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 Replies: 9 / Views: 593 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9119 Posts |
Purchased this coin for my ancients collection but wanted to post it here because it is an important coin to the beginning of U.S. coinage. This coin is the first coin, as far as I know, to have the portrait of the Roman goddess Libertas with the inscription of her name in the obverse. It should be obvious to all early U.S. coin collectors that this coin is the prototype for all depictions of Liberty called for in our coinage in the Mint Act of 1792. Our founding fathers did not want depictions of monarchs and tyrants in our coinage as was the practice throughout Europe at the time. The coin was issued by Quintus Servillius Caepio Junius Brutus who would, 10 years after the issuance of this coin, go on to assassinate Julius Caesar. Brutus' patrician family worshipped the goddess Libertas and detested tyranny. That was the reason why Brutus with his coconspirators assassinated Julius Caesar. They feared that Julius Caesar would end the Roman Republic and install himself as the first Roman emperor and tyrant.   Edited by numismatic student
06/29/2022 12:26 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2826 Posts |
Excellent coin and background. Thanks for sharing
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9119 Posts |
Eagles were often depicted in ancient coinage. Below you see a tetradrachm from the 2nd century BC out of the Seleukid empire, a Greek state that was conquered by Alexander the Great that extended from Turkey to India.   The second coin is a Koson stater from Skythia from the 1st century BC that shows an eagle and a wreath. Both used extensively in ancient and US coinage. Skythia was the area north of the Seleucid Kingdom which stretched from Eastern Europe to Ukraine, Southern Russia, all the way to India.   IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS My coin e-commerce website: https://nummumcoins.com - Help me improve my coin e-commerce website: http://goccf.com/t/424872Help me optimize my photo setup: http://goccf.com/t/411871 |
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Moderator
United States
114800 Posts |
Very interesting!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9119 Posts |
Thanks Big Silver and jbuck for sharing your thoughts.  IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS My coin e-commerce website: https://nummumcoins.com - Help me improve my coin e-commerce website: http://goccf.com/t/424872Help me optimize my photo setup: http://goccf.com/t/411871 |
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New Member
United States
37 Posts |
Thanks for sharing that story very interesting.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
7927 Posts |
Fabulous examples of ancients coins, and I really enjoy the connection you are making to early US coinage. Thanks for sharing. Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.artToo many hobbies .... too much work .... not enough time. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9119 Posts |
Thanks for your comments. This coin was Julius Caesar's fatal mistake and history's lesson about mankind's distaste for tyranny. Our nascent country embraced Brutus' ideals and not those of the Roman Empire ruled by the often depraved whims of an emperor and tyrant.   Julius Caesar, 44 BC. Denarius (Silver, 19 mm, 3.77 g, 9 h), P. Sepullius Macer, moneyer, Rome, first half of March 44 BC. CAESAR DICT PERPETVO Laureate head of Julius Caesar to right. Rev. P•SEPVLLIVS - MACER Venus standing front, head lowered to left, holding Victory in her right hand and long scepter adorned with star in her left. Babelon (Julia) 49 and (Sepulia) 4. Crawford 480/11. RBW 1684. Sydenham 1072. Beautifully toned and well centered, a fine example of this historically important issue. Struck from slightly worn dies, otherwise, good very fine. In early 44 BC, Julius Caesar had himself appointed dictator perpetuo or dictator in perpetuity, a brazen act that granted him unprecedented political power. His lust for power went hand in hand with the production of coins carrying his portrait, normally associated with Greek and Eastern monarchies, to which he soon added his newly gained title. Coupled with the image of Venus, the mythical forebear of the gens Julia, on the reverse, Caesar showed himself as master of men and favorite of the gods alike. Despite his political brilliance, he severely miscalculated the degree to which his fellow senators resented his move towards monarchical rule, and perhaps mere days after this coin was struck, Caesar was brought down on 15 March in a bloody conspiracy. Edited by numismatic student
07/01/2022 10:13 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9119 Posts |
In stark contrast to the path taken by the U.S. after the American Revolution, France took a dramatically different path after the French Revolution. In 1804, just 5 years after its Revolution and the removal of the despised French monarch Louis XVI who alongside Marie Antoinette decided to starve its Parisian subjects, the French held a referendum and voted over 99% in favor of installing Napoleon Bonaparte Emperor of France. During Napoleon's reign as Emperor, he adopted coinage that mirrored the Julius Caesar DICT PERPETVO iconography.   IN NECESSARIIS UNITAS - IN DUBIIS LIBERTAS - IN OMNIBUS CARITAS My coin e-commerce website: https://nummumcoins.com - Help me improve my coin e-commerce website: http://goccf.com/t/424872Help me optimize my photo setup: http://goccf.com/t/411871Edited by numismatic student
07/01/2022 10:08 am
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Pillar of the Community
United States
9119 Posts |
Disturbingly, this iconography begins to enter or influence U.S coinage in 1892 when the Barber coinage is issued. The Barber coinage is a hybrid of Liberty being depicted in the form or presentation of Roman Imperial and French Imperial imagery.   And the Barber coinage presages the shift in 1909 that saw the introduction of Abraham Lincoln, a depiction of one of our leaders in U.S. coinage, doing away with the ideal of not using images of our human leaders in our coinage. A development that George Washington and many of our founding fathers would have been absolutely opposed to.   Edited by numismatic student
07/01/2022 10:15 am
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Replies: 9 / Views: 593 |
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Posted 06/29/2022 1:21 pm
