easily procured. The silver and gold are particularly interesting to English collectors, as bearing records of the final subjugation of Britain, and of the triumphs decreed by the Roman Senate on that occasion.

The following are descriptions of two very fine first bronze. The inscriptions are peculiar, as omitting the date of the tribunitian power.

The first example is a coin bearing on the obverse an excellent portrait of the emperor, with a laurel wreath, and the inscription, TI(berius) CLAVDIVS AVG(ustus) P(ontifex) M(aximus) TR(ibunitia) P(otestate) IMP(erator) P(ater) P(atriæ): "Tiberius Claudius Augustus, High Pontiff, (exercising) tribunitian power, Imperator, father of the country."

The reverse has a figure of Drusus (his father) on horseback, between two military trophies, and the inscription NERO · CLAVDIVS · DRVSVS GERMAN (icus) IMP(erator): "Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, Imperator."

The second example bears the laureated portrait of Claudius, looking to the right, with the inscription TI(berius) CLAVDIVS. CAESAR AVG(ustus) P(ontifex) M(aximus) TR(ibunitia) P(otestate) IMP(erator) P(ater) P(atria): "Tiberius Claudius Cæsar Augustus, Superior Pontiff, (exercising) tribunitian power, Imperator, father of the country." On the reverse is a figure of Hope attired in light robes, holding a flower to two soldiers, with the words SPES AVGVSTA.

On the middle bronze, of colonial mintage, the portraits of the children of Claudius are occasionally found, but they are rather rare, as are the Imperial Greek of the same size with the portrait of his father Drusus, and those with that of his mother Antonia, while those with the head of his wife Agrippina are more common.

His gold coins are common, but those bearing rare reverses are much sought, and therefore expensive, especially such as have the triumphal arch decreed on the conquest of Britain, and others of the same class.

The silver is nearly equally abundant, but reverses, such as those iust alluded to in the gold, render them valuable.

Portraits of Messalina, Agrippina, and Britannicus, appear on the coinage of this reign. The finest are found

on small bronze of the colonies, very rare, while on first bronze Imperial Greek these portraits are still more rare.

The coins of Agrippina, the younger, are the first of a female member of the imperial family, struck in gold and silver during her lifetime.* The large bronze coins bearing her portrait, are extremely rare, both of Roman and Imperial Greek mintage. Of the other sizes of Roman copper, none are known but in middle and third Imperial Greek; they are far more rare.

There is a noble first bronze of Britannicus in the cabinet of Vienna, and several Imperial Greek exist, but they are by some supposed to be forgeries.

COINS OF THE REIGN OF NERO, FROM 54 to 68 a.d.

Nero was adopted by Claudius, by means of the intrigues of his mother Agrippina, and succeeded to the throne in the year 54 A.D. He died by his own hand in the year 68 A.D., after a disgraceful reign of fourteen years.

His coins are among the very finest of the whole Roman series, and his love of the arts is a solitary redeeming ray on one of the darkest and most despicable characters in history. The noble coin of the first bronze series with the Decursio type, is a model of monetary art, as are many of his portraits, in which, their consummate artists, doubtless Greek, have found means to invest even the coarse features of Nero with a certain grandeur and dignity peculiar to this period of Roman monetary art.

A fine first bronze coin of this reign bears on the obverse a characteristic profile of the Emperor, turned to the left. It has the inscription IMP(erator) NERO. CAESAR · AVG(ustus) PONT(ifex) MAX(imus) TR(ibunitia) POT(estate) P(ater P(atriæ): "Imperator Nero Cæsar Augustus, High Pontiff, (exercising) the tribunitian power, father of the

country."

The type of the reverse is a magnificent triumphal arch, with the victor standing in a quadriga, forming a decorative group on its summit. Between the columns is seen a very colossal statue, probably the famous goiden statue erected

* The former examples having been confined to the copper coinage.

in the forum. There is no inscription, except the s.c. in the field.

On another fine specimen of the same class, the type of the obverse is a frowning head of Nero, in very high relief, with the Gorgon's head as an amulet upon his breast; the inscription is NERO CLAVD (ius) CAESAR AVG(ustus) GERM (anicus) P(ontifex) M(aximus) TR(ibunitia) P(otestate) IMP(erator) P(ater) P(atria): "Nero Claudius Cæsar Augustus Germanicus, High Pontiff, father of the country." The reverse bears a figure of the emperor seated upon a rich tribunal near a temple, in front of which is a colossal statue of Rome. By his side is an assistant, and before him an officer presenting the tablet of liberality to a citizen, with the inscription CONG (iarium) II. DAT(um), POP(ulo): "the second congiary given to the people."*

The coins of Nero are abundant in all metals and all sizes, as well Roman as colonial, Greek and Egyptian. Of his wives, however, there are few of Roman mintage, and they are rare in any other class. The portrait of Octavia, whose beauty and virtue could not save her from repudiation and death, is found on several foreign coins. Poppaa, her depraved, but beautiful successor, is found most commonly on the potin coinage of Alexandria, and her daughter Claudia, who died at four months old, has a small brass coin struck in her memory. The portrait of his third wife, Statilia Messalina, is only found on Imperial Greek money.

GALBA, FROM 68 то 69 A.D.

This emperor is said to be the last descended from the ancient Roman families, his mother being the great-granddaughter of Mummius, the conqueror of Corinth. He was born B.C. 3, and declared Imperator by the soldiers in 68 A.D., in the 71st year of his age; but before he had been on the throne eight months he was slain in a camp tumult, on refusing to give the soldiers the accustomed bribe. This event occurred in the year 69 a.d.

* Congiarium is derived from congius, a vessel containing a certain measure of wine, such as was originally distributed to the people; which, as Quintilian says, became a name for all the public donations, whether oil, wine, or money.

Fine first bronze of this emperor are by no means rare, though he reigned so short a time. The following are fine examples. The first has for the type of the obverse a fine profile of Galba, with the inscription SER(gius) GALBA · IMP (erator) CAESAR · AVG(ustus) T(ribunitia) P(otestate): "Sergius Galba, Imperator Cæsar Augustus, (exercising) the tribunitian power." The reverse has the legend s(enatus) P(opulus) Q(ue) R(omanus) OB CIV (es) SER (vatos), "the Senate and the Roman people for the faithful citizens," in the centre of a civic crown, composed of a garland of broad oak leaves-which was the crown decreed to such as had saved the life of a Roman citizen; this coinage having been issued, most probably, in allusion to Galba's rescue of the Roman people from Nero. The second bears on the obverse the laureated head of Galba, and the inscription SERG(ius) GALBA. IMP(erator) CAES(ar) AVG(ustus) TR(ibunitia) P(otestate); "Sergius Galba Imperator Cæsar Augustus, (exercising) the tribunitian power." The type of the reverse is a bold standing figure of Victorious Rome; the right hand holding a figure of Victory, with a crown and cornucopiæ, as symbols of power and abundance; and the left holding a wand surmounted with wings, the elbow resting on a trophy. The inscription-ROMA R(emissa) XL., "the fortieth remitted to Rome"-shows that the coin was struck in commemoration of the abolition of an impost.

The coins of Galba are rare in gold; but the silver, as well as the first and second bronze, are common, except the restitutions by Titus, which are much sought by collectors. The colonial, the Greek Imperial, and Alexandrian coins are also procured without much difficulty.

32;

OTHO, ASCENDED THE THRONE AND DIED IN 69 A.D. This prince was born in A.D. became emperor in 69; and after a reign of three months and five days, put an end to his life after his defeat at the battle of Bedriacum by Vitellius, who had been chosen emperor in Germany.

There are no senatorial bronze coins of this reign; the coin of second bronze in the Florentine collection is a restitution by Titus. A first bronze of Otho has therefore been the great but hopeless desideratum of collectors, from

Addison and Queen Christina, to the present time. Captain Smith has supplied the deficiency in his interesting catalogue by a description of a first bronze of Antioch, the oriental mints having struck bronze money of this emperor, perhaps after his fall, but before the news of his sudden reverse reached them.

His gold is not very rare, and the silver less so; while the bronze, even of the provinces, is exceedingly scarce; the large bronze of Egypt being rated as of the fourth degree of rarity.

VITELLIUS, ASCENDED THE THRONE AND WAS

MURDERED IN 69 A.D.

The ninth emperor of Rome was born about the year 15 A.D.; he overthrew Otho 69 A.D.; and was then declared emperor. His triumph, however, was of short duration; for this monster of gluttony,* and almost every vice, was murdered in the latter end of the same year, after a reign of a few months. The bronze coinage of this reign is exceedingly rare; and cleverly-altered coins of Vespasian are often palmed upon young collectors as substitutes. The following are descriptions of two undoubted first bronze of Vitellius, from the catalogue of Captain Smith:-The first has for type of the obverse the laureated head of the emperor, with the inscription A(ulus) VITELLIVS GERMAN (icus) IMP (erator) AVG(ustus) P(ontifex, M(aximus) TR(ibunitia) P(otestate): "Aulus Vitellius Germanicus Imperator Augustus, High Pontiff, (exercising) the tribunitian power." The reverse bears an elegant and finelyexecuted figure of Victory, naked to the waist, with the left foot placed upon a helmet. She is writing OB CIVES SER (vatos) upon a shield placed against a palm-tree, in allusion to the slaughter of Roman citizens being stayed, by the battle of Bedriacum. This reverse has also the words VICTORIA AVG(usti): "the victory of Augustus." In the lower part of the field is s(enatus) C(onsulto): "by decree of the Senate." The obverse of the second example has a characteristic head of the emperor, and the inscription A(ulus)

The well-known "Edunt ut vomant, vomunt ut ecant," was applied to nis monster of gastronomic celebrity.