Securitas, as one might expect from its similarity to the English security, personifies security and confidence. She is typically portrayed seated or standing, leaning against a column. She usually holds a patera or scepter, but sometimes a cornucopiae, palm branch, globe or crown. Coins were issued by nearly all the emperors from Otho and Vitellius to Constans and Constantius II which have for their reverse type this figure of Securitas, and present for their legend the word SECVRITAS with the addition of the words, AVGVSTI or AVGVSTORVM (security of the emperor or of the emperors); ORBIS (security of the world); PVBLICA (public security); PERPETVA (perpetual security); POPVLI ROMANI (security of the Roman people); TEMPORVM (of the Times); IMPERII (of the empire); SAECVLI (of the age); REPVBLICAE (of the republic), etc. This common billon Antoninianus of Gallienus is typical, and proclaims perpetual security, even though his reign is best described as characterized by perpetual insecurity. Let's see your SECVRITAS coins! Gallienus, AD 253-268. Roman billon Antoninianus, 2.68 g, 18.6 mm, 11h. Rome, AD 265-267. Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, Radiate head right. Rev: SECVRIT PERPET, Securitas standing left, legs crossed, holding scepter and leaning on column, H in right field. Refs: RIC 280K, Göbl 595a, RCV 10359; Cohen 961.
Nice one, Roman Collector. I recently got a Gallienus Ant. with SECVRIT ORBIS - it is a HOG at almost 6 grams. Gallienus Æ Antoninianus (c. 260-268 A.D.) Rome Mint GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head right / SECVRIT ORBIS, Securitas, seated left, holding sceptre, rt. hand raised to head. Officina letter VI in exergue. RIC (S), Rome 278; Göbl 555g. (5.84 grams / 22 mm)
here's a rarer example Constantine I A.D. 307- 308 23x26mm 5.2gm IMP C CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and draped bust right, seen from rear. SECVRIT PERPET DD NN; Securitas stg. l.; leaning l. with transverse sceptre on column, r. raised to head. In ex. PLC RIC VI Lugdunum 278 and one from London Constantine I A.D. 312- 313 23x24mm 4.1gm CONSTANTINVS P F AVG; laureate and cuirassed bust right. SECVRITAS AVGG; Securitas standing facing, head left, legs crossed, right hand on head, left arm leaning on column; * in left field. In exergue PLN RIC VI London 277
Here is a later SECVRITAS: RI Julian II CE 360-363 AE1 maiorina Diademed R - SECVRITAS REIPVB 2 stars Apis Bull stg R ANT-Gamma 2 palms ANTIOCH RIC 217 LRBC 2641
I have a web site "SECVRITAS: The real meaning" http://augustuscoins.com/ed/interesting/SECVRITAS.html I wrote it after the late Ted Buttrey gave me a Latin lesson on the type. A denarius of Caracalla, Roman emperor (198-217), originally under his father (Septimius Severus, 193-211 AD). SECVRIT ORBIS (security of the world) A languid, care-free, Securitas seated leaning back, right. She holds a vertical scepter and behind and to the right there is a lighted and garlanded altar. Silver. 18 mm. 3.61 grams. Struck 198-199 at Rome. BMC V (SS and Caracalla) 118. The types hint that the modern "security" interpretation was more appropriate in the fourth century, while earlier the meaning was closer to "care-free" which the etymology suggests. See the site for more.
OTHO AR Denarius. 3.19g, 17.6mm. Rome mint, 15 Jan to mid-April AD 69. RIC I (second edition) Otho 8 (R2); Sear 2161. O: IMP M OTHO CAESAR AVG TR P, bare head right. R: SECVRITAS P R, Securitas, draped, standing left, holding wreath in right hand and sceptre in left. Notes: Same reverse die as S141 (Bologna museum) in Jyrki Muono's die study of Otho denarii, with an obverse die unknown to him but close to that of the Bologna coin and in his opinion "undoubtedly cut by the same engraver". CONSTANTIUS II, as Caesar AE4. 1.28g, 15.4mm. Rome mint, AD 337. RIC Rome VII 403 (R5). O: FL IVL CONSTANTIVS NOB C, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: SECVRI-TAS REIPVB, Securitas standing facing, looking right, leaning on column, legs crossed, holding sceptre; R leaf S in exergue. Notes: Scarce type, and very rare with Constantius as Caesar.
When I purchased the coin below I did some research on Secvritas. I started by looking at the etymology of security, what I found was very revealing of Roman culture. The prefix se means to free or to separate as in segregate, seclude, secede. While cura means something like concern or care as in accurate (done with care) or curious. So security for Romans literally meant to be separated from their concerns, which I found to be a very insightful meaning. Antoninus Pius AE Sestertius with Securitas seated left RIC967
Being freed from cares by having a just and stable government might seem a situation worth issuing a coin to commemorate. Perhaps Nero and Otho are not exactly what we have in mind but truth in politics has never been a prime concern. The use of the type with a young ruler or after a time of civil war would seem more appropriate suggesting that Rome was being cared for and in good hands for the future.
