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The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal ... - IndianCoins.org

The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal ... - IndianCoins.org

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DIVUS AUGUSTUS. 275<strong>the</strong> reign <strong>of</strong> Titus, <strong>and</strong> were continued by Domitian<strong>and</strong> Nerva. <strong>The</strong> memorial coins <strong>of</strong> this class may beregarded as forming part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> larger series <strong>of</strong>restitutions, or revivals, <strong>of</strong> certain coin-types originallyissued under <strong>the</strong> Republic <strong>and</strong> earlier Empire. <strong>The</strong>reverse types <strong>of</strong> Class III are reproductions <strong>of</strong> thoseissued .during <strong>the</strong> reign <strong>of</strong> Tiberius. Thus, Titusrevived <strong>the</strong> eagle on globe (No. 3), Coh. 550, PROVI-DENT altar (No. 6),Coh. 559, <strong>and</strong> Victory with buckler(No. 5), Coh. 557 ; Domitian, <strong>the</strong> eagle on globe (No. 3),Coh. 562 ;<strong>and</strong> Nerva, <strong>the</strong> winged thunderbolt (No. 1),Coh. 567, <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> globe <strong>and</strong> rudder (Coh. 568). <strong>The</strong>last mentioned is not known o>n <strong>the</strong> original DivusAugustus coins, but is found on asses <strong>of</strong> Tiberius struckin A.D. 35.<strong>The</strong> reason for <strong>the</strong> issue <strong>of</strong> " restitution " coins isnot very obvious, nor is iteasy to discover whatprinciple guided <strong>the</strong> masters <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> mint in <strong>the</strong>irchoice <strong>of</strong> types to be restored. But in connexion withthis series it may be noticed that, whereas <strong>the</strong> " restitution" coins struck by Titus preserve <strong>the</strong> traditionalportrait <strong>of</strong> Augustus as found on <strong>the</strong> DIVVS-AVGVSTVS PATER series <strong>of</strong> Tiberius, those issuedby Domitian <strong>and</strong> Nerva give to <strong>the</strong> features <strong>of</strong> DivusAugustus an unmistakable resemblance to those <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>reigning emperor. This modal treatment, which isparticularly marked in <strong>the</strong> case <strong>of</strong> Nerva's coins, maybe ei<strong>the</strong>r <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong> incompetence on <strong>the</strong> part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>engraver or, possibly, an intentional device to suggestthat <strong>the</strong> divine character <strong>of</strong> Augustus belonged also tohis successors in <strong>the</strong> principate.a classification <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>Having so far drawn upmemorial coins <strong>of</strong> Augustus,it remains to consider

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