SC ON ROMAN COINS FULL

The title adopted in November of 43 BC by the three Caesarian leaders (Mark Antony, Octavian and Lepidus) when they formed the Second Triumvirate to oppose the tyrannicides Brutus and Cassius.

III VIR R P C = Triumvir Reipublicae Constituendae, 'One of Three Men for the Regulation of the Republic'. This sometimes appears on the coinage, notably the reformed aes denominations of Augustus where it is rendered as III VIR A A A F F.

SC ON ROMAN COINS FULL

The full title was Tres Viri/Quattuor Viri Aere Argento Auro Flando Feriundo ('Three/Four Men for the Casting Striking of Bronze, Silver Gold'). This appointment formed an important step in the progression (cursus honorum) of a public career, possibly leading to an eventual consulate. This title was used to describe the annual mint magistrates (usually three in number, but sometimes four) of the Republic and early Empire. III VIR/IIII VIR = Triumvir/Quattuorvir, 'One of Three/Four Men'. Common after the middle of the century when it replaced IMP (erator) at the beginning of inscriptions.ĭD NN = Dominorum Nostrorum, the plural of Dominus Noster. Introduced under the First Tetrarchy in the early years of the 4th century AD.

Consuls continued to hold office under the Imperial constitution and quite frequently the emperor himself, or his heir, occupied the position.ĭ N = Dominus Noster, 'Our Lord'. From 509 BC until the fall of the Republic two consuls were appointed each year to act as temporary heads of state. This may have had a slightly different meaning, the COM possibly indicating the office of Comes Auri ('Count of Gold'), the official charged with the responsibility of supervising the Imperial gold supplies in the western provinces of the Empire.ĬOS = Consul, the highest annually elected magistracy of the Roman Republic. An important variation appearing at a number of western mints was COMOB. Initially, other mints employed a similar formula (ANTOB for Antioch, MDOB for Mediolanum, etc.) but eventually CONOB came to be utilized universally, without regard to the actual place of mintage. 'Obryza', a word of obscure derivation, indicated that the gold from which the coin had been struck had been tested and was guaranteed pure.

This form of mint mark, appearing in the exergues of late Roman and Byzantine solidi and fractional gold denominations, had its origins in the second half of the 4th century. It was also borne by the heir to the throne prior to his assumption of supreme authority.ĬONOB = Constantinopolis Obryza, 'Pure Gold of Constantinople'. After the extinction of the Julio-Claudian dynasty Caesar was adopted as an imperial title by their successors. In 49 BC Gaius Julius Caesar (later dictator) initiated the period of civil conflict which led to the downfall of the Republic and the establishment of autocratic rule under his heir, Octavian (Augustus).

The following are amongst the commonest forms and collectors should try to familiarize themselves with these before attempting to transcribe legends.ĪVG = Augustus, the honorific title bestowed on Octavian by the Senate on 16 January 27 BC and thereafter adopted by all of his successors as an indication of their supreme authority.Ĭ or CAES = Caesar, originally a cognomen of the Julia gens. Roman coin inscriptions contain numerous abbreviations which are rarely separated by punctuation marks. David R Sear: Common Legend Abbreviations On Roman Coins

Sc on roman coins