Acrostolium (Greek: Akrostolion)

An ornamental extension of the stem post on the prow of an ancient warship. Often used as a symbol of victory or of power at sea.

|Dictionary of Roman Coins|

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ACROSTOLIUM (and Acroterium) A sort of ornament on the prow of an ancient galley. "Vaillant (in Coloniis, ii. p 245), publishes a coin of Salonina, struck at Berytus, on the reverse of which a female figure is described by him as standing on the acrostolium. This writer says, "acrostolia erant extremae partes navis, quas Latini vocant rostra;" or as he more clearly, though briefly, defines it in his index to vol ii., "Acrostolium, hoc est navis rostrum." Another coin of the same colony, struck under Gallienus, according to the engraving in Vaillant (vol. ii. p239), exhibits with the legend of COL IVL AVG FEL BER, the type of a half-naked woman (Astarte), with left foot planted on a ship 's prow, holding in her right hand a banner, and in her left (what he denominates) the acrostolium. See Aplustrum, or Aplustre; see also Berytus Colonia.