The other coins in the University of Glasgow collection depict the recognized Roman emperors Gordian III and Philip I. “Our evidence suggests he ruled Roman Dacia, an isolated gold mining outpost, at a time when the empire was beset by civil wars and the borderlands were overrun by plundering invaders.” Pearson, an Earth scientist at University College London, in a statement. “Scientific analysis of these ultra-rare coins rescues the emperor Sponsian from obscurity,” says lead study author Paul N. OJCj0LfXhO- Paul Pearson September 16, 2021 The Roman "emperor" #sponsian - fake or real? tbc. However, the researchers now hypothesize that Sponsian was an army commander of a Roman province, and that coins depicting him were once in circulation.įascinating day of numismatic sleuthing at the wonderful museum collection today in Glasgow with Jesper Ericsson and Jacek Olender. These findings breathe life back into a man named Sponsian, whose image is depicted on some of the coins from the 1713 collection-and who is not a recognized historical figure. In a new paper published in PLOS One, the team found that the coins display “features indicative of authenticity,” including evidence of “extensive circulation-wear” and a “history of prolonged burial then exhumation.” The general consensus since then has been that they are forgeries.īut now, researchers have decided to re-examine four of the coins, which are kept at the University of Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum, using modern imaging technology. But by the mid-19th century, experts began to doubt the authenticity of the coins due to their odd, relatively sloppy design. Up to the 11th century, a facing bust was the preferred choice for the imperial type, but thereafter a standing figure was more common and appeared with Christ or one of the saints.In 1713, when a collection of Roman gold coins was unearthed in Transylvania, researchers thought they had struck gold. The emphasis on the office and line of succession becomes the focal point if a ruler wished to familiarize the public with his intended successor, an effective propaganda tool was to show them together on the same coin. In contrast to the naturalistic and dynamic profile portrait busts of the Roman Empire, rulers on Byzantine coinage appear forward facing, more abstract and linear, and void of unique characteristics or personality. Byzantine coins also emphasized the close relationship between earthly monarchs and the heavenly realm. Christian symbols slowly dominated the iconography, though Greek titles and phrases came to replace the Latin as the public used Greek as the vernacular language. Neptune’s right foot rests on a prow of a ship, and a cloak is over his left arm while in his right he holds an aplustre, the stern post of a naval ship, which is often a symbol of naval victory.Īfter Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the previously ubiquitous profile portrait head was replaced by frontal or full-body depictions, as seen above or in the coinage of Heraclius. Neptune (Greek Poseidon), god of the sea, appears between the brothers and reinforces Sextus’s title as commander of the seas. The story reflects the piety that Sextus wished to convey. Moreover, we see two busy figures that show the myth of Catanean brothers Amphinomus and Anapius rescuing their parents from the erupting Mount Etna in Sicily (where Sextus was based). An inscription on the back declares Sextus as commander of the navy and seacoast, a title that the Senate had bestowed on him in 43 BCE. The coin was issued by one of Pompey’s sons, Sextus, who included his father’s image as a way to strengthen his own association to him. The front of this Roman denarius portrays the profile head of Pompey the Great, who had been assassinated in 48 BCE. Issued by Roman Republic, Sextus Pompeius Magnus. Like Greek coins, ancient Roman coins used imagery to convey messages, but more often used coins as propaganda to reinforce ideas about an emperor’s right to rule.Ī lot of information can be included in the smallest details and some coins packed in more than others. After Augustus became the first Roman emperor, profile portraits of rulers or other members of the imperial family became a standard subject on coins throughout the Roman Empire and into the Byzantine period. Rome’s earliest silver coins from the 3rd century BCE were based on that of the Greeks in both design and weight but remain uniquely Roman in style. The inclusion of important people and symbols continues into the Roman period. Other significant elements might appear on coins as animals, natural resources, and references to historical events or a city’s founding. This coin from Athens depicts the profile head of the goddess Athena, the patron and protector of the city, on the front, while Athena’s owl, a popular subject, is seen on the back.
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