Hadrian denarius, VOTA PVBLICA reverse

[traveler]

Hi all,

I have this Hadrian denarius with an unusual reverse, stating VOTA PVBLICA. It should be RIC 290, weight is 3.1g, die axis 5 o'clock.

The  Dictionary of Roman Coins translates VOTA PVBLICA to "Public Vows". Does anyone know what might have been the occasion for such vows? It seems to be an unusual event because there's only one example of this reverse legend on denarii of Hadrian. Marcus Aurelius had one for his marriage to Faustina II on a Sestertius but that's all I can find for similar coins.

[curtislclay]

It would seem that this denarius type commemorates public vows that had been undertaken by the Senate and the Roman people for Hadrian's safe return to Rome from his second great tour of the empire, and that were fulfilled when the emperor in fact returned safely to Rome c. 131 AD.

The crux of this interpretation is Strack's observation in his monograph on Hadrian's Roman coinage (1933) of obverse die links between aurei of Hadrian with different reverse types.

So Strack observed that the following three aureus types shared the same obverse die:

ADVENTVI AVG ITALIAE, Italy greets Hadrian upon his return to Italy.

VOT PVB, the Genius of the Senate and the Genius of the Roman People stand facing one another and sacrifice at altar between them.

VOTA PVBLICA, Hadrian, togate and veiled, stands l. holding patera over tripod altar and roll; to l., victimarius about to slay bull with ax, lictor holding fasces over shoulder (?), fluteplayer, and boy attendant (see image below).

I have noted myself that the following type was also struck from this same obverse die: ADVENTVS AVG, seated Roma clasps right hands with togate Hadrian standing before her.

Now it seems very likely that the VOTA PVBLICA denarius and aureus types were struck simultaneously, since they share the same legend and the same type too, except that the denarius type for reasons of space and simplicity omits the sacrificial bull and the four attendants to the left of the tripod altar.

My own study of Hadrian's coinage suggests that all of these reverse types, plus Hadrian's entire "province" series commemorating his travels around the empire, belong very near the start of his last great issue of coins bearing the obverse legend HADRIANVS - AVG COS III P P. Assuming that denarii were produced continuously and at approximately the same rate over the entire period from 128, when Hadrian assumed the title Pater Patriae, until 138 when he died, we can estimate that the HADRIANVS - AVG COS III P P issue began c. 131 and the VOTA PVBLICA and Arrival types along with the rest of the Provincial series were struck c. 132 AD, implying that Hadrian's second great tour ended c. 131.

P.V. Hill thought differently, but as I have stated several times on Forum, his books on the chronology of the coinages of 98-148 and 193-217 are based for the most part on conjecture rather than evidence, and so contain innumerable larger and smaller errors. According to Hill 836 and 843, Hadrian's VOTA PVBLICA denarius and aureus were struck in 137 AD, in commemoration of Hadrian's adoption of Aelius Caesar! And once an error has been printed, it will of course be followed by others who have not discerned Hill's unreliability: so Sear (Millennium) 3425 and 3550, and recent catalogue entries for Hadrian's VOTA PVBLICA aureus by Goldberg, Stack's-Bowers-Ponterio, and Leu Numismatik.

[curtislclay]

Looking at Strack, I am reminded that Hill was not the originator of the error in question.

Rather it was Strack, who wrongly dated Hadrian's Province series to 137, because he thought that Aelius Caesar's PANNONIA type explained the omission of Pannonia from Hadrian's travel series, which must accordingly have been struck in that same year, 137 (Aelius COS II). Strack therefore dated the VOTA PVBLICA types too to 137, and interpreted them as commemorating Hadrian's vicennalia, his completion of 20 years of rule and his assumption of new vows for the next ten year period.

[traveler]

Hi Curtisclay,

Thanks for the very detailed reply. The aureus certainly sheds some light on the event. Certainly it looks like it was struck to commemorate Hadrian's safe return to Italy.

I do wonder why the style of the aureus and the denarius differs on the reverse though. Sometimes Hadrian is depicted as veiled and sometimes not.

[Meepzorp]

Thanks for the very detailed reply. The aureus certainly sheds some light on the event. Certainly it looks like it was struck to commemorate Hadrian's safe return to Italy.

Hi folks,

The reverse on that gold aureus is really nice, with a bull, and a figure swinging what appears to be an ax over it. Curtis describes the scene as "Victimarius about to slay bull with ax". I have an AE sestertius coin with a similar reverse (altar, figure swinging ax over bull, etc.). Obviously, the bull is being sacrificed as an offering in some sort of ritual.

Meepzorp

[curtislclay]

I do wonder why the style of the aureus and the denarius differs on the reverse though. Sometimes Hadrian is depicted as veiled and sometimes not.

A good observation; I had overlooked that small difference.

We don't want to over-interpret; perhaps the engravers, meaning to depict the emperor, sometimes mistakenly omitted his veil. But a good case can be made that this difference was in fact intentional: the type with veil was meant to depict the emperor, while the type without veil depicted the Genius of the Senate. I illustrate below a VOTA PVBLICA denarius of Hadrian with veiled figure on the reverse, and an additional denarius with unveiled figure like yours.

[curtislclay]

It is certain that the Senate participated in public vows; indeed the VOT PVB aureus of Hadrian mentioned above, which shares an obverse die with the VOTA PVBLICA aureus illustrated above, depicts the Senate and the Roman People participating in these very vows under Hadrian that we are talking about: see picture below.

Now Strack observed that Antoninus Pius' VOTA coins of his TR P XI and XII, apparently commemorating his decennalian vows of 148 AD, sometimes depict the veiled emperor sacrificing, but sometimes depict an unveiled figure performing the sacrifice, clearly the Genius of the Senate since he has the typical roll of hair worn like a wreath that characterizes that Genius. See the second aureus illustrated below, dated TR P XI and clearly part of the same issue, though it omits the word VOTA. The third coin below shows the Genius of the Senate with his typical hairdo, labeled GENIO SENATVS, confirming the iconography and identity of that figure.

Unfortunately the Genius of the Senate's roll of hair is not very clearly depicted on most of Hadrian's VOTA PVBLICA denarii that show the unveiled figure. The second denarius that I illustrate above, however, does apparently attempt to reproduce this characteristic roll of hair.

[Adrian W]

I took these photos while in the Capitoline museum in Rome last month,I was looking for the coin section but after spending such a long day walking over the Forum I gave up looking too tired.

This was one of 4 reliefs on the wall as going down the stairs I also took a pic of the description included here.As this one shows Marcus Aurelius about to make a sacrifice in front of the temple of Jupiter.

I know coins of Caligula show the same thing seems similar to whats on the Aureus

Adrian

[traveler]

Hi all,

This is all very fascinating. Thanks for the deep insights. It looks like the unveiled figure is indeed meant to portray the Genius of the senate, as the legend of the Antoninus Pius coin indicates. The photographs of the reliefs taken by Adrian also support this.

Actually I was wondering what the roll of hair on the denarius was, I had assumed it to be a laurel wreath, but now it's cleared up.

Since the figures of Hadrian and Genius are so similar in pose and legend, I'd guess that they were meant to be linked somehow. Perhaps the reverse showing Genius sacrificing should be listed as a variant of RIC 290 instead?