Roman Republican No. 63: L. Papius Celsus (Juno Sospita/Wolf & Eagle)

I won this coin in the recently-completed Nomos Obolos 20 auction, and it arrived today from Switzerland. It's a type I've long admired and wanted, but it seems quite rare to find one with the entire reverse design -- particularly, both wings of the eagle -- present on the flan. (The outer wing is at least partly off the flan more often than not, probably because its tip extends beyond the coin's border, effectively "breaking the fourth wall." In fact, it's not uncommon for the entire eagle to be missing.)

So I bid on this specimen because the eagle and its wings are entirely visible, even though it's not my usual practice to buy at auctions and even though the condition isn't the greatest. I have no idea what the "grade" would be and don't care -- I find the coin visually appealing, and that's what matters. (The banker's mark on the obverse over Juno Sospita's ear is hardly noticeable, and doesn't bother me at all.)

Roman Republic, L. Papius Celsus, AR Denarius, 45 BCE, Rome Mint. Obv. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat’s skin headdress tied at neck; circular banker’s mark “well hidden” [per email from Dimitrios G. Gerothanasis, Nomos AG] over Juno’s ear / Rev. She-wolf standing right, holding stick in mouth which she places on fire; to right of fire, eagle standing left fanning the flames with open wings (and with tip of outer wing extending beyond coin’s border); CELSVS III • VIR above; L. PAPIVS in exergue. Crawford 472/1, RSC I (Babelon) Papia 2 (ill. p. 71), Sear CRI 82 at pp. 51-52 [David Sear, The History and Coinage of the Roman Imperators 49-27 BC (1998)], RBW Collection 1647 (ill. p. 349) (2014), BMCRR I 4018 (ill. BMCRR II Pl. L no. 22); Sear RCV I 461 (ill. p. 158), Sydenham 964. 18 mm., 3.08 g., 1 h. Purchased Oct. 3, 2021 at Nomos Obolos 20, Lot 1059.*



*According to Crawford (Vol. I p. 481), the moneyer is “not otherwise known, but perhaps the son of no. 384” (L. Papius, Obv. Juno Sospita/Rev. Gryphon). The type (i.e., portraying Juno Sospita) “refer(s) . . . to the moneyer’s Lanuvine origin . . . ; the reverse . . . seems to portray a prodigy associated with the foundation of Lanuvium, D. Hal. I, 59, 4-5.” Id. p. 482. See also David Sear’s discussion of the type at CRI p. 52: “L. Papius is known only from his coinage though it seems likely that he was the son of the Lucius Papius who had held the office of moneyer about three and a half decdes before (cf. Crawford 384). Both moneyers indicated their origin by the depiction of Juno Sospita, the goddess clad in a goat’s skin, who was especially sacred to the inhabitants of Lanuvium (modern Lanuvio), an ancient Latin city in the Alban Hills about twenty miles south-east of Rome.” The depiction of “the she-wolf and eagle kindling a fire . . . appears to illustrate the legend of the foundation of the city as recorded by Dionysius of Halicarnassus in his Roman Antiquities (i. 59), written during the reign of Augustus.” Id.

The details of the myth portrayed on the reverse are set forth in the text accompanying a May 13, 2020 CNG sale of an example of this type (see https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=6982290): “The curious scene depicted on the reverse of this type refers to a foundation myth for the city of Lanuvium, parent city of Rome. According to a legend related by Dionysius of Halicarnassus in Roman Antiquities [i, 59, 4-5], the hero Aeneas saw a fire burning in a nearby forest and went to investigate. As he drew closer, he saw the fire was being fed by a she-wolf, who was dropping sticks into the blaze, while an eagle standing nearby fanned it with his wings. A fox kept intruding, trying to snuff out the fire by wetting his tail in a nearby stream and beating the flames down with it, but was driven off by the eagle and wolf. The fox was interpreted as Carthage, trying to snuff out Rome before its flame could burn brightly, while the eagle and she-wolf are symbols of the Roman army and people respectively.” See also the discussion at BMCRR I pp. 519-520 n. 2.

Regarding the CELSVS III • VIR legend on the reverse, see the Numiswiki entry for IIIVIR, at https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=IIIVIR: “On coins of the Roman Republic IIIVIR is used as a shortened abbreviation for IIIVIR AAAFF, which abbreviates ‘III viri aere argento auro flando feiundo’ or ‘Three men for the casting and striking of bronze, silver and gold,’ a moneyer or mint magistrate.” The other two moneyers for 45 BCE, together with Lucius Papius Celsus, were Lollius Palicanus and Lucius Valerius Acisculus. See CRI p. 51. “Collectively, their coinage represents the last normal republican issue from the Capitoline mint prior to the fundamental changes introduced by Caesar at the beginning of 44 BC, which, within a few years, were to lead to the complete cessation of regular production.” Id.

This is my sixth Roman Republican coin depicting Juno Sospita. Here are the other five, without the descriptions:

Thorius Balbus (Crawford 316/1):



L. Procilius (Crawford 379/1):



L. Procilius (Crawford 379/2):



L. Papius (Crawford 384/1):



L. Roscius Fabatus (Crawford 412/1):
It seems that I'm now missing only two Roman Republican coins depicting Juno Sospita (Crawford 480/2 and Crawford 509/1), since there were eight such coins in all. According to OCRE, there were also six Roman Imperial coins portraying Juno Sospita, issued by Trajan, Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius.

I took these photos with my phone a little while ago, with no attempt to make the lighting uniform, just to give a general idea (if you zoom in on them) of what my 63 Roman Republican coins look like together in their tray (along with my one Imperatorial coin issued by Octavian, although it's too dark to see any details):










There's one more Roman Republican denarius I'm considering trying to buy in a few weeks, but after that, budgetary concerns dictate that I may be done for the year. Almost time to start thinking about my top 10!

Please post your coins of Juno Sospita, and/or your Roman Republican wolves or eagles, and/or anything else you think is appropriate.

 

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Here’s mine

 

Fantastic example, @jdmKY ! You can really see how the eagle's wing extends partly outside the coin's dotted border. I wonder how many other Roman coins were deliberately designed that way.

 

Great addition, Donna. Love the collection photos too. Quite the spread.

 

Fantastic pick up! As usual, a well researched article with great examples!

 

Stunning new coin Donna And as you'd pointed out in rarely good condition on that oober fun reverse
I thoroughly look forward to seeing you complete your Roman Republic Juno Sospita collection
I've not acquired one yet... nor do I expect to find one in that fine of condition.
My contribution is a true pain in the neck to photograph due to the rainbow toning, the bend and what the bull is packing:

 

Goodness gracious!

 

I am always impressed with your coins!

 

Nice set of coins!
I've never participated in auctions (other than on ebay), due to their unknown costs. So for instance if I win a coin at $200, how much extra costs do I have to pay in the checkout (depending on auction houses), including obvious shipping rates?

 

Well, one takes that into account in deciding how much to bid. For example, I knew that Nomos charges an 18% buyers' premium plus 35 CHF for Federal Express shipping from Switzerland to the USA (which took three days to arrive). Pretty much the same as what most European V-Coins dealers charge for shipping by express courier to the USA. But obviously I needed to be willing to pay my maximum bid + 18%. As it happened, I got the coin for about $100 CHF less than my maximum bid. I suspect that some people may have refrained from bidding because the coin is not in superb condition in the abstract, not realizing that examples of this type with the entire reverse design on the flan are rather uncommon. A quick look on acsearch indicates that only 6 of the last 20 specimens sold show the entire eagle with both wings complete, including the outer wing extended past the border.

 

As one empowered woman to another, Juno Sospita approves your acquisition.
https://www.worldhistory.org/image/4469/juno-sospita/

 

Wonderful acquisition, Donna! What a fabulous collection you're putting together .

 

A great acquisition, and you really have an awesome collection of RR coins, Donna, impressive!

Always enjoy and learn from your attributions & descriptions that you share with us. Thank you

I enjoy all the beauties posted in this thread, but don't have a Juno Sospita to share

 

I like this coin. And the myth behind its story. The condition, toning and centering add to its value.
And congratulations for a truly exceptional RR collection.

This is one of the coins I do not like in particular - for obvious reasons. Part of a group lot that was extremely cheap - including fees and shipping, about 5 EUR per coin. Normally I avoid this condition but that was a shot in the dark.



L. Procilius serrate denarius
RRC 379/2
Date: 80 B.C.
Obverse Legend: S·C
Type: Head of Juno Sospita right; on head, countermark. Border of dots.
Reverse Legend: L·PROCILI·F
Type: Juno Sospita in biga right, holding shield in left hand and hurling spear with right hand; below, snake. Border of dots.

 

What an interesting reverse type, @DonnaML! I love how it illustrates mythology. You are building an enviable collection of Roman Republican denarii, indeed!

I have only one Juno Sospita, a serrate denarius issued by L. Roscius Fabatus. It has the control mark combination of sack and column on the obverse and sella on the reverse.

 

@DonnaML You have a very nice collection of ancient Roman Republic silver denarii. You have many interesting types, and beautiful portraits, and nice examples.
Here are my ancient Roman denarii. 2 Republic, and 2 Empire.
It seems like, my oldest denarius, is the same type, as your denarius in your top photo, row 1, column 6, with the interesting elephant head, below the horses, on the reverse. And a bell, attached to the elephant's head, below the elephant's head, between the "O" and the "M". What was the purpose of the bell, I wonder? To make the elephant angry, for battle? So that they wouldn't lose the elephant? So that people could hear the elephant coming, and get out of its way? I don't know.
This is not a group photo. I just copied and pasted sections, from my ancient Roman coins group photos. However, the sizes of the coins are approximately correct, relative to each other, because these are sections of group photos.



Coin 1 : L. Caecilius Metellus Diadematus AR Denarius. 128 BC. Rome Mint. Sear 138. Crawford 262/1. 18 mm. 3.80 grams. Obverse Roma Wearing Helmet. Reverse Pax Driving Biga With Elephant's Head With Bell Attached Below.
Coin 2 : L. Flaminius Cilo AR Denarius. 109 BC To 108 BC. Rome Mint. Sear 179. Crawford 302/1. 20 mm. 3.51 grams. Obverse Roma Wearing Helmet. Reverse Victory Driving Biga With Legend "L FLAMINI" Below.
Coin 3 : Trajan AR Denarius. 108 AD To 109 AD. Rome Mint. RIC 119. 19 mm. 2.86 grams. Obverse Trajan. Reverse Aequitas Seated Holding Scales And Cornucopia.
Coin 4 : Julia Domna AR Denarius. 200 AD To 207 AD. Rome Mint. RIC 560. 16 mm. 2.87 grams. Obverse Julia Domna. Reverse Juno Standing Holding Patera And Scepter With Peacock On Left.

 

P.S. : I just found this. Maybe this was the reason, for the elephant bell. Perhaps, the purpose, was to frighten the enemy, during a battle.
"Elephants were dressed for battle in armour which protected their heads and sometimes front. A thick sacking or leather cover could also be hung over the elephant's back to protect its sides. Sword blades or iron points were added to the tusks and bells hung from the body to create as much noise as possible."
https://www.worldhistory.org/article/876/elephants-in-greek--roman-warfare/
And here's another source :
"Elephants were decked out in gold with gilded tusks, gold netting, and elaborate bell harnesses that could include one, three, or multiple bells. Indeed, charging into battle with “bells ringing” seems to be a key facet of the elephant’s ability to produce terror in their opponents."
https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/78092/RiceJenna.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

 

Congrats, @DonnaML ! You found it! Great job... the full-winged Eagle is elusive.

Mine has a hint of the wing...


RR Hd Juno Sospita R goat skin hddrss She-wolf R placing stick on fire eagle stndng fanning flames 45 BCE 19.0mm 4.07g Cr 472-1

 

Another great coin, and already fabulous collection @DonnaML

For your pleasure, following are three Juno Sospitas of mine (all of them TBH) and an overview of my republican silver coins









Q

 

Yes, that's definitely the same type as mine -- technically, an anonymous issue. Here's a larger photo, together with my description:

Roman Republic, Anonymous [probably Caecilius Metellus Diadematus or Caecilius Metellus Delmaticus], AR Denarius 128 BCE. Obv. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet, * [monogram for value: XVI asses] behind; otherwise anepigraphic / Rev. Pax or Juno driving biga galloping right, holding reins and long scepter in left hand and branch (olive or laurel) in right hand; elephant head under horses, facing right with trunk curving down, wearing bell dangling from neck; ROMA in exergue. Crawford 262/1, RSC I Caecilia 38 (ill.), BMCRR 1044, Sear RCV I 138, Sydenham 496. 18.5 mm., 3.89 g., 11 h.*



*One of only four anonymous Roman Republican denarii after ca. 154 BCE (see also Crawford 222/1, 287/1, & 350A/2), and the only one of the four that can be identified with near-certainty. See Crawford Vol. I at p. 287, explaining that the elephant head with dangling bell depicted on the reverse signals that the moneyer belonged to the Caecilii Metelli family, and recalls the victory of L. Caecilius Metellus, Cos. 251, over Hasdrubal at Panormus in 250 BCE, and the capture of Hasdrubal’s elephants. (See also the denarii depicting elephants or elephant heads issued by, e.g., M. Metellus Q.f. [127 BCE, Crawford 263/1a-1b], C. Caecilius Metullus Caprarius [125 BCE, Crawford 269/1]; Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius [81 BCE, Crawford 374/1]; and Q. Caecilius Metullus Pius Scipio [47-46 BCE, Crawford 459/1].) Therefore, it is generally accepted that this denarius was issued by either L. Caecilius Metellus Diadematus (Cos. 117), or L. Caecilius Metellus Delmaticus (Cos. 119), with the authorities seemingly preferring the former, given that his three brothers all held the moneyership. (Id.; see also Sear RCV I at p. 99; Harold B. Mattingly, “Roman Republican Coinage ca. 150-90 B.C.,” in From Coins to History (2004), pp. 199-226 at p. 219 n. 75.)

The uncertainty in identifying the goddess in the biga arises from the inability to identify definitively the branch she holds: an olive branch would mean that the goddess is Pax, and a laurel branch would mean that she is Juno Regina. (See Crawford at p. 287.) Grueber (in BMCRR) and Seaby (in RSC) identify the goddess as Pax; Crawford and Sear note both possible identifications.

Here are a couple of other Roman Republican elephants with bells (your explanation for those bells makes sense to me):

Roman Republic, M. Caecilius Q.f. Metelllus, AR Denarius, 127 BC (Crawford, RSC, Sear), ca. 126 BCE (Mattingly, op. cit. at p. 258, Table 3), Rome Mint. Obv. Head of Roma right in winged helmet, star on helmet flap, ROMA upwards behind, * (XVI ligature, mark of value = 16 asses) below chin / Rev. Macedonian shield, decorated with elephant head in center wearing bell, M METELLVS Q F around beginning at 6:00, all within laurel wreath. Crawford 263/1(a), Sydenham 480, RSC I Caecilia 29, Russo RBW 1064, Sear RCV I 139 (ill.). 19.5 mm., 3.80 g., 9 hr.*



*The coin is classified as Crawford 263/1a because the obverse "ROMA" legend goes upwards; the ROMA on 263/1b goes downwards. The moneyer was Consul in 115 BCE. The reverse design of a Macedonian shield encircled by a laurel wreath honors the moneyer's father, Q. Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus, who defeated the Macedonian pretender Andriscus in 148 BCE. See Crawford p. 288, Sear p. 99. Sear calls the coin “an early example of a moneyer commemorating his family history” (id.), and Mattingly states that the moneyer “broke new ground by honoring a living father.” (See Harold B. Mattingly, “Roman Republican Coinage ca. 150-90 B.C.,” in From Coins to History (2004), pp. 199-226 at p. 220 [emphasis in original].)

The elephant head in the center of the shield, as with other coins of the Caecilii Metelli, recalls the victory of L. Caecilius Metellus, Cos. 251, over Hasdrubal at the Battle of Panormus in 250 BCE, and the capture of 100 of Hasdrubal’s elephants, which were paraded at Metullus’s triumph. See Crawford p. 288 (referencing the discussion on p. 287 of the symbolism of the elephant head on the reverse of Crawford 262); Mattingly p. 219 & n. 75.

Roman Republic, Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius, AR Denarius, 81 BCE. Obv. Head of Pietas right, wearing diadem; below chin, stork standing right / Rev. Elephant standing left, wearing bell around neck; in exergue, Q•C•M•P•I [Q. Caecilius Metellus Imperator]. Crawford 374/1, RSC I Caecilia 43, Sear RCV I 301 (ill.), Sydenham 750, BMCRR Spain 43. 18 mm., 3.9 g.*



*See Sear RCV I at p. 128: “The issuer strikes as imperator in Northern Italy where he was campaigning on behalf of Sulla. The following year he was to be the dictator’s colleague in the consulship.” See also Crawford Vol. I p. 390: “This issue was produced by Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius, serving as a Sullan commander in the fight against Carrinas, Norbanus and Carbo. The obverse type [of Pietas] . . . alludes to his cognomen, acquired for his part in securing the restoration from exile of his father Q. Caecilius Metullus Numidicus.” The stork depicted in front of Pietas “is an emblem of family piety and an occasional adjunct of the goddess.” Jones, John Melville, A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (London, Seaby, 1990) p. 243, under entry for Pietas. (Apparently, the Romans believed that the stork demonstrated family loyalty by returning to the same nest every year, and that it took care of its parents in old age.)

Crawford also states at Vol. I p. 390 that “[t]he reverse type of an elephant recalls the capture of Hasdrubal’s elephants by L. Caecilius Metullus in 251 [BCE]” (also commemorated by an elephant denarius of C. Caecilius Metullus Caprarius in 125 BCE; Crawford 269/1, RSC I Caecilia 14). The elephant continued to be associated thereafter with the family (see the elephant denarius of Q. Caecilius Metullus Pius Scipio issued in 47-46 BCE; Crawford 459/1, RSC I Caecilia 47). The family was known for its opposition to Caesar.

If you're not careful, @sand, Roman Republican coins can be very addictive! Especially given the extremely wide variety of interesting reverses, particularly in the last century or so of the Republic. Of course it's a generalization, but on the whole I prefer Republican reverses and Imperial obverses.