Hi all, I just won this Trajan sestertius from the Roma auction just concluded. There are differences of opinion as to which temple this reverse represents, Honos or Venus Genetrix. Trajan (Augustus) Coin: Brass Sestertius IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P - Laureate bust right, drapery on far shoulder. S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI - Octastyle temple of Honos, Venus standing within; [Jupiter seated facing] on pediment, [flanked by smaller reclining figures]; five statues on roof; SC in exergue. Exergue: SC Mint: Rome (104-111 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 24.46g / 34mm / 6h References: RIC 575 BMCRE 859 C. 552 Woytek 302b Provenances: Roma Numismatics Acquisition/Sale: Roma Numismatics Internet E-Sale 67 #824 $0.00 02/20 Notes: Feb 5, 20 - The Gary R. Wilson Collection Above is a poll I hope others will vote on. My vote is Honos, Roma thinks maybe Venus Genetrix.
Great coin Gary, congrats. I think honos but who knows, I have the Dupondius of this type, it is said that stance of the statue is more like earlier coin issues of Honos.
From what I have read, there were twin temples, one to Honos (honor) and one to Virtus at the same area,the Porta Capena Via Appia. Here is a nice article concerning the Temple of Honos: https://coinsweekly.com/a-temple-for-honos/
I am not convinced there is an example of your coin in the British Museum collection. Unfortunately, the British Museum search function is down, but looking at BMCRE3, pl. 32.7 (BMC 859), I'm quite sure that's not your coin. The museum has several examples, BMCRE3 857-862, which have either unclear details or differ in the postures and attributes of the figures on the roof and inside the temple. I'm not even sure your coin has five figures on the roof as described in the BMC listings. Mattingly does not postulate the identity of the temple, though he does say that Cohen's attribution to Jupiter is in error. Tameanko does not discuss this coin, nor the Temple of Honos, in Monumental Coins. Sorry I was not more helpful.
Got this coin last year Trajan Sestertius RIC 575 Woytek 302 bD This coin illustrated. Photo by W. HansenThe reverse figure standing within the temple appears to be male though carrying a cornucopia. One can see this deity on the reverse of the much more common denarii of Marcus as Caesar RIC 429a
Here is my Vespasian Copper as Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus Capitolinus NRCV 2363. This is followed by an Augustus Denarius that I attribute as RSC 84. Both coins have interesting architecture.
I believe the second coin is Augustus' Parthian Arch which was in the Roman Forum. Here is a before and after view.
Thank you Gary The rebuild is very impressive.......... Seriously though, I couldn't find the second image online and wondered if you would share with us where you found it? I've picked up a lot from this thread including the link to Tantalus coins and have ordered a copy of Mr Tameanko's book. It's sometimes amazing how one thread can send you on a tangent you had not considered before.
I found the image from Google images searching "Augustus Arch Rome". You mentioned Tantalus and I have my collection there under : http://www.tantaluscoins.com/browse.php?uname=Gary R. Wilson
Thank you Gary, I tried that but included "Parthian" in the search and missed this one. I really admire the way you have included images with your collection, very impressive.
Thank you for the compliment. I do enjoy linking different images with coins. It seems to bring the coins more "alive".
Bringing up this old post because a while back I got an As of Trajan showing the temple and I was stuck on the Honos/Pax theories as outlined in this post. A chance discovery in a book I'm reading brought up another possibility: what about the Temple of the Deified Nerva? A very interesting work by Mary Taliferro Boatwright makes the case for this (the quote starts off referencing another Trajan temple series with a seated figure, which she discusses pp. 88-89): "If the seated statue is to be identified as male (in the coins dated 105-107 A.D.), it is possible that Trajan did begin a temple here to honor Nerva. But given the time lag between the coin issues and the actual dedication of the temple by Hadrian, and the fact that the temple was dedicated to Trajan and Plotina without Nerva, it would be more plausible to assume that a different Trajanic series struck ca. 105-108, showing a standing male figure in an unidentified temple, depicts the otherwise unattested Temple of the Deified Nerva (footnote: BMC Emp. III, nos. 955-58). In addition to chronological arguments against assuming that the Temple was first destined for Trajan's deified blood father, we note again that there is no evidence that a temple ever honored this individual." Mary Taliaferro Boatwright, Hadrian and the City of Rome, (p. 92) Heck if I know, but it is an interesting theory that I've seen nowhere else. Perhaps a high-grade example will emerge showing the figure in the temple with a very large, beaky nose? Here's my low-grade example: Trajan Æ As (103-111 A.D.) Rome Mint [IMP CAES NERVAE TRAI]ANO AVG GER DAC PM [TR P COS V P P], laureate head right, drapery on left shoulder / [SPQR OPTIMO] PRINCIPI, SC in exergue, Pax (Honos? Nerva?) standing within octastyle temple. RIC II 575; BMCRE 955. (8.82 grams / 25 x 24 mm) eBay June 2020 Even if you disagree with her Nerva theory, I highly recommend Boatwright's book in general; it is very readable yet very scholarly (including extensive numismatic references; I don't do justice to her footnote in the quote above). https://www.amazon.com/Hadrian-City-Rome-Mary-Boatwright/dp/0691002185
