German shields on Felix' coin

[Orpio]

Hi!

Could someone know why on prutah of Antonius Felix (Hendin 652) are German shields? I know that the same shields are on e.g. Claudius' aureus RIC I, 73. But why are German shields on Jewish coin?

Best regards,

[cmcdon0923]

I would doubt that they were purposely engraved to represent German shields.  Assuming the dies were cut by Jewish workers, they probably had no idea of what a German even was, let alone what their shields looked like. 

And were there actual "Germans" in the 1st century, or actually only "Germanic barbarians"?

[Jochen]

Or without any judgement: 'Germanic tribes'!

Best regards

[Orpio]

Sorry, of course: "Germanic tribes". My mistake!

I don't account that any Jewish worker designed this coin. I only don't understand why this symbol was present on Jewish coin. Maybe only for show power of Rome?

Best regards,

[Danny S. Jones]

According to Ya'akov Meshorer in his book A Treasury of Jewish Coins, Yad Ben-Zvi Press. 2001. (p. 174)
               " Notable on the coins is the duality of the procurator's character and status: on the one hand he was married to a Jewess, sister of the king, and on the other hand he was cruel to the Jewish population and acted violently as a ruler. [The coins of Felix] thus feature both Jewish symbols (a palm tree and palm branches) and symbols of forceful Roman rule (shields and spears) copied from Roman coins and meant to express the might of his rule. The Roman coins from which the shields and spears were copied deal with the victory of Claudius over the Germans, but here the design was taken out of context, the standards and trumpets were removed from it, and only the weapons were left."

[Danny S. Jones]

Here is an example of the coin from which the reverse design was copied from. Issued by Claudius, it features his father, Nero Claudius Drusus and the reverse design celebrating a victory by Claudius over the Germanic tribes: Two crossed, oblong Germanic type shields, with two trumpets and four spears, in front of upright vexillum with flag waving.

Apparently Felix liked the Germanic shield design and used it (albeit out of context) as a symbol of his power.

This was taken from acsearch.com
The link to this particular coin is: http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=37984

[Orpio]

Thanks Goldenancients!!! Thanks very much for the quote from "A Treasury of Jewish Coins". I haven't this book. 

[Danny S. Jones]

I would recommend Meshorer's book if you are a serious collector of Judean coinage. He goes into a lot of detail about several subject that you won't find in Hendin's Guide to Biblical Coins. Of course, I recommend and use both references extensively.

[Danny S. Jones]

I would doubt that they were purposely engraved to represent German shields.  Assuming the dies were cut by Jewish workers, they probably had no idea of what a German even was, let alone what their shields looked like.

Orpio's question was a great one, and an educated one. The Jews absolutely had knowledge of the Germanic tribes to the north, and I believe would not only associate the shields with the power of Rome, but also with the tribes of "barbarians" (so-called) outside of the empire. I think that we forget sometimes the extent that the Roman road system as well as other trade routes made the world accessible, even two millennia ago. Many people of that era were widely traveled. The very study of classical numismatics ought to allow us to appreciate the vast knowledge of the ancients.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Some Jews would undoubtedly have come across the Germani, but I wonder how many Palestinian Jews would have associated the coin with them? These low-value coins would mostly have been used by the poorer people who wouldn't have had any education, or if they had, it would have been a Pharisaic education in Torah rather than anything cosmopolitan. The idea that it was a simple contemporary design that Felix took a liking to is quite plausible.

[nemo]

Could someone know why on prutah of Antonius Felix (Hendin 652) are German shields? I know that the same shields are on e.g. Claudius' aureus RIC I, 73. But why are German shields on Jewish coin?

It should be emphasized that the procuratorial coinage is not a Jewish coinage per se but a Roman coinage struck in the provincial capital of Caesarea, a Greek city. This particular coin is an issue of Claudius, naming his sons, Nero and Britannicus.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Of course, but it also sends a message. 'Rome rules OK!'