As we all follow the American elections (that's all I'm going to say about it cause I know the Forum rules about politics.....) it seems appropriate to show my republican coin (again). It's a fascinating snapshot about the voting process in ancient Rome. What we see here is a voting scene on the comitium. The comitium was the original open-air public meeting space for all kind of (religious and judicial) activities. On this scene one voter casts his vote and another receives his tablet from an attendant. The voters walk on 'pontes' (bridges) so everyone could see that they are allowed to vote without interference from others.... A small wax tablet was handed to the voters, who inscribed their vote on them with a stylus. On a 'yes' vote, they would inscribe a plain 'V' standing for uti rogas (as you ask, as you want). A 'no' vote was an A, standing for antiquo (keep things as they have always been). It's not certain what they were voting for on this coin. Probably (but not certain) in favour or against the Lex Maria. This law makes intimidation by candidates and there followers much more complicated. The pontes were made narrower so there was (literally) no room for intimidation. If you want to share something about voting in ancient days, please do so P. Licinius Nerva, denarius. 113-112 BC, Rome. 17 mm 3,76 g. Obv. Helmeted bust of Roma to left, with spear and shield. Rev. P NERVA, voting scene, three citizens voting in the comitium. One voter casts his vote to right, to left another receives his from an attendant. Crawford 292/1, Sydenham 548, RSC 169, Licinia 7.
Wonder if they had any problems with an upside down "A", like a "hanging chad"..."Oh, the line on your A doesn't go all the way across to connect the legs, so we're counting your vote as a V." Or if it was done today with Y (yes) & N (no)..."Oh, your vote is a "Z" (read: sideways N), which isn't allowed, so your vote won't count"... Yeah, voting has never been corrupted.... (Note to self: If this post is deemed political, your out of here!) Btw, very nice specimen coin!
P. Licinia Nerva (113-112 B.C.) AR Denarius O: Helmeted bust of Roma left, holding shield and spear over shoulder; crescent above, mark of value to left. R: Three citizens voting on comitium: one voter receives ballot from attendant below, another voter places ballot in cista; [P] on tablet above bar. Rome Mint 17mm 3.3g Crawford 292/1, Sydenham 548; Licinia 7
That's a very nice coin. I've been looking around for one, but it is tough locating one in decent condition. Your coin is very well centered and struck.
I have no cool voting coins to share. I did however cast my tablet almost 2 months ago. I won't say anything else besides that I hope every US Citizen on this forum exercises their right to vote today. Regardless of party.
Here's a photo of another Roman Republican reverse depicting a voting scene, issued by L. Cassius Longinus, with a "V" clearly visible on the ballot. Not my coin, unfortunately. It's on sale by Kirk Davis at VCoins; see https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ki...arius_388g_c_63_bc__vote/1383073/Default.aspx. It's way out of my price range, or I'd be tempted!
I have one of those in less enviable condition: Here are my notes on it: The coin type refers to the occasion in 113 BC when a vote was taken to set up a commission to investigate three Vestal Virgins presided over by an ancestor of the moneyer, L. Cassius Longinus Ravilla. He eventually condemed and put to death two of the women for unchastity, the punishment for which was to be entombed alive, allowing time for the goddess to set her free if innocent. It seems she only helped Vestal Houdinis! The type also refers to the method of secret ballot introduced by Ravilla earlier, in 132 BCE when he was Tribune of the plebs, by means of the Lex Cassia Tabellaria. This reverse shows a vote being cast in the legislative assembly. The V stands for Vti Rogas, or “as you ask”, signifying a positive vote; the opposite vote was initialed with an A for Antiquo, meaning “I reject any change.” These letters were scratched into a wax layer on a wooden tablet and deposited into the cista, or wicker basket, then counted.
Wow, that is a nice specimen, & a nice Vesta on the obverse...pretty pricy though (I guess; don't know if that's a fair price)...hope that's a ballot box & not a trash can!
Here’s my L Cassius Longinus, one of my favorite RR coins. ROMAN REPUBLIC. L. Cassius Longinus AR Denarius. 3.94g, 19.5mm. Rome mint, 63 BC. Crawford 413/1; Sydenham 935. O: Veiled and draped bust of Vesta left, C before, kylix behind. R: Togate voter standing left, dropping tablet inscribed V into cista, LONGIN.III.V downwards to right.
...that's a niceun Donna!...i've bid on several of those...but i ain't got one yet(not enough tokens)..oh..from the price on that one...i guess you can see why
Here's my Longinus denarius - Roman Republic Denarius L. Cassius Longinus (63 B.C.) Rome Mint Veiled and diademed head of Vesta left, cup, control letter "I" (?) before / Togate citizen std. left w. ballot inscribed "V" & voting box, LONGIN•III•V behind. Crawford 413/1; Cassia 10. (3.89 grams / 18 mm)
Antioch, Seleucis and Pieria ; Pseudo-autonomous Ae, dated year 115 of the Caesarian Era (66/67 AD): 19mm, 5.9gms Obv: ANTIOXEΩN; Laureate bust of Zeus right Rev: ETO-EIP (date); Boule of Antioch (female personification of the city council) seated left dropping pebble into voting urn
Yesterday, Election Day, I got this "political" coin in the mail - Commodus posing as, ironically enough, "Father of the Senate" (PATER SENATVS) on the reverse. Oh boy, I'll bet Dio Cassius and the rest of the Senate hated this coin - is that a laurel branch or a severed ostrich head he is holding up? "This fear was shared by all, by us senators as well as by the rest. And here is another thing that he did to us senators which gave us every reason to look for our death. Having killed an ostrich and cut off his head, he came up to where we were sitting, holding the head in his left hand and in his right hand raising aloft his bloody sword; and though he spoke not a word, yet he wagged his head with a grin, indicating that he would treat us in the same way. And many would indeed have perished by the sword on the spot, for laughing at him (for it was laughter rather than indignation that overcame us), if I had not chewed some laurel leaves, which I got from my garland, myself, and persuaded the others who were sitting near me to do the same, so that in the steady movement of our armies (sic - I think this is supposed to be "jaws") we might conceal the fact that we were laughing." Dio Cassius Roman History, Book LXXIII https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Cassius_Dio/73*.html Commodus Æ Sestertius (186-187 A.D.) Rome Mint [M C]OMMODV[S ANT P FELIX AVG BR]IT, laureate head right / [PATER SENATVS PM TR P XII IMP VIII COS V PP] S-C Commodus standing left holding scepter & laurel-branch. RIC III 502. (23.43 grams / 28 mm) Mine's in pretty poor shape, but as far as I can tell, this sucker is rare. I found only two examples on acsearch, both very (suspiciously?) high grade: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=114229 https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=6049278 OCRE only has one, and it is this one, in the British Museum - which is a lot nicer than mine: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/C_R-15013
