
R: The shepard Faustulus discovering the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus; three birds in branches of fig tree behind.
Rome
19mm
3.6g
Sear 112; Crawford 235/1c; Sydenham 461a; Pompeia 1a.

 

WoWiE! Stunning didrachm
Here's my left facing lone wolf:

 

My first Ancient Coin, and a gift from Victor Clark.

 

We seem to lack a representation of the Roman Provincials.

Severus Alexander Atioch AE33


Maximinus I Ninica Claudiopolis AE31

 

wow stunning OP coin

 

5 years ago.. and this coin is still holding with its sandy patina. I might read
SMXDelta in exergue, but can't tell the mint.

 

Lupa also meant prostitute in Latin, so if there was any truth to the story, it was a prostitute that suckled them. But I can see why the Romans chose to use a statue of a she-wolf instead of erecting a statute to a prostitute.

 

Wonderful OP didrachm !

I do have some, as I collect them as a sub-set


Republic, Didrachm
Rome mint c. 269-266 BC
No legend, Diademed head of young Hercules right, with club and lion's skin over shoulder
ROMANO, She wolf right, suckling Romulus and Remus
7.29 gr
Ref : RCV # 24, RSC # 8



S. Pompeius Fostlus, Denarius
Rome mint, 137 BC
Helmeted head of Roma right, X below chin, jug behind head
SEX PO [FOSTLVS] She wolf suckling Remus and Romulus, fig tree in background, the shepherd Faustulus behind. ROMA at exergue
3,73 gr
Ref : RCV # 112 var, RSC Pompeia # 1a, Crawford # 235/1c




P. Satrienus, Denarius
Rome mint, 77 BC
Head of helmeted Mars right, XXX behind
ROMA, She wolf passing left, [P] SATRI[E/NUS] at exergue
3.79 gr
Ref : RCV #319, RSC, Satriena # 1



Philippus I, Antoninianus
Rome mint, AD 248, 2nd officina
IMP PHILIPPVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
SAECVLARES AVGG, She wolf left, suckling Romulus and Remus, II at exergue
3.7 gr
Ref : RCV # 8957, RIC # 15, Cohen # 178



Gallienus, Antoninianus
Antioch mint, AD 265-266
GALLIENVS AVG radiate head left
AETERNITAS AVG she wolf standing right, suckling twins Romulus and Remus. Branch at exergue
3,9 gr, 20 mm
Ref : RIC V-1 # 628, Göbl # 1628a



Maxentius, Follis
Ostia mint, 3rd officina AD 309
IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG, Laureate head of Maxentius right
AET ERNITAS AVGN, Dioscuri facing each other, holding their horse by bridle. Between them she wolf suckling Remus and Romulus. MOSTΓ at exergue
7.43 gr
Ref : Cohen # 10, RCV # 14976 (100), RIC VI # 16



Maxentius, Follis
Ostia mint, 1st officina AD 309-312
IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG, Laureate head of Maxentius right
SAECVLI FELICITAS AVG N, She wolf left, suckling Romulus and Remus, MOSTP at exergue
Ref : RIC VI # 52, RCV # 15024, Cohen # 101 (12)



Urbs Roma, AE 3
Siscia mint, 3rd officina, ca. AD 330-333
VRBS ROMA, Helmeted Roma left
Anepigraph, She wolf suckling twins Remus and Romulus, two stars in field, gamma SIS at exergue
2.34 gr
Ref : RC #3894, Cohen #17, RIC # 222



Urbs Roma, AE 3
Lyon mint, 1st officina, ca. AD 332
VRBS ROMA, Helmeted Roma left
Anepigraph, She wolf suckling twins Remus and Romulus, two stars in field, Crescent dot PLG at exergue
2.86 gr
Ref : Bastien # 221, RIC # 257

Note ie clash on the reverse, the remains of ROMA backwards and the rear of Roma's helmet being visible

Q

 

Nice op coin and background! I would like a didrachm one day, but there are so many other items on my wish list.
I have a struck W&T As

I bought a W&T sextans at a coin show, but did not like the way it looked in hand (scratches, tooling) and returned it.

 

The she-wolf or so.. is still here on this coin-production remnant. It was struck under the only Roman Emperor who was not approved by the SENATE.

 

The elongated pointed ears on the wolf (asses ears) are a giveaway. The mint is Cyzicus, so your "X" is really a "K."

 

Echoing the RR type, this one was struck for Domitian as Caesar under Vespasian.


Domitian as Caesar
AR Denarius, 3.17g
Rome Mint, 77-78 AD (Vespasian)
RIC 961 (C2). BMC 240. RSC 51.
Obv: CAESAR AVG F DOMITIANVS; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, r.
Rev: COS V; She-wolf and twins l. : in ex., boat
Ex eBay, February 2007.

 

Nice coin @David Atherton

I have been looking for one of these without the boat in the exergue.

 

I have a Domitian with the boat under 'em, not nearly as nice as David's.

 

Sweet coins all