Notice of a third brass of Romulus, son of Maxentius, and other coins, found at Paestum / by John Alexander Smith.

Date:
[1869?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Notice of a third brass of Romulus, son of Maxentius, and other coins, found at Paestum / by John Alexander Smith. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    three, four, five, and an S or six dots; signifying the uncia (or twelfth part), sextans, qnadrans, triens, qiiincnnx, and semis or half, respectively, —the various parts or divisions of the As. The other coin is illegible; but our Curator, Mr Sim, thinks, from its general appearance, it is pro- bably also a coin of Psestum. 2. A coin of P^stum, the size of a third brass. It is partly broken, and has on the Obverse the head of a young man (Bacchus) crowned with ivy and looking to the right; and behind the head, four dots or globules. Reverse, a cornucopia with a bunch of grapes hanging from it on each side, and behind the cornucopia, four dots. It is therefore a triens, and of the date of about 200 years before Christ. 3. The next is an early Eoman coin. Obverse, a man's head looking to right; Reverse, prow of a galley, and below, two dots. A sextans, or sixth part of the As, and is of the size of the third brass. 4. A third brass of the Emperor Valens, a.d. 328. Obverse, Victory marching to left, with crown and palm. Reverse, securitas REiPUBLiCiE. A common coin. 5. The last coin is rather a rare one, and in fine condition. A Third Brass of Marcus Aurelius Eomulus, the son of Maxentius, born about a.d. 306, and died a.d. 309. Obverse, bare head of Eomulus looking to right, ■with the legend, divo romvlo nvbis oons. Reverse, a circular temple or tomb, with a dome, and on it above, an eagle with expanded wings, AETERNAE MEMORIAE. In the Exergue, the letters M o s t t (Moneta Signata Treveris). There is no specimen of this coin in the collection of the Society. There are, however, two of a Second Brass of Eomulus, also of a rare type, but not in fine condition. It displays on the Obverse, bare head of Eomulus looking to right, imp maxentius divo romulo nv pilio. Reverse, a circular temple with dome, and eagle above, with expanded wings, AETERNA MEMORiA. In Exergue, M o s T T, these letters are the same as on the third brass; the coins have, therefore, been struck at the same place. The reading of the letters nv, and of nvbis oons, in the legend of these coins, has always been considered a complete numismatic puzzle?, and it is only very recently that the true explanation has Ijecn suggcstetl by M. de Longp^rier, as boing for nv—N(omLissiMo) v(ii{()); and Mr
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