The roman curule chair challenge

« Please take a seat » is a common expression and a polite way to ask someone to sit down. But in the Roman political world many centuries ago, it had a complete different meaning. So let’s try to understand together the importance of the curule chair for the highest government dignitaries in the ancient Rome and of course on coinage from this period of antiquity.

CURULE CHAIR : it probably derived its name from the chariot ( currus ) in which a magistrate was conveyed to a place of judgment; it served early as a seat of judgment. The most likely etymology of the word "sella curulis" is related to the layout of ancient cities that did not allow everyone to move freely by car in the streets; the magistrates had the right to do so in certain ceremonies; originally they probably enjoyed this prerogative without restriction. According to the Roman historian Livy, it was first used by the Etruscans around the 6th century BC. For the roman people, the sella curulis was the seat where high ranking dignitaries had the right to sit to exercise their duty. Subsequently it became a sign of office for all higher officials, including the consul, praetor, dictator, master of the horse, interrex, censor and, later, the emperor. What does it look like ? It was made like a campstool, with or without arms, with curved legs forming a wide X; it had no back. Ivory was the material most commonly used for all, although bronze was common and even gold was used in special cases. A heavy cushion (pulvinus )provided a confortable seat above the rectangular framework.
According to wikipedia, the way the chair was used had a metaphorical meaning: « this chair was meant to be uncomfortable to sit on for long periods of time, the double symbolism being that the official was expected to carry out his public function in an efficient and timely manner, and that his office, being an office of the republic, was temporary, not perennial ». I’m not sure if I believe in that theory, but it is quite interesting !
Except for coins, depictions of curule chair are quite rare. This one is from a funerary marble relief in Rome :



I also found another example on one of the Boscoreale silver cup found in 1895 :




Now let’s talk about the curule chair in Roman Imperial coinage. It is a very common type of iconography. I discovered that at least 40 different emperors are shown seated on it. Two ladies had also the privilege to put their bottom on the chair of the rich and famous : Livia as Pax ( Augustus RIC 220 ) and Julia Domna ( Caracalla RIC 214 ). Many gods and goddess are described as being seated on a curule chair : Constantia, Vesta, Roma, Concordia, Pudicitia, Securitas, Abundancia and Felicitas ( many more deities from provincial coinage can be found on the chair ). It sometimes happens that we see two curule chairs on the reverse of a coin; it is the case of a coin which evokes Titus and Vespasian after their disappearance; it was a question of evoking the memory of the absent ones. Moreover, this custom was also in use during the funeral, during which an effigy of the prince was placed on a seat. We also placed empty curule seats in the theaters, always to evoke certain missing characters (this was the case for Faustine, the wife of Antoninus Pius). On a coin dedicated to deified Vespasian, we see a thunderbolt placed on a curule chair : here again it is an evocation of the memory of the dead emperor.
In general, we can say that curule seats are represented on Roman coins in three circumstances:
1) the evocation of living persons who have benefited from this privilege
2) the evocation of the gods and allegories automatically benefiting in the iconography of a privilege codified for ordinary humans
3) the evocation of absent characters or dead emperors.

I only have 2 examples of this type in my collection. One is from Gordian III and the last one I’m not sure : for years there is a debate about identifying the character on this reverse ; Caligula or Augustus ?




Now it’s time for the challenge : I will need your contribution and hope you’ll be willing to participate. Please show us your nicest curule chair !

 

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Looks like I only have one type of coin with a curule chair-- two examples of one type of coin. Each has its flaws and good points so I'll post both . These coins are unusual in that they were restruck with special ring-shaped dies, stamping a new legend over the old coin while preserving the central devices.




LYDIA, Sardes (... or maybe not)
Germanicus and Drusus
Struck CE 23-26?
restruck by Asinius Pollio, proconsul of Asia under Caligula, CE 37-38?
Æ26, 13.78 gm
Obv: ΔΡΟΥΣΟΣ ΚΑΙ ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙΚΟΣ ΚΑΙΣΑΡΕΣ ΝΕΟΙ ΘΕΟΙ ΦΙΛΑΔΕΛΦΟΙ; Germanicus and Drusus seated left on curule chairs, one holding lituus.
Rev: ΓAIΩ AΣINNIΩ ΠΩΛΛIΩNI ANΘYΠATΩ; KOINOY/ AΣIAΣ within wreath
Ref: RPC 2995, Sear 365

 

I might have another, but this was the first one I could think of.


Caracalla AD 198-217.
Roman AR Denarius 3.37 g, 19.7 mm.
Rome mint, AD 211.
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head, right.
Rev: INDVLG FECVNDAE, Julia Domna as Indulgentia, wearing polos, seated left on cerule chair, extending right hand and holding scepter.
Refs: RIC 214; BMCRE 73; RCV 6805.

 

Heres a double:



Philip II, 247 – 249 AD
Æ Sestertius, Rome Mint, 17.43 grams

Obverse: IMP CAES M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Philip.
Reverse: LIBERTALITAS AVGG II S C, Philip I and II seated side by side on curule chairs extending right hands.

References:
RIC267a

Provenance:
Tom Cederlind, early 1990’s.

 

Publius Furius Crassipes (84 B.C.)
AR Denarius
O: AED CVR, turretted head of Cybele right. Long oval gouge and tool mark across Cybele's head (al marco weight adjustments).
R: Curule chair inscribed P FOVRIUS, CRASSIPES in exergue.
Rome Mint
3.9g
20.5mm
RCV 275

Publius Furius strikes here not as moneyer, but as a special issue in his role as Curule Aedile, hence the curule chair bearing his name.

 

Great write up and coins!
LOVING these challenges! Nothing like a pile on thread to inspire appreciation for what I have... And to find future prey for the hunt!


L. FURIUS CN.F. BROCCHUS
Denarius (63 BCE). Rome. Obv: III - VIR / BROCCHI. Head of Ceres right, wearing grain wreath; grain ear to left, single grain to right.
Rev: L FVRI / CN F.
Curule chair between fasces. Crawford 414/1.
Weight: 3.97 g.
Diameter: 18 mm.



M. Porcius Cato
Quinarius (89 BCE). Rome. Obv: M CATO.
Head of Liber right, wearing ivy-wreath; control (if any) below not visible.
Rev: VICTRIX.
Victory seated right, holding patera and palm branch. Crawford 343/2b (2a for type without control).
Weight: 1.38 g.



Germanicus and Drusus

LYDIA, Sardes (... or maybe not), Struck CE 23-26?
restruck by Asinius Pollio, proconsul of Asia under Caligula, CE 37-38? Æ26, 13.78 gm
Obv: ΔPOYΣOΣ KAI ΓEPMANIKOΣNEIOI ΘEOI ΦIΛAΔEΛΦOI; Germanicus and Drusus seated left on curule chairs, one holding lituus.
Rev: ΓAIΩ AΣINNIΩΠΩΛΛIΩNI ANΘYΠATΩ; KOINOY/ AΣIAΣ within wreath
Ref: RPC 2995, Sear 365


Domitian
81-96 CE. Denarius, 3.44g. (h). Rome, 81 AD. Obv: IMP CAES DOMITIANVS AVG P M Head laureate right. Rx: TR P COS VII - DES VIII P P Wreath on curulechair, the legs of which terminate in lions' paws. RIC 48 (C ). BM 18. Paris 17. Cohen 570 (2 Fr.). Not a common coin: just five specimens in RekaDevnia hoard. Good VF

 

I notice some similarities to the design at hand and the obverse of the US Trade Dollar. Perhaps the designer of the Trade Dollar gained some inspiration from this type?

 

Could you post a picture of it ? I’m not from US so I don’t know the design.

 

Titus
AR-Denar
Obv.: T CAESAR IMP VESP, Head laureate right
Rev.: PONTIF TR P COS III Titus seated right on curule chair, holding scepter and branch
Ag, 3.02g, 17.96mm
Ref.: RIC² 692

 

Perhaps, in the general way so many modern coins depict a seated deity, with the deity resembling an ancient Greek or Roman deity.

On US Trade dollars, Liberty is seated on a bale of merchandise, facing left (representing facing Asia), and holding an olive branch. A closer resemblance of the trade dollar's reverse would be Pax seated and holding an olive branch, or Libertas seated.

 

Vespasian, denarius
RIC II 702, RSC 364.
Rome mint, 74 AD.
Obv. IMP CAESAR VESPASIANVS AVG, laureate head right.
Rev. PON MAX TR P COS V, Vespasian seated right, branch in left hand, scepter in right.

 

Here's the budget version of that coin...but for his son Titus.

 

Republic Curule


RR P Furius Crassipes 84 BC AR Denarius 19mm 3.84g Rome Turreted head Cybele right foot upward Curule chair Cr 356-1a Syd 735 Furia 20

 

Hadrian Orichalcum Sestertius, Roma 118 AD Hadrian and Liberalitas
Reference.
RIC 552; Strack 516; Hunter II 324, BMCRE III 1137, Cohen II 914, SRCV II 3606 var. (band over shoulder, S - C at sides); Banti 488

Obv. IMP CAESAR TRAIANVS HADRIANVS AVG
Laureate bust right, drapery on left shoulder, seen from front

Rev. PONT MAX TR POT COS II / S C LIBERALITAS AVG
Hadrian seated left on raised platform, before him sits an attendant distributing coins to a togate citizen climbing steps of platform, Liberalitas standing left on far side of attendant, holding coin counter, LIBERALITAS AVG / S C (senatus consulto) in exergue

25.81 gr
35 mm
6h

 

P. FURIUS CRASSIPES ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS FURIA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: Turreted head of Cybele (Tyche) right, behind, foot pointing upwards, AED.CVR behind head
REVERSE: Curule chair inscribed P FOVRIVS; CRASSIPES in exergue
Rome 84 BC
3.88g. 19Mm
Cr 356/1c; Syd 735b

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

 

I think this Colorful Caracalla has a weak curule on the reverse

 

RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 109, 42-43AD (38mm, 28.0gm)

Obverse depiction: Nero Claudius Drusus, bare head facing left
Inscription: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP
Reverse depiction: Claudius seated left on curule chair holding olive branch,
weapons and armor beneath
Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP - S C (exergue)
Nero Claudius Drusus was the father of Claudius

 

Here is my contribution to coins with curule chairs. I bought this coin at auction in a slab & it looked awful with so many scratches on the plastic. So I gave it fresh air . Both Valerian & Gallienus are seated on curule chairs. The denomination of the coin is a Hexassarion.

 

Here is a double curule chair denarius of Titus with wreath, and also a denarius of his father.
Also included is a Nero sestertius.

 

The late Republic has quite a few unoccupied curule chairs like this one:

L. Livineius Regulus. 42 BC.
curule chair, three fasces either side.
Crawford 494/28. Sear I 487.