Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XI 7 April 2016
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Municipal coinage of Rome Æ 20 Nummi. Municipal coinage of Rome, AD 526-534. INVICTA ROMA, draped bust of Roma to right, wearing crested helmet, pendant earring and necklace / She-wolf standing to left, head turned back to watch the two infants Romulus and Remus suckling; two stars flanking Chi-Rho above, mark of value XX below. Hahn, MEC 99, MIB 71c (Theoderic); Kraus 29; Metlich 84b. 6.64g, 19mm, 6h.
Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare, and one of the very finest surviving coins from the reign of Athalaric. An exceptional example of the type, struck from dies of what may almost be described as fine.
Although Rome in 526-534 was under Ostrogothic rule, the governance of the city and Italy in general as established by Theoderic was a civilised and relatively enlightened one. Theoderic had sought to revive Roman culture and self-government, and while he was at once king of the Goths, he was also the successor (though without any imperial titles) of the West Roman Emperors. These two nations, differing in religion, manners and language, lived in parallel and side by side with each other, without the one greatly influencing the other, and each was ruled according to its own laws. After his death in 526 his grandson Athalaric ascended the throne, with his mother Amalsuntha as Queen and regent.
Although the most noticeable of the bronze coins used in Italy under the Ostrogoths are the countermarked asses and other earlier types (see lot 943), in fact these did not make up the bulk of the copper coinage in circulation at that time. Under Odovacar and the Ostrogoths the Roman Senate enjoyed a brief Indian summer of power; amongst its activities was a revival of the ancient Senatorial privilege of minting in bronze, which after a very brief issue in the name of Zeno, then consisted of types purely Roman in character, making no reference to either imperial or royal authority.
This revived Senatorial coinage features the helmeted bust of Roma along with the ironic obverse inscription INVICTA ROMA, and recalls the ancient silver coins of the Republic. The reverse types, when they are not a Roman eagle (see lots 949-950) refer to the mythical founding of Rome, with Romulus and Remus being suckled by the she-wolf (as on the present example), or a fig tree representing the ficus ruminalis beneath which the scene supposedly took place.
This Senatorial coinage came to an end in 535/6 when it was briefly replaced by the portrait coins of Theodahad (see lot 961). In 537, after the occupation of Rome by the forces of Belisarius, this was in turn replaced by a regular 'Byzantine' imperial coinage in the name of Justinian. When Rome again fell under Ostrogothic control and the mint was reopened in 549, the coinage issued there was purely royal and Ostrogothic in character (see lot 965).
This series may therefore be rightfully described as the final issue of coinage struck by the ancient Romans in their own name.
Good Extremely Fine. Very Rare, and one of the very finest surviving coins from the reign of Athalaric. An exceptional example of the type, struck from dies of what may almost be described as fine.
Although Rome in 526-534 was under Ostrogothic rule, the governance of the city and Italy in general as established by Theoderic was a civilised and relatively enlightened one. Theoderic had sought to revive Roman culture and self-government, and while he was at once king of the Goths, he was also the successor (though without any imperial titles) of the West Roman Emperors. These two nations, differing in religion, manners and language, lived in parallel and side by side with each other, without the one greatly influencing the other, and each was ruled according to its own laws. After his death in 526 his grandson Athalaric ascended the throne, with his mother Amalsuntha as Queen and regent.
Although the most noticeable of the bronze coins used in Italy under the Ostrogoths are the countermarked asses and other earlier types (see lot 943), in fact these did not make up the bulk of the copper coinage in circulation at that time. Under Odovacar and the Ostrogoths the Roman Senate enjoyed a brief Indian summer of power; amongst its activities was a revival of the ancient Senatorial privilege of minting in bronze, which after a very brief issue in the name of Zeno, then consisted of types purely Roman in character, making no reference to either imperial or royal authority.
This revived Senatorial coinage features the helmeted bust of Roma along with the ironic obverse inscription INVICTA ROMA, and recalls the ancient silver coins of the Republic. The reverse types, when they are not a Roman eagle (see lots 949-950) refer to the mythical founding of Rome, with Romulus and Remus being suckled by the she-wolf (as on the present example), or a fig tree representing the ficus ruminalis beneath which the scene supposedly took place.
This Senatorial coinage came to an end in 535/6 when it was briefly replaced by the portrait coins of Theodahad (see lot 961). In 537, after the occupation of Rome by the forces of Belisarius, this was in turn replaced by a regular 'Byzantine' imperial coinage in the name of Justinian. When Rome again fell under Ostrogothic control and the mint was reopened in 549, the coinage issued there was purely royal and Ostrogothic in character (see lot 965).
This series may therefore be rightfully described as the final issue of coinage struck by the ancient Romans in their own name.