Like this Sestertius of Caligula with PIETAS on the obverse. Caligula associated with Piety - who would have thought that?! Please post you coins with strange or incongruent associations.
Obviously, Caligula. He was exerting a great act of piety dedicating the great temple to the Divine Augustus as shown on the other side of the coin. Depending on how you look at it, piety could include realizing the fact that you were the chosen one and worshiping yourself would be an act of piety. Caligula was not the first person to play under that theory and he has been followed by a steady stream of 2000 years worth of politicians and bullies all convinced that they were the best thing that happened to the world. Coins reflect the mindset of the authority that made them. Truth is hardly a requirement. I love that coin. It portrays Caligula as well as the popular ones that have his face.
Here is Carus, who presumably was killed by lightning, depicted together with Jupiter. One can only guess that their relationship must have been rather strained: Carus, Roman Empire, Antoninianus, 282/3 AD, Cyzicus mint. Obv: IMP C M AVR CARVS PF AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right. Rev: CLEMENTIA TEMP, Carus (left) receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter (right), B in exergue. 21mm, 4.08g. Ref: RIC V-2 Cyzicus, 118c.
Ah ... the newlyweds, Caracalla and his bride Plautilla! Look how they are shaking hands in unity! And the coins announce their "eternal harmony" and "happy harmony" and how their marriage will "propagate the imperial lineage"! What could possibly go wrong?
A warning to parents who feel the need to control whom your child marries: It can come back and bite you even if you are right. Plautilla was the daughter of Plautianus who was later executed as a traitor to Septimius. I have heard no suggestion that Caracalla (or Geta) wanted to marry anyone but we have ample evidence that Plautilla's father was heavy 'baggage'. Caracalla and Plautilla AE38 Stratoniceia / Zeus Panamaros on horse
I always thought is was kinda cheeky for Allectus to replicate the Peace theme reverses of Carausius after he had just assassinated (I prefer murdered) him. RIC V (2), Carausius, Antoninianus, No. 475: IMP C CARAVSIVS PF AVG .............................. PA - X - AVG | S ..... P (Pax standing facing left) Draped, radiate, bust RIC V (2), Allectus, Antoninianus, No. 33: IMP C ALLECTVS PF AVG ................... PA - X - AVG ..... S .... A (Pax standing facing left) M L in reverse exergue. Cuirassed, radiate, bust
This is a great thread. One of the closest items that might match is this RPC of Caracalla. Since he is famous for having devalued the currency and causing inflation the idea that he upheld the values represented with Triptolemus is kind of absurd. Since Triptolemus with the Eleusinian mysteries helped fertilize the land and bring forth greater wealth as the "golden" grain represents. Tarsus, Cilicia. Caracalla. 198-217. Tetrassarion (Bronze, ), c. 214-217. ΑΥΤ ΚΑΙ Μ ΑΥΡ CΕΥΗΡ[ΟC ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟC] CΕΒ Π Π Laureate and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to right, seen from behind. Rev. ΑΝΤΩΝΙΑΝΗC CΕΟΥΗΡ....... ΤΑΡCΟΥ ΜΚΑ /ΓΒ Triptolemos, sowing grain with his right hand and holding a grain sack in his left, standing right in car drawn by two serpents to right. SNG Levante 1049. SNG Paris 1509-1510 A rare and most interesting piece of fine style.
Concord between the Augusti Pupienus and Balbinus? Apparently each resided in a separate part of the Palace for three months, waiting for the other to strike until they were both overthrown by the Praetorians and their bodies dragged through the streets. Balbinus. AD 238. Æ Sestertius, 33mm, 22.9g, 12h; Rome mint. 1st emission. Obv.: IMP CAES D CAEL BALBINVS AVG; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: CONCORDIA AVGG; Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopia; S C in exergue. Reference: RIC IVb 22, p. 171.
Also a Caligula Pietas but with a different obverse inscription, and reverse countermarks I have not been able to identify, any ideas? The temple before which the sacrifice is being made has been identified as that of the Divine Augustus, built by Tiberius and dedicated by Caligula in 37 AD. This coinage commemorates Gaius Caligula's dedication of the Temple and the young emperor's sense of Pietas. He is fulfilling his duty by dedicating the temple to his great-grandfather. Caligula celebrated the dedication with a 2-day horse race and wild beast shows that saw the slaughter of 400 bears and the same number of exotic animals brought from Africa. Coins of this type were also struck in 39 and 40 AD (RIC I² Gaius/Caligula 44). Æ Sestertius, Rome, 37 - 38 AD 34 x 35 mm, 26.53 g RIC I² Gaius/Caligula 36; BMC Rom I, 41; Cohen 9; Ob.: C•CAESAR•AVG•GERMANICVS•P•M•TR• POT Pietas, draped and veiled, seated l., holding patera in outstretched r. hand, l. arm resting on small, facing female statuette (Spes?) on rectangular base. PIETAS in ex. Rev.: DIVO - AVG {small lettering} / S-C In front of a garlanded, hexastyle Divus Augustus temple, Caligula togate and veiled standing l. holding patera over garlanded altar; on either side, victimarius, holding bull for sacrifice, and attendant, holding patera
I have posted this before, but this one always struck me as irony. Concordia with Marcus Antonius and Octavian. Kinda bizarre. Roman Imperiatorial Marc Antony & Octavian AR Quinarius 1.58g Military Mint Gaul 39BCE Concordia r Hands clasped caduceus Cr-529-4b Sear 1575 Syd-1195
These coins of Severus Alexander and Maximinus I (Thrax) both have Fides Militvm on the reverse, signifying the loyalty of the army. Which is a bit ironic, given that they were both assassinated by their own troops -- one together with his mother, and the other together with his son. Severus Alexander AR Denarius. Obv. Laureate head right, IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG. / Rev. Fides standing left holding standard in each hand, FIDES MILITVM. RIC IV-2 139, RSC III 52, Sear RCV II 7864. 19 mm., 2.9 g. Maximinus I Thrax AR Denarius, 236/38 AD. Obv. Laureate bust right, draped & cuirassed, MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM/ Rev. Fides stdg., facing, head left, holding standard in each hand, FIDES MILITVM. RIC IV-2 18A, RSC III 9, Sear RCV III 8307. 20 mm., 2.77 g.
Here's a denarius of Nero with his mother Agrippina - would ordinarily seem quite affectionate , had he not murdered her. also, an antoninianus of Pupienus with reverse of "caritas mutua augustorum" which translates as "the mutual love of the augusti". As Coin Hunter mentioned - they each expected the other to attempt assassination, and they were both killed by the soldiers before they could succeed in killing each other.
All of the common Caligula types come in versions mentioning Germanicus and others naming him as grandson of Augustus (DIVI AVG PRON). I do not know which was first or what precipitated the change.
Naturally, as is my bent, I really like the clear lettering on that coin. Here is the other legend style commonly found on the coins of Caligula: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS PON M TR POT
