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Home > Members' Coin Collection Galleries > David Atherton > 2. The Reign of Titus - Imperial Coins
RIC 361 Divus Vespasian [Titus]
AR Denarius, 3.08g
Rome Mint, 79-80 AD  
Obv: DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r. 
Rev: EX S C in ex.; Tensa l., surmounted by two victories
RIC 361 (C). BMC 119. RSC 146. BNC 94. Hendin 1585.
Acquired from Klassische Münzen, March 2007.

Here are Curtis Clay's comments concerning the reverse which I cannot improve upon: 

"The wagon is a tensa, a chariot in which the symbols of the gods were carried to the games in the circus procession. The wagon has a pediment, evidently in imitation of the temple where those symbols were normally stored.

A unique medallion of A. Pius in Berlin, illustrated by Cohen 1186, shows a similar pedimented wagon drawn by four horses, with a statue of Roma seated atop the pediment and ROM inscribed on the front of the wagon, evidently the tensa of the goddess Roma.

Suetonius and Dio Cassius report that a tensa in the circus procession was one of the excessive honors voted to Julius Caesar in 45-44 BC, shortly before his assassination.

No literary text or inscription attests that tensae were also accorded to consecrated emperors and empresses, but this fact is demonstrated by the coin types, namely the type of Divus Claudius I, your type of Divus Vespasianus, and the type of Diva Marciana showing a similar pedimented wagon drawn by two mules, BMC pl. 21.7-8.

I believe I was the first scholar to correctly identify these wagons, with a full argument bringing in several other examples too, in my paper on the coinage of Nero, Num. Zeitschrift 96, 1982, pp. 28-9 and Appendix 3."

RIC 361 Divus Vespasian [Titus]

AR Denarius, 3.08g
Rome Mint, 79-80 AD
Obv: DIVVS AVGVSTVS VESPASIANVS; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.
Rev: EX S C in ex.; Tensa l., surmounted by two victories
RIC 361 (C). BMC 119. RSC 146. BNC 94. Hendin 1585.
Acquired from Klassische Münzen, March 2007.

Here are Curtis Clay's comments concerning the reverse which I cannot improve upon:

"The wagon is a tensa, a chariot in which the symbols of the gods were carried to the games in the circus procession. The wagon has a pediment, evidently in imitation of the temple where those symbols were normally stored.

A unique medallion of A. Pius in Berlin, illustrated by Cohen 1186, shows a similar pedimented wagon drawn by four horses, with a statue of Roma seated atop the pediment and ROM inscribed on the front of the wagon, evidently the tensa of the goddess Roma.

Suetonius and Dio Cassius report that a tensa in the circus procession was one of the excessive honors voted to Julius Caesar in 45-44 BC, shortly before his assassination.

No literary text or inscription attests that tensae were also accorded to consecrated emperors and empresses, but this fact is demonstrated by the coin types, namely the type of Divus Claudius I, your type of Divus Vespasianus, and the type of Diva Marciana showing a similar pedimented wagon drawn by two mules, BMC pl. 21.7-8.

I believe I was the first scholar to correctly identify these wagons, with a full argument bringing in several other examples too, in my paper on the coinage of Nero, Num. Zeitschrift 96, 1982, pp. 28-9 and Appendix 3."

File information
Filename:vesp divus quadriga.jpg
Album name:David Atherton / 2. The Reign of Titus - Imperial Coins
Rating (2 votes):55555Show details
Filesize:38 KiB
Date added:Mar 26, 2007
Dimensions:743 x 408 pixels
Displayed:308 times
URL:https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pid=25137
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Comment 1 to 2 of 2
Page: 1

Noah   [Mar 27, 2007 at 09:48 AM]
I still think this is a stunning coin! Congrats to you... Very Happy
Dave A   [Mar 27, 2007 at 10:11 AM]
Very interesting coin. A must have type!

Comment 1 to 2 of 2
Page: 1

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