Reverse Legends

List of Imperial Reverse Legends that I have come across. These come from coins of Elagabalus as well as other Emperors. Examples that are of Elagabalus will have Elag before them. I have collected the reverse legend meanings from a variety of places including Numiswiki and Romancoin.info. If I list another site as well, it will be linked under other (o). I really suggest augustuscoins for late roman coins.

AEQVITAS AVG (Numiswiki) The Equity of the emperor. (example)

AVGVR PONT MAX (Numiswiki) Showing that Julius Caesar had merged the two offices. (example)

AVGVSTA (Numsiwiki) Augusta, wife of the emperor. (example)

CAESARVM NOSTRORVM VOT V (Numiswiki)(romancoin.info modified) Because of the vows of our Caesars (pledged) for five years (of service) (example)

CONC COM P M TR P XVI COS VI (Numiswiki) Based on other of his coins, CONC should be Concordia and COM should be Commodus, especially as it is a coin of Commodus with the reverse of Concordia. (example) (See below)

CONCORDIA AVGG (romancoin.info)(augustuscoins type 47) Concord between the two Augusti. (example)

CONCORDIA MILIT (Numiswiki) The Concord of the Armies (Elag example)

CONCORDIA MILITVM (Numiswiki) The Concord of the Armies (example)(2)(3)

DACIA (Numiswiki) Decius (Trajanus), about A. D. 249 struggled successfully, but with great difficulty, to defend the province against repeated incursions of the Goths (example)

DIVVS AVGVSTVS PATER (Numiswiki) Divine Father Augustus. After his deification by Tiberius with consent of the Senate (example)

FELICITAS AVG (Wikipedia\Numiswiki) The good luck/success/wealth/happiness of the emperor? (example)

FELICITAS PVBLICA S C The Happiness of the People. S C Struck by the public authority of the Senate, according to the constitution of the republic, and the laws of the Roman mint. (example)

FIDES MILITVM (Numiswiki) The Fidelity of the Soldiers (example)

FORTVNAE REDVCI (Numiswiki) Fortunate Return of our emperor (Elagabalus example)

FORTVNA REDVX (Numiswiki) Fortune that brings back the Emperor in safety. (example)

GENIO AVGVSTI CMH (Numiswiki) Genius of the Emperor. According to a site, "CMH most likely is a value mark used at Nicomedia and Cyzicus, indicating 48 coins per pound of bronze." Other books say that the significance still needs to be determined. There was another link stating the significance needed determined, but the site is no longer up. (example)

GLORIA EXERCITVS (Numiswiki) Glory of the Army (example)

GLORIA ROMANORVM (Numiswiki)(augustuscoins type 4, 5, 10, 20, 35, 37, 38, 41, 42, 48, 51, 52, 53 no pic, 54, 57) Glory of the Romans (example)(2)

IMP NERVA CAES AVG REST S C (Numiswiki to IMP NERVA CAESAR AVG REST) Rest means that it was a Restoration issue. Nerva's Restoration coinage. S C Struck by the public authority of the Senate, according to the constitution of the republic, and the laws of the Roman mint. (example)

IMP XIIII (Numiswiki) Victor in battle for the fourteenth time (example)

INVICTVS: (Numiswiki link to INVICTVS AV) (example)

IOVI CONSERVAT (Numiswiki): Jupiter the Protector. (from IOVI CONSERVATORI) (example)

IOVI CONSERVATORI (Numiswiki): Jupiter the Protector. (Elagabalus example)(2)(3)(4)

IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG NN (Numiswiki) Jupiter the Protector. Dominorum Nostrorum Augustorum, Jupiter, protect our two lords. (example)

IOVI CONSERVATORI CAESS: (Numiswiki) Probably, Jupiter Protect the Caesars. I have found where Caess was the abbreviation for Caesarum (Caesars) (example)

IVNO (Numiswiki) "IVNO On a silver and second brass coins of Julia Domna with this inscription, the goddess stands veiled, holding a patera in the right, a hasta in her left hand; and a peacock stands at her feet. The empress herself is exhibited under this image, for, in order to consiliate greater dignity and reverence towards women, the empresses were fond of assimilating themselves to the goddesses, and were accustomed to represent their own forms, under the names of female divinities to the people." (example)

LAETITIA AVG (Numiswiki): Laetitia Augusti Joy of the Emperor (example)

PART MAX P M TR P VIIII (Numiswiki) "Parthicus Maximus - This honorary surname was assumed in the first instance by M. Aurelius, and by L. Verus, and afterwards by Sept. Serverus and his son Caracalla" (example)

PAX AVG (Numiswiki): Pax Augusta.----August Peace. Peace of the emperor (example)(2)(3)

PAX AVGVSTI (Numiswiki link going to PAX AVG): Pax Augusta.----August Peace. Peace of the emperor (Elagabalus example)(2)

PIETAS AVG (Numiswiki) Piety of the Augusta (example)(2)

PIETAS AVGG (Numiswiki) Piety of the two Augusti (example)

PIETAS ROMANA (Numiswiki) Piety of the Romans, Roman Piety. (example)

P M TR P COS III (example) (See below)

P M TR P COS P P (Elag example) (See below)

P M TR P II COS II P P (Elag example) (See below)

P M TR P III COS P P (example) (See below)

P M TR P III COS III P P (Elag example)(Elag 2) (See below)

P M TR P IIII COS III P P (Elag example)(Elag 2) (See below)

P M TR P V COS IIII P P (Elag example) (See below)

PONTIF TR P XI COS III (Numiswiki) Pontif or Pontiex - Priest of the Gods (example)

REPARATIO REIPVB (romancoin.info)(augustuscoins type 18) The Restoration of the Republic (example)

RESTITVT ORBIS (Numiswiki link to RESTITVTOR ORBIS, coin with RESTITVT ORBIS) "Restorer of the of the World" (wikipedia link mentioning RESTITVTOR ORBIS) (example)

SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB (Numiswiki under SARERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB) "Priest of the Sun-God Elagabalus" (Elag example)

SALVS AVG (Numiswiki) The health of the emperor (example)

SALVS REIPVBLICAE (romancoin.info)(augustuscoins type 21, 22, 23, 39. 56, 60, 65, 66) The Health of the Republic (example)(2)

S C (Numiswiki) Struck by the public authority of the Senate, according to the constitution of the republic, and the laws of the Roman mint (example)(2)(3)

SECVRITAS REIPVBLICAE (Numiswiki)(romancoin.info)(augustuscoins type 6, 8a SECVRITAS REIPVB) The Security of the Republic (example)(2)

SOLI INVICTO COMITI (Numiswiki)(romancoin.info) (Dedicated to) our friend the invincible sun (example)

S P Q R OPTIMO PRINCIPI S C (Numiswiki) S P Q R = Senatus Populusque Romanus. (The Senate and the Roman People), Optimo = Best, Principi = First Citizen (Best of rulers, probably), S C = Struck by the public authority of the Senate, according to the constitution of the republic, and the laws of the Roman mint. (example)

SPES AVGG (Numiswiki) Hope of the two emperors. (example)

SPES ROMANORVM (Numiswiki)(augustuscoins 36, 43) Hope of the Romans (second link taken from the Glory of the Romans) (example)

SVMMVS SACERDOS AVG (Numiswiki) Indicate the worship paid by the emperor called Elagabalus to his namesake Elagabalus (Heliogabalus) (Elagabalus example)

TR POT COS IIII (example) (See below)

TR POT VI COS II (example) (See below)

TR POT VIII IMP V COS III S C (example) (See below)

VENVS CAELESTIS (Numiswiki) (Wikipedia) Celestial Venus (example)

VENVS VICTRIX (Numiswiki) (Wikipedia) "("Venus the Victorious") was an aspect of the armed Aphrodite that Greeks had inherited from the East, where the goddess Ishtar 'remained a goddess of war, and Venus could bring victory to ... a Caesar.'" (example)

VESTA S C (Numiswiki) Vesta. S C Struck by the public authority of the Senate, according to the constitution of the republic, and the laws of the Roman mint. (example)

VIRTVS AVGG (Numiswiki) Valor of the Duorum Agustorum, Valor of the two Emperors. (example)

VIRTVS AVGGG (Numiswiki) Valor of the Trium Augustorum, Valor of the three Emperors. (example)

VIRTVTI AVGVSTI S C (Numiswiki) Valor of the Augusti, Valor of the Emperor. S C Struck by the public authority of the Senate, according to the constitution of the republic, and the laws of the Roman mint (example)

VRBS ROMA FELIX (Numiswiki)(augustuscoins type 49) Happy City of Rome (example)

VOT V MVLT X (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 1, (augustuscoins type 28) Because of vows, five years (already served) and with more vows, ten. (example)(2)

VOT X MVLT XX (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 26) Because of vows, ten years (already served) and with more vows, twenty. (example)

VOT XV MVLT XX (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 25) Because of vows, fifteen years (already served) and with more vows, twenty. (example)

The following I don't have, but wanted to link to similar coins of VOT type at augustuscoins:

VOT XX MVLT XXX (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 24) Because of vows, twenty years (already served) and with more vows, thirty.

VOT V (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 29) Because of vows, five years (already served)

VO TIS V (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 30) Because of vows, five years (already served)

VOT XX (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 72) Because of vows, twenty years (already served)

VT (TV) XXX V (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 74(discussion at link))

VOT XV (romancoin.info modified)(augustuscoins type 77) Because of vows, fifteen years (already served)

augustuscoins has many other Late Roman coin reverses listed.

Using the following and knowing when the honors were given to an emperor, it is possible to figure out the date range when a coin might have been struck:

P M = Pontifex Maximus: High Priest or Chief Pontif

TR P = Tribunitia Potestas: The Tribunal Power for the first time

TR POT = Tribunitia Potestas: The Tribunal Power for the first time

TR P II = Tribunitia Potestas: The Tribunal Power for the second time

COS I = Consul for the first time

COS II = Consul for the second time, etc.

PP = Pater Patriae Father of the Fatherland, or Father of our country

Other parts of legend that can help determine the coin or the date minted:

S C = Struck by the public authority of the Senate, according to the constitution of the republic, and the laws of the Roman mint

S P Q R = Senatus Populusque Romanus. (The Senate and the Roman People)

DIVVS = Deified or Divine

PATER = Father

AVGG = 2 Augusti

Reverse Legends of Elagabalus' Imperial Coins page

Imperial Roman Coins page

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