30.07.2015 Views

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

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

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

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

THE MINT OF LUGDUNUM. 85Of <strong>the</strong> senatorial asses struck after A.D. 34, <strong>the</strong>following may be noticed :60. Obv.T\ CAESAR DIVI AVC F AVGVST IMPVIII. Laur. head <strong>of</strong> Tiberius 1.[PL VI. 21.]. .Rev. PONTIF MAXIM.TRIBVN POTESTXXXVI (XXXVII or XXX Icaduceus between S-C.JE* Asses (Coh. 21, 22, 23).IX). WingedSig. Laffranchi has illustrated an example <strong>of</strong> thistype, which he assigns to Rome, but since <strong>the</strong> coinsshow a poorness <strong>of</strong> style, contrasting in a markeddegree with <strong>the</strong> fine style <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> period A.D. 22-33,I suggest that in <strong>the</strong>m we see <strong>the</strong> earliest productions<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> senatorial mint <strong>of</strong> Lugdunum, working in conjunctionwith that <strong>of</strong> Rome.<strong>The</strong>re is, moreover, a distinct appropriateness in <strong>the</strong>adoption <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> type <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> winged caduceus, which wasby no means foreign to <strong>the</strong> traditions <strong>of</strong> LugdunumMr. Hill, in describing a semis <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Altar(cf. No. 11).type with a caduceus behind <strong>the</strong> head <strong>of</strong> Augustus on<strong>the</strong> obverse, says:" It has been recently maintainedthat <strong>the</strong> festival<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three Gauls was celebrated atLugdunum on 1st Aug., because that was <strong>the</strong> date <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> festival <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Gaulish Mercurius, <strong>and</strong> Augustushad been received into <strong>the</strong> Gaulish Pan<strong>the</strong>on in <strong>the</strong>character <strong>of</strong> that god."30Thus, although <strong>the</strong> representation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Altar <strong>of</strong>Lugdunum was discontinued as a regular coin-type,50 Hill, Historical Roman Coin*, p. 160 <strong>and</strong> note. For <strong>the</strong> latestlight on <strong>the</strong> cult <strong>of</strong> Octavian-Mercurius, see an interesting articleby J. Six in Rente Archvologique (1916). <strong>The</strong> Gaulish nationalgod Lug (from which presumably Lugdunum} was identified withMercurius by <strong>the</strong> Romans. Cf. Otto Hirschfeld, Khine Schriften,vii, p. 130f.

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!