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Roman coins front and back8/28/2023 ![]() ![]() The legend, LAETITIA AVG, means the rejoicing of the emperor.Īnd on the right, the forepart of a galley is shown on this striking denarius of Vespasian, which uses a design seen earlier on a denarius of the Triumvir Mark Antony. As Postumus' empire included the English Channel, sea power was important to him. No cabin for a VIP is shown (even though the captain might have had one), so this rather unrealistic image was probably intended as a warship. This coin was struck in his capital city, Cologne (or Köln, or Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium as the Romans called it.) The galley is traveling to the left and you can see four rowers, six oars, and the steersman sheltered by the tall, curved acrostolium. Postumus was emperor of a breakaway "Roman" empire consisting of Britain and part of the mainland. On the left, an antoninianus of Postumus. ![]() There are more Felicitas coins on my " Happiness, Cheerfulness and Joy" page. It is possible that the legend FELICITAS TEMP, "happiness of the times" might refer to Elagabalus becoming emperor, and his journey to Rome. The high curving object on the stern is an acrostolium. The forepart of a galley, and a star, on the reverse of a denarius of Vespasian. Legio VI Victrix was the only legion they honoured on this restoration. On that side you will also find the name of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, and that of his co-emperor Lucius Verus. Like the coins it was made to resemble, this one names a specific legion on the reverse (click on the image to see the full coin). On the original, it is abbreviated as ANT AVG, but in 168 CE, that abbreviation might cause confusion with the normal abbreviation for the title AVGVSTVS, and that would not be allowed! So the later coin spelled it out in full as ANTONIVS AVGVR. In those Imperatorial times, there was no emperor, and no custom of placing a ruler's head on the coinage though Mark Antony did show his name in the legend. This is because it is a "restoration" of Mark Anthony's type. Unlike most Roman imperial coins, this one does not show the emperor on its obverse. The stern has a fancy decoration known as an aplustre, which is even more elaborate on he denarius to its right, from Marcus Aurelius in 268-269 CE, almost 200 years later. Antony's fleet did not do too well it was defeated in the Battle of Actium by Octavian's admiral, Agrippa. This is a Praetorian galley, and on this coin it represents the whole navy of the Roman Republic. At the prow is a standard, suggesting that it is carrying an important personage. This galley has six rowers and nine oars, plus a steersman with an oar. Of course, this also means that they were not of a high enough grade of silver to be worth hoarding!Ī galley on the obverse of a restoration denarius of Marcus Aurelius, 168-169 CE. It is clear that the coins were appreciated by the legions, because although many remain, they are almost all very worn from 100 years of use, some right down to a plain silver disk. There were a whole series of coins with this galley on the obverse, and legionary standards on the reverse. It was made at Patrae in 32-31 BCE by Mark Antony for use by his troops in the east. The front of a galley in a rather skeletal or diagrammatic form was a standard design on Republican bronzes.īelow left is a famous denarius, probably the best known Roman "galley" coin. These two chunky bronze coins are from the Roman republic, an as on the left (169-157 BCE) and a semis on the right (135-125 BCE). Naturally, galleys and other types of ship made an appearance on many coins. Well built and well armed galleys, swift liburnians, these kept the seas open and kept down the numbers of pirates and massive cargo ships fed Rome with African grain. It was the battle of Actium - a sea battle - that sealed the fate of Anthony and Cleopatra. But just as important for a Mediterranean empire was sea power. Well organised, well trained, using efficient methods, they drove all before them (with a few exceptions, of course!). When people think of the spread of the Roman empire, it is the armies that come to mind. The front of a galley on the reverse of a Republican as, 169-157 BCE.
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