Legionary Coinage

The Legionary Coinage of Mark Antony

These coins were issued between the Autumn of 32 B.C. and Spring the following year, as Mark Antony built up his forces for the impending war with Octavian. They were probably minted at Patrae (mod. Patras), a city and port in Northern Archaea in the Peloponnese, where Antony had his military and naval base. Minted in vast quantities to pay his forces, the coins were struck quickly and in a poor quality of silver. The operation of Gresham's Law meant that these low-quality coins tended to stay in circulation for a disproportionate period of time, whilst the finer silver coins of the period or later were saved or found their way into hoards; in consequence, high-quality specimens of the Antonian coinage are hard to find. Silver denarii were struck naming all Antony's twenty-three legions, as well as the specialist cohorts of praetorians and speculatores. Gold aurei also exist for eleven of these units, and it is probable that they were originally struck in parallel with all the silver issues, however, their scarcity, being minted mainly to pay senior officers, and the ease with which they could be turned into bullion, means that these pieces are extraordinarily rare today, many being known from single surviving specimens.

The coins all show a standard pattern:

The obverse shows a war-galley under way with the heads of the rowers visible above the side. The prow and stern posts are ornamented, and a sceptre tied with a ribbon (fillet) stands above the prow. At the prow is a decorative figure head (? in the shape of a crocodile) and below the tri-partite ram (rostrum) used for sinking enemy vessels. The abbreviated legend ANT AVG (above), III VIR R P C (below) stands for ANT(onius) AVG(ur) III (=Trium)VIR R(ei) P(ublicae) C(onstituendae), or Antony the Augur, member of the Board of Three Men with responsibility for the Restoration of the Republic. This semi-legal and only marginally constitutional office, which he shared with Octavian and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, was what gave Antony the authority to raise troops and effectively rule the Eastern half of the Empire, hence its prominence on his coinage. His priestly office as an Augur lent prestige and reverence to his name.
If the obverse has a naval theme, then the reverse concentrates on Antony's land forces. Each coin shows a legionary eagle (aquila) set between two legionary standards (signa). Each coin also bears a legend, either across the field or clockwise above, naming the legion or cohort being honoured.

– Origins of the Design –
– The Obverse –

	The galley as a type on Roman coinage dates back almost to its inception. However, it is usually only the prow of the galley which is shown (see left), what we might today call 'the warhead'; to see the whole ship is much rarer. The complete galley as a reverse type first appears on a denarius of Gaius Fonteius from 114 or 113 B.C. (see right). The gens Fonteia originated from Tusculum, and, according to Crawford, the ship is to be seen as a reference to the founder of that City, Telegonus, the son of Odysseus and Circe, who came to Italy from across the seas.
	The galley next appeared in 109 or 108 B.C. on a denarius of Quintus Lutatius Cerco, who minted as quaestor, a junior financial officer, and apparently the highest office he achieved (see left). His choice of the galley as a reverse for his coins relates to the victory achieved by his ancestor, Gaius Lutatius Catulus, at the naval battle off the Aegetes Islands which effectively destroyed the Carthaginian naval forces and brought the First Punic War to a conclusion. Another relation, Quintus Lutatius Catulus, was standing for the consulship in 107, and was likely to benefit from such positive propaganda. The final appearance at this period was on the issues of Manius Fonteius in 108 or 107 B.C. Manius was probably a brother or cousin of the Gaius Fonteius discussed above. His issues likewise include the galley as a reference to the foundation-myth of home town of Tusculum, but his coins are remarkable for an early, if not entirely successful attempt, to depict the ship from a three-quarters facing perspective (see right).
	The most immediate precedent for the appearance of the galley on the coinage of Mark Antony lies in the coinage of Sextus Pompeius. Sextus, the son of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, 'Pompey the Great', forced himself to power, sometimes with, but frequently against, both Octavian and Antony. Pompeius' power was primarily naval, and his coins abound with the imagery of naval warfare. The first coin was issued by Quintus Nasidius of behalf of Sextus from a mint moving with their fleet. It shows the galley under full sail with a standing figure in the prow, perhaps Sextus, pointing the way (see left). The final coin of this group was minted by Sextus Pompeius in Sicily, and shows, on the obverse this time, a galley rowing passed the Lighthouse (pharus) of Messana, which is surmounted by a statue of Neptune (see right). The ship carries a legionary eagle (aquila) in the bow, whilst the stern post is decorated a trident and a sceptre tied with a fillet.
	– The Reverse –
	The legionary standards and eagle on the reverse of Antony's coins have appeared individually as features of many issues of coins with military-themed designs. However, the specific arrangement of the standards flanking the eagle appears to originate on the coins minted, on the orders of the Senate, in Massalia (mod. Marseilles) by Gaius Valerius Flaccus. In 82 B.C., Flaccus was fighting in Gaul and Spain and needed funds to pay his troops and was given the dispensation to mint coins at his base, probably from silver captured from the enemy. The standards are interesting in being inscribed H and P, hastati and principes, the first two ranks of a Roman legion (see left). This reverse was reused in 49 B.C. when Gnaeus Nerius, as quaestor urbanus, struck a special issue of coins, probably in response to a military need. The coins are unusual by being dated on the reverse by the names of the annual consuls, Lucius Lentulus and Gaius Marcellus (see right).
	Antony's rival, Octavian was likewise keen to adopt this iconography in support of his military ambitions. Following his and Antony's defeat of the Tyrannicides, Brutus and Cassius and their supporters, at the Battle of Philippi on 23 October 42, Octavian struck an issue of denarii borrowing this image of the legionary eagle between two standards. As this issue was commemorative of Victory, the eagle is surmounted by a military trophy (see left). The letters S C refer to the senatus consulto, or 'decision of the Senate', by which Octavian had gained military authority, rather than an official authorization to coin. The obverse reveals more about Octavian at this period: the name CAESAR being his by right of adoption as the heir of Gaius Julius Caesar; the title III R P C, advertising the supra-constitutional position he shared with Antony and Lepidus, and from which later, as Emperor, he was to distance himself; and the image of Mars, personifying the war he was unleashing to establish himself in the political and constitutional position he claimed as successor to the great Caesar. The last precursor to be examined is an issue by the quaestor designate, Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus. Struck in 40 B.C. to finance the settlement of veterans after the Perusine War, a notable early victory for Octavian over forces loyal to Antony. The coins feature a novel variation on the by now tradition design, replacing the second standard with a plough used for marking the ceremonial boundaries of settlements, and a decempeda ('ten-pace measuring rod'), used to survey sites (above right). The obverses are equally fascinating, bearing either a portrait of the now deified Julius Caesar (below left), or of the son of the deified Julius (DIVI IVLI F), the youthful Octavian (below right).
	– Antony and Cleopatra on the Eve of War –

– The Legionary Coinage –
– A Catalogue –

legio prima
This was a separate unit from Octavian’s legio I; originally raised by Caesar, the legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium. This is the rarest of the ‘legionary’ denarii with only a handful of specimens known to exist.

legio II
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

legio III
This was probably the legion known as the legio III 'Gallica' formed by Julius Caesar. It is known to have served in the East under Antony. An alternative candidate is the legio III 'Cyrenaica' which was possibly raised by Antony himself; its name indicating its North African origin.

legio IV
This legion was later called the 'Scythica', but was probably originally raised by Antony. It was unusual in that it retained its identity even after Octavian’s reformation of the armies following his victory at Actium.

At least one reverse die shows the alternative numeration IIII for IV.

legio V 'Alaudae'
This legion was originally raised by Julius Caesar in Transalpine Gaul; its name, a Gaulish loan-word, meaning the ‘Larks’. Following Caesar’s death in 44 B.C., it was reconstituted by Antony. It must have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

legio VI 'Ferrata'
Originally raised by Julius Caesar in Cisalpine Gaul in 52 B.C. Following Caesar’s assassination, it was reconstituted by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in 44 B.C., and the following year its control passed to Antony. The legion’s name meant ‘Ironclad’. It must have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

legio VII
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

legio VIII
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

On one obverse die the N of ANT is retrograde

One reverse die shows the alternative numeration IIX for VIII.

legio IX
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

At least one reverse die shows the alternative numeration VIIII for IX.

legio X
This legion originated in 59 B.C. or earlier, and, like VI 'Ferrata', it was reconstituted after the Dictator’s death by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. This was in 42 B.C., and the following year it was acquired by Antony for his campaigns against the Parthians. Following the reformation of the armies after Octavian’s victory at Actium, Antony’s legio X was merged with Octavian’s own tenth legion to form the new legio X 'Gemina', its cognomen ‘Twin’ denoting its dual heritage.

legio XI
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

legio XII 'Antiqua'
Originally raised by Caesar in 58 B.C., legio XII was reconstituted following the assassination of the Dictator, and served under Antony on his Eastern campaigns. Following Antony’s defeat at Actium, the legion seems to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions. The name ‘Antiqua’ is otherwise unattested, and the legion appears to have been originally named 'Fulminata' (Thunderbolt), a name that Octavian's reformed twelfth continued to bear. The cognomen 'Antiqua' may have had some purely local significance for the legion within the context of Antony’s army.

Crawford 544/4 records an aureus of this type at Oxford, but no image is available.

legio XIII
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

legio XIV
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

At least one reverse die shows the alternative numeration XIIII for XIV.

legio XV
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

legio XVI
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

legio XVII 'Classica'
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium. The cognomen 'Classica' (Naval) appears to refer to the fact that this legion served alongside Antony’s navy, perhaps in the capacity of ‘marines’.

legio XVIII 'Lybica'
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium. Its cognomen suggests that it had been raised in North Africa.

Babelon Antonia 131, citing Morell, records the alternative numeration
XIIX for XVIII – confirmation required.

legio XIX
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium.

At least one reverse die shows the alternative numeration XVIIII for XIX.

legio XX
A legion raised by Antony, but after Actium its units were most probably merged with Octavian’s twentieth, a legion probably only created after Antony’s defeat. It later became known as legio XX 'Valeria Victrix'.

legio XXI
Like legio XX, Octavian’s twenty-first legion may have only been formed after the defeat of Antony at Actium. In which case, it may have contained elements from Antony’s disbanded XXI.

Calicó 99 records an aureus of this type, but no image is available.

legio XXII
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the reformation of the armies following his victory at Actium. Octavian’s legio XXII 'Deiotariana' was not formed until 25 B.C. when it was formed from units of the army of King Deiotarus of Galatia which had been trained on the model of the Roman legions.

legio XXIII
This Antonian legion appears to have been disbanded, and its troops either retired or merged with Octavian’s legions following the latter's reformation of the armies after his victory at Actium, and its number was never used again. In the reformed Army of Octavian, even though he had twenty-eight legions, the highest number borne by a legion was twenty-two. This remained the case until Trajan raised his own legio XXX 'Ulpia Victrix', which probably constituted the thirtieth legion in the army establishment as it then was.

legiones XXIV – XXX
Denarii have been described for Antonian legions with these high numbers. However, it is extremely unlikely that Antony ever had legions with these numbers (see under legio XXIII). All the known specimens are highly suspect, being probably tooled from the coins of known legions.

legio ?
This apparently unique coin was struck from a die which had been prepared, but had not yet had the legion number engraved. The coins shows no sign of alteration or tooling, and thus supports the theory that the dies were prepared in advance, and furnished with numerals as and when needed.

cohors praetoria Originally formed as a small escort for a general they became the elite guards unit of the Roman army. Their name derived from the commander’s tent (praetorium), placed at the centre of a legionary marching camp. The same name was later applied to the commander’s house when the legions moved into permanent garrison forts. Antony probably had four cohorts of Praetorians with him at Actium, and their unique nature is shown by their being honoured alongside, but distinct from, the main legions. After Antony’s defeat Octavian organised a permanent body of nine Praetorian cohorts. They were always regard as elite troops, and lived in better conditions, and received three times the pay of ordinary legionaries. Three of the cohorts were stationed in Rome and the rest were distributed through nearby towns. Sejanus under Tiberius allowed them to build a permanent camp for all the cohorts within the City of Rome, and this enabled them to have their frequently disastrous effect on Imperial politics.

cohors speculatorum This unusual issue sheds light on an area of military life which often went unrecognized. Antony’s cohort of speculatores were his scouts, messengers, and gatherers of military intelligence, i.e. spies. Each legion would normally have been allocated ten speculatores, but Antony formed a separate cohort of them with specific responsibility to the commander-in-chief. Augustus adopted and developed this unit, and a mounted speculatorian cohort became central to the Praetorian Guard, and had the specific task of guarding the Emperor’s person. The coinage issued for the speculatores varied from the rest of the legionary coinage in two ways: firstly, three standards are shown on the reverse and no eagle. This may indicate that this is not a ‘fighting’ force, but that they were what we would call a support unit. The second difference is that each of the standards is ornamented with two wreaths and the prow of a ship. This may reflect some specific duties that the speculatores held in regard to the navy, or it may reflect their origins as ‘lookouts’ on board vessels. On Roman ships these lookouts mounted a turret (specula) at the stern of the vessel.

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