Ceres, the Roman goddess of of agricultural fertility (especially of grain crops) and motherly relationships, was so important to Roman society that she was included among the Dii Consentes, Rome's equivalent to the Twelve Olympians of Greek mythology. Her name is thought to derive from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱer-, meaning "to grow," and is related to other Latin words associated with growth, such as crēare ("to create") and crēscere ("to grow"). The cognate adjective, cereālis, literally means "of or associated with Ceres." As such, this Latin adjective also means "of wheat." It isn't too difficult to see that the English word cereal stems from Ceres and cereālis. In her role as agricultural goddess, she receives the epithet, Ceres Frugifera, "Fruit-bearing Ceres." In this role, she appears on Roman coins seated or standing, bearing ears of grain and the scepter of divine authority: CERERI FRVGIF(ERAE), "to Fruit-bearing Ceres" (dative case). Denarius of Julia Domna, RIC 546. Ceres standing right, veiled, with scepter and grain ears. Denarius of Faustina I, RIC 358. Ceres is essentially the Roman equivalent of the Greek Demeter, from whom her mythology is indistinguishable. Ceres' virgin daughter Proserpina was abducted by Pluto to be his wife in the underworld. Roman provincial AE 21 of Julia Soaemias from Sebaste in Samaria, Rosenberger 34 (BMC 18). The reverse depicts Pluto/Hades in galloping quadriga right abducting Proserpina/Persephone, Amor/Eros above. Unfortunately, the flans for this issue are typically too small for the reverse design and Pluto and Proserpina are off the flan. Ceres, upon learning of what happened, began to search for her endlessly, lighting her way through the underworld with torches. Depicted with a lighted torch in each hand so as to search for her daughter, she is known as Ceres Taedifera, “Ceres the torch-bearer.” Ceres Taedifera standing left, veiled, bearing two torches. Sestertius of Faustina I, RIC 1120. While Ceres searched, preoccupied with grief for the loss of her daughter, she was not on earth to ensure the growth of agricultural produce and all the crops withered and died, and the land became desolate. Faced with the extinction of all life on earth, Jupiter sent his messenger Mercury to the underworld to bring Proserpina back. However, because Proserpina had eaten while in the underworld, Pluto had a claim on her. Jupiter, effecting a compromise between the claims of Ceres and Pluto, decreed that Proserpina must spend four months each year in the underworld. During these months Ceres grieves for her daughter's absence, withdrawing her support of crops from the world, creating winter. Proserpina's return after her four-month stay in the underworld brings joy once again to Ceres, who then allows crops to grow again in the spring. More typically, however, Ceres appears in both aspects, as the goddess of agricultural fertility and as grieving mother searching the underworld for her daughter. As such, she is portrayed with both grain-ears and a torch: Ceres seated on cista, veiled, holding grain-ears and short torch. Denarius of Faustina II, RIC 669. Ceres standing left, holding grain-ears and long torch. As/dupondius of Faustina I, RIC 1169. Let's see your Ceres/Demeter coins!
Domitian Ae quadrans Obv:- IMP DOMIT AVG GERM, Bust of Ceres left Rev:- S-C, Bundle of three poppies and four corn ears Reference:– RIC II new 243 (R). Cohen 17 Loads of Severans.... A.D. 193 AVG II C (provides evidence that the AVG II C issue is die linked to the A.D. 193 issue). The reverses ending AVGV II COS are quite scarce. More AVG II C but the normal CERER FRVG (two reverse dies illustrated) The common COS II issue These two share a reverse die IMP VIII issue A common late eastern Domna
Here she is with a similar entity, Annona, who personifies the grain supply of Rome. Note the modius on the table next to Annona. Ceres is holding grain ears and a torch, for reasons given by @Roman Collector . Nero struck in Rome, CE 63 Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24
Ceres was a very popular type during the Flavian era. This is probably one of my rarer ones. Titus AR Denarius, 3.16g Rome mint, 24 June - July 1, 79 AD RIC 3 (R). BMC 105. RSC 31a. Obv: IMP T CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, r. Rev: CERES AVGVST; Ceres stg. l., with corn ears and poppy and sceptre Ex Harry N. Sneh Collection. This denarius of Titus was minted in the first week (or perhaps a bit longer) of his reign in June of 79 AD. The reverse type of Ceres standing is a carry-over from Titus as Caesar under Vespasian. Many of the reverse types struck for Titus as Caesar during the first half of 79 were continued into his reign until the mint adjusted for a new series. The type is not rare under Vespasian, but is extremely so under Titus as Augustus. RIC assigns a rarity rating of 'rare', which to me seems a bit understated.
M. VOLTEIUS M.F. ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS VOLTEIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Head of Bacchus or Liber right, wreathed with ivy REVERSE: Ceres holding two torches, in biga of serpents right. Symbol in left field (double headed axe) Rome 76BC 3.75g, 18mm Volteia 3; Cr385/3; Sear 314 L FURIUS CN F BROCCHUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS FURIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Bust of Ceres right between wheat-ear and barley-corn; III VIR across field, BROCCHI below REVERSE: Curule chair between fasces; L. FVRI/CN. F above Rome 63 BC 3.9g, 20mm Cr414/1; Furia 23 JULIUS CAESAR AR Denarius OBVERSE: COS.TERT.DICT.ITER. Head of Ceres right REVERSE: / AVGVR above, PONT.MAX. below. Simpulum, sprinkler, capis and lituus; M in right field Utica 46 BC 2.7g, 17mm Syd 1024; Crawford 467/1b FAUSTINA MINOR AE26 OBVERSE: FAVCTEINA NEA CEBACTH, draped bust right REVERSE: AGCILAEWN, Demeter seated left holding corn ears & long torch Struck at Anchialus, Thracee, 147-175 AD 9.6g, 25mm Moushmov 2789
CERES: RI Titus 79-81 CE AR Denarius Ceres seated corn ear poppy torch GRAIN: Sicily Akragas Punic occup 213-210 BC AR Half Shekel 19 mm 2.9g Male head r Triptolemos wreath grain -Horse leaping r Punic Ḥ SNG COP 378 Carthage - LIBYAN REVOLT Rebels 241-238 BCE 9.63g 24mm Shekel Sardinia mint Tanit 3 Grain ears Crescent SNG Cop 247 Campania CAPUA AE 14-5mm 216-211 Hera Oscan Grain ear Hannibal capital Italia SNG Fr 517 SNG ANS 219 HN Italy 500 EE Clain Stefanelli
Great Persecution 305 to 313 AD Nicomedia mint AE Quarter nummuus Obvs: DEAE SANC CERERI, veiled and draped bust of Ceres left, holding grain ear and poppy in raised right hand. Revs: GEN CIVI T NICOM, Fortuna Redux standing facing, head left, holding in right hand rudder set on ground and cradling cornucopia in left arm; OPA. 15x16mm, 1.46g Ref: Vagi 2958, Van Heesch 1 Faustina Senior AR Denarius Mint: Rome After 141 AD Obvs: DIVA FAVSTINA, Faustina right diademed Revs: AVGVSTA, Ceres holding staff and raising skirt 18mm, 3.1g Ref: RIC III 362
Julia Domna. AR denarius, Rome mint, struck 196–211 CE; 3.25g. BMCRE S10, RIC S546, RSC 14. Obv: IVLIA – AVGVSTA; draped bust right. Rx: CERERI F–RVGIF; Ceres seated left, holding corn-ears and long torch (or scepter). Issued during the reign of Septimius Severus. VF. From the Phillip Davis Collection; ex Carl H. Subak. -------------------------------------------- Julia Domna. AR denarius, Emesa mint, struck ca. 200 CE; 2.97g, 17.5mm, 7hr. BMCRE p. 102 †, Hill —, RIC S616a (R2), RSC 13a Obv: IVLIA DO–MNA AVG; draped bust right. Rx: CERER F–RVG •; Ceres standing left, holding two corn-ears and lighted torch. Very rare; RIC S616a cites “Mouchmov, Réka Devnia, p. 106” referring to no. 15, “Cerer. frug. Var. 2,” of which there were three examples. This does not seem to correctly correspond to the Cohen numbers, since Mouchmov describes no. 15 Var. 2 as corresponding to Cohen 13 (same type as this coin, none in RD). This coin is a die duplicate of 1979,0614.33 in the BM. The scratch across Ceres looks like an intentional defacing of this deity. VF.
Very nice Ceres coins everybody, looks a very common coin type for early Romans. I have a couple minted within thirty years of each other, two of the twelve Caesar's Claudius Dupondius and an Galba As.
Here's the Greek goddess Demeter on reverse of a coin showing the god of Wine Dionysus on the obverse. So..So Cheers....
Some variations on the OP: Faustina I in the first posthumous obverse inscription and the anepigraphic reverse featuring Ceres standing facing right holding grain in left hand and long scepter in her right. A somewhat later posthumous Faustina with Ceres enthroned facing right holding a long scepter. The reverse figure on this denarius of Faustina II is a left facing mirror image of the standing Ceres figure we saw above except for the fact that a torch replaces the scepter. This is a seated Ceres variety for Faustina II, in which Ceres faces left holding grain ears higher than usual and a short scepter. Finally a denarius of Crispina featuring the left facing figure of Ceres standing holding out grain ears in her right hand and a long, burning torch in her left. This is the same motif as we show for Faustina II just above.
Titus Denarius. 79 AD. IMP T CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right / CERES AVGVST, Ceres standing left, holding grain ears with poppy and sceptre. RSC 31a RIC 3 Sear 2504
That sorry looking Crispina I put up doesn't do her justice, but it was one whose seller picture was handy. I have now had a chance to make a pic of a better example in my collection and thought I would put it up just to do her justice: Maybe these are early and late views of her after being married to Commodus for a while.
