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Roman Republic, Victoriatus

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Roman Republic, Victoriatus (obverse) Roman Republic, Victoriatus (reverse)

This Roman coin is a victoriatus. It was issued during the Second Punic War (218-201 BC) against Carthage. Victoriati were mostly struck by military commanders in the field; this one originates from Sicily.

Victoriati always bore the head of the major Roman god Jupiter on the obverse. The reverse depicted the goddess of victory, Victoria, just about to crown a victory monument. The iconography on the victoriati was thus thoroughly war-related: from the temple of Jupiter on the Capitol the Roman generals left to march into war, and the goddess Victoria symbolized its outcome.

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