Vulcan -- the Roman version of the Greek Ἥφαιστος (Hēphaistos) -- was the the god of fire, volcanoes, and of smiths. The festival of Vulcan, the Vulcanalia, was celebrated on August 23rd each year, when the summer heat placed crops and granaries at the greatest risk of burning. Vulcan (a.k.a. Volcanus, Vulcanus, Volkanus) was the son of Jupiter and Juno and the husband of Venus. In turn, he was the father of the Cabiri, twin sons he sired with Cabira, the daughter of Proteus. He is sometimes, like Mars, given the epithet, Ultor (avenger). Vulcan is typically depicted on coins as wearing a conical cap (the pileus) and holding attributes appropriate to the blacksmith's trade, such as a hammer and tongs. The Cabiri also appear on coins, typically portrayed with attributes identical to Vulcan, which can be confusing. As one of the twelve Dii Consentes, the Roman equivalent of the Greek Olympian gods, Vulcan appears on several coins of the republic: on those of L. Aurelius Cotta, 90 BC (Aurelia gens), Marcus Metellus, 122 BC (Caecilia gens), and on a rare small brass coin attributed to the gens Statia; also as a symbol on coins of L. Caesius, 104 BC (Caesia gens). His cap is figured on the coins of Paullus Aemilius Lepidus, 54 BC (Aemilia gens), and together with various coining implements on the coins of Titus Carisius, 48 BC (Carisia gens); also as a symbol on early denarii, Victoriati and semisses. However, by the Imperial period, he is scarcely represented on Roman coins, and this is a shame. A few types of denarii (RIC 79 and 80) minted in Gaul during the period of civil war between the reigns of Nero and Vespasian depict his bearded bust, right, wearing a rounded cap. These coins bear the inscription VOLKANVS VLTOR. They are rare. A few medallions of Antoninus Pius depict the god forging a helmet or the thunderbolts of Jupiter. These, too, are very rare. The most easily obtained Roman imperial coins depicting this god are the antoniniani minted during the joint reign of Valerian and Gallienus. These issues also represent the last time the god appears on Roman imperial issues. This coin is representative of the issue. It bears the reverse inscription, DEO VOLKANO, "to divine Vulcan" (dative case), and depicts a tetrastyle temple in which Vulcan stands (sometimes before an anvil), holding a hammer, and a pair of fire-tongs. Madden,[1] citing centuries-old history texts by Tristan[2] and Vaillant,[3] reports that Valerian I restored the temple of Vulcan in the Campus Martius in Rome (probably near the Circus Flaminius), thus establishing a purpose for this issue. I have not been able to confirm any such restoration of the temple by Valerian in more modern sources, despite a rather time-consuming and frustrating google search.[4] So, without further ado, I post my DEO VOLKANO issue of Valerian. Post your coins of Vulcan! Valerian I, AD 253-260. Roman AR antoninianus, 2.69 g, 21.2 mm, 7 h. Colonia Agrippina (Cologne) mint, AD 259-260. Obv: VALERIANVS·P·F·AVG, radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev: DEO VOLKANO, Vulcan standing left within tetrastyle temple, hammer raised in right hand, tongs downward in left. Refs: RIC 5 (inaccurately attributed to the Lugdunum mint); Cohen 2 (inaccurately attributed to Valerian II); RSC 50c; Göbl 884d; Hunter IV 56; RCV 9934. Notes: 1. Madden, Frederic William., et al. A Dictionary of Roman Coins: Republican and Imperial. Bell & Son, 1889, p. 318. 2. Tristan, J. Commentaires historiques contenans l'histoire generale des empereurs II. (Paris, 1644). 3. Vaillant, J. Numismata imperatorum, autustorum et caesarum, a populis, Romanae dictionis, Graece Loquentibus. (Amsterdam, 1700). 4. One of the reasons an online search is so frustrating is that the term "temple of Vulcan" brings up innumerable references to Act I, scene 2 of Verdi's Aida, which takes place in Egypt, not Rome. But if you're interested, here's the scene:
Nice write-up @Roman Collector VULCAN - NOT of the Roman Empire: These are more difficult to get without flan breaks (my poor pic above - but much more color accurate) This was the CNG Auction Photo and attribution... SAMNIUM, Aesernia. Circa 263-240 BC. Æ (20mm, 7.14 g, 8h). Head of Vulcan left, wearing pilos; tongs to right / Jupiter in biga galloping right; above, Nike flying right, crowning horses. Campana 4; HN Italy 430. Good Fine, dark green-brown patina They seem to be more typical of this: Samnium Aesernia AE21 263-240 BCE HN Italy 430 Vulcan - Biga
I, too, am very curious as well. That's also the way it's spelled on the civil war denarii from two centuries previously, which bear the inscription VOLKANVS VLTOR. An extensive google search to answer this very question proved fruitless. Here is an example of this anonymous civil war issue from the British Museum:
Nice type, RC! And Alegandron... that Samnium is fabulous! I have a few coins relevant to the topic. Roman Republic, Lucius Aurelius Cotta 105 BCE Fourree AR serrate denarius, 20 mm, 3.8 gm Obv: draped bust of Vulcan right, wearing laureate pileus; tongs and star behind; all within wreath and dotted border Rev: eagle standing on thunderbolt, head left; L·COT below, V to right; all within laurel wreath and dotted border Ref: c.f. Crawford 314/1c; Sydenham 577a; Aurelia 21b formerly slabbed, NGC ChVF, 5/5 strike, 3/5 surface A previous owner had filed inside a serration to examine the layering. ... As a minor feature, his bust and tongs: Roman Republic, L. Caesius 112-111 BCE AR denarius, 3.92 gm Obv: bust of Vejovis (some references say Apollo?) from behind, head turned left, holding a thunderbolt, legend AP; dotted border. Rev: Lares praestites seated with heads left, dog between, bust of Vulcan above with tongs behind; legend LA-RE; dotted border. Ref: Crawford 298/1. Sydenham 564. RSC Caesia 1 ... The rounded top thingy on this coin's reverse might be the cap of Vulcan rather than a die. Roman Republic moneyer T. Carisius, 46 BCE AR Denarius, 18 mm, 3.62 gm Obv: head of Juno Moneta right; MONETA behind Rev: implements for coining money: anvil die with garlanded punch die above; tongs and hammer on either side; T CARISIVS above; all within laurel wreath Ref: Crawford 464/2; CRI 70; Sydenham 982a; Carisia 1a ex Andrew McCabe
Gorgeous examples, @TIF , which nicely illustrate some of the republican issues I note in my OP but of which I have none in my own collection.
In archaic Latin, "K" was the character used for the sound of K, while "C" was used to represent the sound of G. Gradually the letter "C" also came to be used for the K sound, and after the letter "G" was added to the alphabet, the "C" was used to represent the former sound only. The letter "K" almost entirely disappeared from Latin orthography, being preserved in only a few words such as "Kalendae". Lewis' and Short's Latin Dictionary, from which I derive the above, only lists 7 Latin words beginning with "K", and 4 of them are forms of "Kalendae". But my sense is that Latin orthography, especially in the case of private inscriptions, could be fluid, and I would not be surprised to see "K" for "C" in the epigraphic evidence. But that's a project for my retirement, not now!
Nice example! One of these days I really have to get one with the complete DEO VOLKANO legend. And to complete the set... DEO MARTI for Gallienus. And DEAE SEGETIAE for Salonina.
