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Of galleys and crocs - about a nice portrait of Octavian
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<p>[QUOTE="Cucumbor, post: 5132504, member: 4298"]Hi CT folks,</p><p><br /></p><p>When a nice portrait of Octavian shows up, and the price is no more than a one person portion of burger+fries+beverage in a restaurant, even more so when restaurants are closed due to Covid, one has to jump fast on the galley !</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1204331[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>JULIUS CAESAR and OCTAVIAN</b> – Halved dupondius, Vienna (Gaul), ca. 36 BCE</p><p>[•IM]P• [DIVI•IVL•CAE]SAR•DIVI•F bare headed portraits [of Julius Caesar to left] and Octavian to right</p><p>C•[I•V] Prow of galley to right, surmounted by superstructure and mast (CIV for Colonia Ivlia Viennensis)</p><p>31,5 mm – 9,96 gr</p><p>Ref : RPC # 517</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I found Octavian’s portrait very pleasing on the coin, and even though it lacks the portrait of Caesar and the rostral part of the galley (the most interesting half I guess, but who knows where it might be now ?), I couldn’t resist, and it certainly was well worth every cent I spent….</p><p><br /></p><p>Now, I would like to write a few words about this interesting coinage, because it takes place in the conceptual continuity (thank you Frank <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie2" alt=";)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />) of the bronze coinage from the first struck janiform asses to the Nemausus crocodile.</p><p><br /></p><p>This coin is known as the « Vienna dupondius » after the name of Vienna, Gaul, where it was produced around 36 BCE.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Vienna</b></p><p><br /></p><p>The <i>Colonia Julia Viennensis </i>(today Vienne, France, not to be confused with Vienna, Austria) was a gallic (Allobroges) fortified settlement (oppidum) before it became a roman colony ca 47 BCE. During the Gallic war, Julius Caesar had troops stationed in Vienna, and in 45 BCE, Tiberius Claudius Nero had some auxillaries settling down there too. After Caesar’s assassination, a revolt chased out the latters who therefore founded Lugdunum (today Lyon, France), which would quickly become the capital city in Gaul.</p><p><br /></p><p>Even though it is located only 20 miles south of Lugdunum, Vienna remained an important provincial capital. Some major roman constructions are still visible in the city, such as the <i>temple of Augustus and Livia</i> or the <i>roman theater</i>, where a famous international jazz festival takes place every summer (well, almost every summer, 2020 being a bit….different).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1204332[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="2">Temple d’Auguste et Livie : By Troyeseffigy - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21162568" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21162568" rel="nofollow">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21162568</a></font></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1204333[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="2">Theatre gallo romain : By Hélène Rival - Own work, CC BY 3.0, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4661055" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4661055" rel="nofollow">https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4661055</a></font></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1204334[/ATTACH]</p><p><font size="2">Jazz à Vienne </font></p><p><font size="2"><br /></font></p><p><font size="2"><br /></font></p><p><font size="2"><font size="4">Anyway, it’s quite nice and interesting a place to visit, full of History, and only a bit more than one hour driving from my place <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />, should someone be interested !</font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="2"><font size="4"> </font></font></p><p><font size="2"><font size="4"><b>From Janus to the crocodile</b></font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="2"><font size="4">One of the recurring theme in the roman republic coinage is Janus. We see Janus, or janiform heads all along the roman republic, either on silver (quadrigatus) or on bronze coinage. The bronze coinage however, in addition to the portrait of Janus on the obverse, often shows a prow of galley on the reverse. The As below has a mark of value « I » that we will see again in the future…. </font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11724/0010-015.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><font size="3"><b>Quadrigatus </b>- Rome or other italian mint, c 215-211 BC</font></p><p><font size="3">Laureate janiform head of Dioscuri</font></p><p><font size="3">ROMA in relief in linear frame at exergue, Jupiter, holding thunderbolt in right hand and scepter in left, in fast quadriga driven right by Victory.</font></p><p><font size="3">6,69 gr - 20-21 mm</font></p><p><font size="3">Ref : RCV #33, RSC # 24</font></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11724/0010-020np_noir.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><font size="3"><b>As </b>- Rome mint, circa 211-206 BC</font></p><p><font size="3">No legend, head of janus</font></p><p><font size="3">Prow of galley right, ROMA at exergue, I above galley</font></p><p><font size="3">37.22 gr</font></p><p><font size="3">Ref RCV # 627</font></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>From being anonymous to begin with, i.e. symbolizing ROME with no mention to the monneyers, the production took a more personnal turn with the appearance of the monneyer’s names, as well as the silver issues did.</p><p><br /></p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11724/0010-060np_noir.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><font size="3"><b>D. Junius L.F. Silanus, As - </b>Rome mint, 91 BC</font></p><p><font size="3">No legend, Head of Janus</font></p><p><font size="3">D SILANVS L F, Prow of galley right</font></p><p><font size="3">12.08 gr</font></p><p><font size="3">Ref : RCV # 738</font></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>One step further as been taken by Pompey the Great when his own portrait replaced that of an until then anonymous Janus on his asses produced at a sicilian mint</p><p> </p><p><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11724/0020-020np_noir.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><font size="3"><b>Sextus Pompey, As - </b>Sicily c.43-36 BC</font></p><p><font size="3">Head of Janus with features of Pompey the Great, MAGN above</font></p><p><font size="3">Prow of galley right, PIVS IMP in field</font></p><p><font size="3">16.57 gr</font></p><p><font size="3">Ref : HCRI # 336, RCV #1394, Cohen #16 </font></p><p><br /></p><p>To be continued....[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Cucumbor, post: 5132504, member: 4298"]Hi CT folks, When a nice portrait of Octavian shows up, and the price is no more than a one person portion of burger+fries+beverage in a restaurant, even more so when restaurants are closed due to Covid, one has to jump fast on the galley ! [ATTACH=full]1204331[/ATTACH] [B]JULIUS CAESAR and OCTAVIAN[/B] – Halved dupondius, Vienna (Gaul), ca. 36 BCE [•IM]P• [DIVI•IVL•CAE]SAR•DIVI•F bare headed portraits [of Julius Caesar to left] and Octavian to right C•[I•V] Prow of galley to right, surmounted by superstructure and mast (CIV for Colonia Ivlia Viennensis) 31,5 mm – 9,96 gr Ref : RPC # 517 I found Octavian’s portrait very pleasing on the coin, and even though it lacks the portrait of Caesar and the rostral part of the galley (the most interesting half I guess, but who knows where it might be now ?), I couldn’t resist, and it certainly was well worth every cent I spent…. Now, I would like to write a few words about this interesting coinage, because it takes place in the conceptual continuity (thank you Frank ;)) of the bronze coinage from the first struck janiform asses to the Nemausus crocodile. This coin is known as the « Vienna dupondius » after the name of Vienna, Gaul, where it was produced around 36 BCE. [B]Vienna[/B] The [I]Colonia Julia Viennensis [/I](today Vienne, France, not to be confused with Vienna, Austria) was a gallic (Allobroges) fortified settlement (oppidum) before it became a roman colony ca 47 BCE. During the Gallic war, Julius Caesar had troops stationed in Vienna, and in 45 BCE, Tiberius Claudius Nero had some auxillaries settling down there too. After Caesar’s assassination, a revolt chased out the latters who therefore founded Lugdunum (today Lyon, France), which would quickly become the capital city in Gaul. Even though it is located only 20 miles south of Lugdunum, Vienna remained an important provincial capital. Some major roman constructions are still visible in the city, such as the [I]temple of Augustus and Livia[/I] or the [I]roman theater[/I], where a famous international jazz festival takes place every summer (well, almost every summer, 2020 being a bit….different). [ATTACH=full]1204332[/ATTACH] [SIZE=2]Temple d’Auguste et Livie : By Troyeseffigy - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, [URL]https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21162568[/URL][/SIZE] [ATTACH=full]1204333[/ATTACH] [SIZE=2]Theatre gallo romain : By Hélène Rival - Own work, CC BY 3.0, [URL]https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4661055[/URL][/SIZE] [ATTACH=full]1204334[/ATTACH] [SIZE=2]Jazz à Vienne [SIZE=4]Anyway, it’s quite nice and interesting a place to visit, full of History, and only a bit more than one hour driving from my place :), should someone be interested ![/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][SIZE=4][B]From Janus to the crocodile[/B][/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][SIZE=4][/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][SIZE=4] [/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=2][SIZE=4]One of the recurring theme in the roman republic coinage is Janus. We see Janus, or janiform heads all along the roman republic, either on silver (quadrigatus) or on bronze coinage. The bronze coinage however, in addition to the portrait of Janus on the obverse, often shows a prow of galley on the reverse. The As below has a mark of value « I » that we will see again in the future…. [/SIZE][/SIZE] [IMG]http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11724/0010-015.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=3][B]Quadrigatus [/B]- Rome or other italian mint, c 215-211 BC Laureate janiform head of Dioscuri ROMA in relief in linear frame at exergue, Jupiter, holding thunderbolt in right hand and scepter in left, in fast quadriga driven right by Victory. 6,69 gr - 20-21 mm Ref : RCV #33, RSC # 24[/SIZE] [IMG]http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11724/0010-020np_noir.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=3][B]As [/B]- Rome mint, circa 211-206 BC No legend, head of janus Prow of galley right, ROMA at exergue, I above galley 37.22 gr Ref RCV # 627[/SIZE] From being anonymous to begin with, i.e. symbolizing ROME with no mention to the monneyers, the production took a more personnal turn with the appearance of the monneyer’s names, as well as the silver issues did. [IMG]http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11724/0010-060np_noir.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=3][B]D. Junius L.F. Silanus, As - [/B]Rome mint, 91 BC No legend, Head of Janus D SILANVS L F, Prow of galley right 12.08 gr Ref : RCV # 738[/SIZE] One step further as been taken by Pompey the Great when his own portrait replaced that of an until then anonymous Janus on his asses produced at a sicilian mint [IMG]http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/11724/0020-020np_noir.jpg[/IMG] [SIZE=3][B]Sextus Pompey, As - [/B]Sicily c.43-36 BC Head of Janus with features of Pompey the Great, MAGN above Prow of galley right, PIVS IMP in field 16.57 gr Ref : HCRI # 336, RCV #1394, Cohen #16 [/SIZE] To be continued....[/QUOTE]
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Of galleys and crocs - about a nice portrait of Octavian
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