Severed Heads in Hands on Roman Coins

 

Roman culture is often said to have been uncaring and often ruthless. Perhaps this is depicted by some coins that exhibit deities or personifications holding severed heads in their hands. Or is there a symbolic interpretation.

                                      

Billon follis of Constantine the Great, Caesar 293-306 AD, Antioch mint, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over shoulder, holding head of Sol in right hand.                                    

The first coin, shown below, issued by M. Serigius Silus, is a depiction of an actual historic scene. The coin is of 116- 115 BCE and celebrates the father of the moneyer, a fierce fighter whose artificial right hand and many wounds did not prevent him from fighting on horseback and beheading his enemies. This head is sometimes identified as Gallic because of his wild hair but may not necessarily be so.                                      

Denarius, M.Sergius Silus, 116-115 BCE, Rome mint, silver, weight 3.8gm, Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma right, EX-S-C before ROMA and XVI monogram behind, Reverse: Helmeted horseman on rearing horse left, holding sword and severed head in left hand, Q below horse's forelegs M. SERGI below.

Several Republican coins depicted battle scenes, though very few as fierce as this one. About two hundred years later, heads were carried in a different way on coins. 

The next two coins show Aeternitas, the Roman divine personification of eternity. These coins are Denarius of Traajan from 111 AD and a denarius of Trajan his successor, from 119-122 AD. In one hand, Aeternitas holds the head of Sol, indicated by radiating sun rays. In the other is the head of Luna, indicated by the moon. This can be read as eternity holding the sun and moon in her hands, because she embodies the whole of time, and controls both day and night.                                     

                                       

Denarius, Trajan, 98-117 AD, Rome mint, silver, weight 3.4 gm, Obverse: Laureate bust right, drapery on left shoulder, Reverse: Aeternitas standing facing heads of Sol in right hand and Luna in left hand,  

                                           

                                          

Denarius, Hadrian, 117-138 AD, Rome mint, silver, weight 3.3 gm, Obverse: Laureate bust right, drapery on left shoulder, Reverse: Aeternitas standing facing heads of Sol in right hand and Luna in left hand, both held at head height and facing inwards, so that Aeternitas is eye to eye with Sol.

After about 150 years, severed heads once again appeared on Roman coins. On a potin tetradrachm of Maximianus, the head of Serapis is being held by a personification of the city of Alexandria, where the coin was struck.  Serapis was created about 700 years before this coin was struck, by the first Ptolemy to make a bridge between the Egyptians and Hellenic inhabitants. This coin has a fusion of two cultures. The ''L'' is the year, and the Greek delta indicates the fourth year of Maximianus' reign.                      

                                      

Potin Tetradrachm, Maximianus, 286-305 AD, Alexandria mint, weight 7.7 gm, Obverse: Laureate draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind, Reverse: Alexandria standing left, wearing close fitted cap surmounted by three turrets, long chiton and peplos holding out on her right hand the bust of Serapis crowned with a kalathos and wearing a himation, facing towards her, holding a scepter in her left hand, behind field marks, L in left and delta (regnal year 4) in right.

A few years later, a group of coins with closely related symbology was struck by Maximinus II Daia, an Emperor of the Tetrarchy around 311 and 312 AD. A silvered follis of Maximinus II from Nicomedia. The main figure on these coins is Sol, wearing his crown of rays. The head he is holding is that of Serapis. These heads show a little neck, and they probably depict a bust.  

                                       

Billon follis, Maximinus II, Caesar 305-308AD, Augustus 309-313 AD, Antioch mint, weight 4.9 gm, Obverse: Laureate head right. Reverse: Genius naked but for chlamys fastened at his right shoulder and hanging from his left shoulder, standing facing, head left, wearing modius, holding head of Sol in right hand and ornate cornucopia in left hand. Field marks, star at left field, Z in right.                                 

                                         

Billon follis, Maximinus, 305-308 AD, Nicomedia mint, Obverse: laureate head to right, Reverse: Sol wearing ornate robes standing half left, right hand raised, left hand holding head of Serapis behind at waist level, field marks, star above delta in left field.     

                                         

 Billon follis of Constantine the Great, Caesar,93-306 AD, Antioch mint, weight 4.7 gm, Obverse: Laureate head right, Reverse: Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over shoulder, holding head of Sol in right and ornate and cornucopia in left. Field marks Star in left field, AI in right field.                                

                                           

Billon follis of Constantine the Great, Caesar 293-306 AD, Antioch mint, weight 4.7 gm, Obverse: Laureate head right, Reverse: Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over shoulder, holding head of Sol in right and ornate and cornucopia in left. Field marks Star above N above branch angled to left, B in right field.

Courtesy: Forum Ancient Coins