JUNO ON ANCIENT COINS

 

FOR ANCIENT ROMANS, Juno (Iuno in Latin) was the queen of the gods, sister and wife of the supreme deity, Jupiter. She was identified with the Greek goddess Hera, although Romans worshipped her under many different local cults.

As Juno Sospita (Savior), she was a war goddess, armed with spear and shield.

As Juno Moneta (The Warner), she was the guardian of Rome, and later the patroness of mint-workers, since Rome's mint was located in her main temple.

As Juno Lucina (Light-Bringer), she was the protector of childbirth.

Many other attributes and epithets became attached to this complex goddess, and these symbols found their way onto coins produced over the course of centuries. In the ancient world there was no separation of church and state, and the official state religion was widely illustrated and celebrated on the coinage. During the time of the Western Roman Empire, images of Juno were especially common on coins issued in the names of empresses.

Juno Moneta

 

T. Carisius. 46 BCE. Silver Denarius 3.90 g, Crawford 464/2. Classical Numismatic Group > Auction 121. 6 October 2022 Lot: 749. Realized: $2,000.

Juno Moneta (the Warner) appears on a denarius of the moneyer T. Carisius issued in 46 BCE. Her hair is tied back with ribbons and her epithet MONETA is inscribed behind her head. Not much is known about Titus Carisius. He was a supporter of Julius Caesar who survived the civil wars and was defeated the Astures in Hispania circa 25 BCE but in consequence of his cruelty and insolence, the Astures took up arms again in 22 BC.

This coin is enormously popular with collectors because it is one of the few types that depicts the implements used to strike ancient coins. One the reverse, we see a hammer, an anvil, a pair of tongs used to handle hot blanks, and a decorated rounded object that is usually described as a Vulcan's cap, the leather hat worn by metal workers to keep flying sparks from setting their hair on fire. Some sources describe this object as a garlanded punch die, but this now seems to be a minority opinion.

To read the complete article, see:
Juno on Ancient Coins – Roman Queen of the Gods (https://coinweek.com/juno-ancient-roman-coins-queen-gods/)

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