Salus (Ὑγιεία -- Hygieia to the Greeks), being the daughter of Aesculapius and of Minerva, was worshiped as a goddess of health, safety, and the general welfare. This goddess is typically depicted as a woman clothed in the stola, either sitting or standing, feeding a serpent from a patera held in her extended hand. Serpents were, of course, the sacred animal of Aesculapius, and were felt to have supernatural healing powers (you may read more in this write-up I did about them a year and a half ago). It is in this form (which was doubtless that of her statues and with these symbols) that she is almost always depicted on coins on the imperial series from Galba to Maximianus. Here are a couple of typical examples, seated and standing: Orichalcum sestertius of Maximinus Thrax, RIC 85. Billon antoninianus of Salonina, Göbl 1656h. However, in the mid- to late-third century, the inscription SALVS expanded to include other gods and goddesses apart from Salus herself but who were similarly associated with healing. I have examples of such coins from this period depicting Apollo, Isis, and Aesculapius, which I post, below. Let's see your SALVS coins or anything you feel is relevant! Gallienus, AD 253-268. Roman billon antoninianus, 3.77 g, 19 mm. Antioch, AD 267. Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: SALVS AVG, Apollo standing facing, head left, holding branch left, leaning on tripod right; PXV in exergue. Refs: RIC 610F; Göbl 1670k; Cohen 927; RCV 10346; Hunter, p. lxx. Claudius II Gothicus, AD 268-270. Roman billon antoninianus, 4.07 g, 22.4 mm, 5 h. Antioch, officina 5, issue 1, end 268-end 269. Obv: IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: SALVS AVG, Isis standing left, holding sistrum and situla; Є in exergue. Refs: RIC 217A; MER/RIC temp 1024; Cohen 256; RCV 11370; Huvelin 1990, 10; Normanby 1109. Postumus, AD 260-269. Roman Billon Antoninianus, 2.84 g, 21.1 mm. Cologne, AD 265-68. Obv: IMP C POSTVMVS PF AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust, right. Rev: SALVS AVG, Aesculapius standing facing, head left, holding snake-entwined staff; globe at feet, right. Refs: RIC 86; Hunter 85, 86; Cohen 336; Sear 10985; DeWitte 280.
I never noticed that Salus sometimes isn’t Salus. Thank you for this and your other interesting write ups.
Just Fortuna on this one, or Salus borrowing Fortuna's rudder to steer the personal health and safety of Postumus? POSTUMUS Billon Antoninianus. 3.73g, 21.5mm. Trier mint, AD 262. RIC 85; Elmer 301; RSC 339. O: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: SALVS AVG, Salus (or Fortuna) standing left, holding rudder and feeding serpent rising from altar to left. And here's a Apollo Salutaris (Apollo the Health-Bringer), struck during a period when the Plague of Cyprian was killing off as many 5,000 a day in Rome. VALERIAN Billon Antoninianus. 2.82g, 20.5mm. Rome mint, AD 256-257. RIC 76; Cohen 28. O: IMP C P LIC VALERIANVS P F AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: APOLL SALVTARI, Apollo standing left holding laurel branch in right hand and lyre resting on rock in left.
Wow, @zumbly ! I've never seen one of those reverse types on a coin of Valerian anywhere else. I only have the one issued by T-Bone, which is quite common: Whoa! Nice apple-green patina, @randygeki !
Nice Salus coins, everyone. I now have two of the Claudius II Gothicus with Isis and SALVS. One is desert patinated, the other with some intact silver wash (another excuse for owning duplicates, I guess): Claudius II Æ Antoninianus (c. end 268 - end 269 A.D.) Antioch Mint Officina 5 IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG; radiate, draped bust right / SALVS AVG, Isis Faria standing facing, with sistrum and bucket; Є in ex. RIC 217; RIC Temp. 1024 (3.34 grams / 21 mm) Claudius II Æ Antoninianus (Silver Wash) (c. end 268 - end 269 A.D.) Antioch Mint Officina 5 IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG; radiate, draped bust right / SALVS AVG, Isis Faria standing facing, with sistrum and bucket; Є in ex. RIC 217; RIC Temp. 1024 (2.69 grams / 20 mm)
Same here. Despite it being rated common in RIC, I came up empty-handed when I tried finding another example.
Forgot I had this one - Postumus with Aesculapius as SALVS: Gallic Empire - Postumus (266 A.D.) Cologne Mint - Antoninianus IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right / SALVS AVG, Aesculapius standing right, hand on staff entwined by snake, globe at feet. Cunetio 2435; Elmer 415; RIC 86. (3.23 grams / 21 mm)
Another Postumus, though not a SALVS AVG, but a SALVS PROVINCIARVM. The legend and horned river-god Rhine reverse sought to spread the idea that the usurper Postumus was seeing to the welfare (or health) of the Gallic provinces. POSTUMUS Billon Antoninianus. 3.56g, 22.5mm. Trier mint, 1st emission, 2nd phase, AD 260-261. RIC V 87; Mairat 1; AGK 88c; RSC 355b. O: IMP C POSTVMVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: SALVS PROVINCIARVM, horned river-god Rhine reclining left, resting on urn, holding anchor and resting hand on prow.
Trajan Sestertius 32 mm, 24.38g; Rome, 108 - 111 AD Reference: Cohen 485; RIC II Trajan 515; Obverse: IMP CAES NERVAE TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS V P P laureate bust r., drapery on left shoulder Reverse: S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI Salus seated left, feeding from patera a snake coiled around an altar; in ex. S C
Plenty of "SALVS" in lrb territory: Magnentius, double-centenionalis with chi-rho, SALVS DD NN AVG ET CAES: Valentinian II, AE4, SALVS REIPVBLICAE, Victory dragging captive (I guess it is not the health of the latter being celebrated): Aelia Flaccilla, SALVS REIPVBLICAE, Victory seated right, inscribing Christogram on shield set on a column:
I don’t have many lrbs, but I just checked and not one of the coins I have with SALVS in the inscription actually depicts Salus. The amazing thing is I never noticed that before.
