REVERSES. 



▼indicia, appears on the reverfc of a Commodus ; and Equity, 

 with a fpear in her right hand, and a balance in her left, on 

 the reverfe of a Vefpafian. The virtues of the ladies are 

 alfo celebrated on the reverfes of their medals ; as Piety, in 

 the habit of a Veftal virgin, ftrewing frankincenfe on an 

 altar, on the reverie of a Faultina ; Fcecunditas on mother 

 medal of the fame, and SFEG REn-iBLic-r'E, expreflld by a 

 female figure, wearing a helmet to reprcfent the republic, 

 and two children at her breads, on the reverfe of a Maxi- 

 miana Faufta, fecond wife of Condantine the Great. Hap- 

 pinefs has fometimes the caduceus, or wand of Mercury, 

 which Cicero (i Offic.) tells us was thought to procure 

 every wifli. She has, in a gold coin of Severus, heads of 

 poppy, to exprefs that our chii_f blifs arifes from oblivion of 

 misfortune. Hope is reprefented as a fprightly djmfel, 

 walking quickly, and looking ltraight forwards. With her 

 left hand (he holds up her garments, that they may not im- 

 pede the rapidity of her pace ; while, in her right hand, lhe 

 holds forth the bud of a flower, an emblem infinitely more 

 fine than the trite one of an anchor, which is the fymbol of 

 patience, not of hope. This perfonification, with fome 

 others, mull have been veiy familiar to the ancients, for 

 often in this, and a few more inftances, no name, as spes 

 aug. or the like, is infcrted in the legend. Abundance is 

 imaged as a fedate matron, with a cornucopia in her hands, 

 of which (he fcatters the fruits over the ground, nor does 

 flic hold up her cornucopia, and keep its contents to hcrfelf, 

 as many modern poets and painters make her do. The em- 

 peror Titus, having caufe to import a great fupply of corn, 

 during a fcarcity at Rome, that fupply, or the Annona, is 

 finely reprefented as a fedate lady, with a full cornucopia in 

 herlett hand, which (lie holds upright, to indicate that fhe 

 does not, however, mean to fcatter it, as Abundance has a 

 title to do, but to give it to Equity to deal out. This 

 lail circumflance is (hewn by her holding a little image of 

 Equity, known by her fcales, and hajla pura, or pointlefs 

 fpear, in her right hand, over a balket tilled with wheat. 

 Behind the Annona is the prow of a (hip, decked with 

 flowers, to imply that the corn was brought by fea, (from 

 Africa,) and that the (hips had had a profperous voyage. 

 The bell poet in the world could not have given us a finer 

 train of imagery ; and the bed painter would be puzzled to 

 exprefs fo much matter in fo {mall a compafs. Security 

 (lands leaning on a pillar, indicative of her being free from 

 all defigns and purfuits ; and the podure itfelf correfponds 

 to her name. Horace, in dcfcribing the wife man, mentions 

 his being " teres atque rotundus," round and polifhed 

 againil all the rubs of chance ; — an image feemingly derived 

 from the column upon which this ideal lady reclines. The 

 happinefs of the (late is pictured by a (hip, failing before 

 a profperous breeze ; — an image, than which the fupcrlative 

 genius of Gray could not have found one more exquifitc ; 

 and he has accordingly ufed it in hia moll capital production, 

 "The Bard," with due fuccefs. 



Provinces are alfo reprefented by figures or perfonages, 

 denoting either the emperor's conqued or care of them ; as 

 .Tudrca fitting in a melancholy pofture at the bottom of a 

 pillar adorned with trophies, to lignity her captive (late, 

 on the reverfe of a Vefpafian ; and Italia with a cornucopia 

 in her right hand, to denote her fruitfulnefs ; a crown of 

 towers on her head, to reprcfent her many cities ; a fceptre 

 in her left hand, and fitting on a globe, to (Ik w that fhe 

 was fovereign of nations, on the reverfe of a Commodus. 

 Britain is often reprefented, upon the earlicft imperial coins, 

 fitting on a globe, with a fymbol of military power, the 

 labarum, in her hand, and the ocean rolling under her feet : 

 — an emblem almoft prophetic of the vail power which her 

 dominion over the lea will always give her, provided that 

 Vol. XXX, 



(he aflerts her element of empire with due vigour and per- 

 feverance, blending moderation and juftice with her mighty 

 power. On coins alfo we are prefented with Aefiuia, 

 Africa, Alamannia, Alexandria, Arabia, A. i , Afia, 

 Bithynia, Cappadocia, Dacia, Dardar.ia, Egypt, Gallia,' 

 Hilpania, Italia, Judxa, Macedonia, Mauritania, Pannonia, 

 Parthia, Phrygia, Sarmatia, Sicily, Scythia, Syria, and 

 the rivers Danube, Nile, Rhine, and Tiber. This per- 

 fonification of provinces, fo interelling to the imagination, 

 fecms to have arifen from the figures of provinces carried 

 in triumphs ; as the perfonification of our old poets fprung 

 from the ideal perfons, actually reprefented in the myiterial 

 plays. Whild we are on the fubjecl of the poetical imagery 

 of ancient coins, we mud net omit the mention, even, of a 

 colonial one and of rude execution, of Augullus and 

 Agrippa, inferibed imp. and divi f. which has a high chum 

 to merit in this way. On the reverfc the conqued of 

 Egypt is reprefented by the appofite metaphor of the cro- 

 codile, an animal almoil peculiar to that country, and at 

 that period edeemed altogether fo, which is chained to a 

 palm-tree, at once a native of the country and fymbolic of 

 victory. Moreover, the figure on the reverfc is fometimes 

 defigned to immortalize fome worthy aclion of the emperor ; 

 as the goddefs Moneta, with a cornucopia in her left hand) 

 and a balance in her right, on the reverfe of a Domitian, 

 to denote his care about the public coin. There are fome- 

 times two, three, or more figures, on the fame reverfe ; as 

 Honos and Virtus on the reverfe of Galba ; and three 

 kings, with the emperor crowning them, on a medal of 

 Trajan. (See Medal.) There are alfo the figures of 

 animals on the reverfes of fome medals ; as the eagle and 

 peacock, to denote the apotheoiis of princes and princeffes ; 

 the crocodile, as the fymbol of Egypt ; a ferpent, of Efcu- 

 lapius ; a camel, of Arabia, &c. ; and elephants in trappings 

 on the reverfe of an Antoninus Pius and a Severus, import- 

 ing that thefe emperors procured thefe beafts to entertain 

 the people at the public (hows. We meet alfo with fabu- 

 lous animals, as the griffin on the reverfe of one medal of 

 Gallienus, a centaur on another, and a phcenix on fome 

 medals of Condantine and his fons, denoting the perpetuity 

 of the empire. 



The fecond fort of reverfes comprehends public monu- 

 ments and buildings ; as the temple of Janus (hut, on the 

 reverfe of a Nero, to fignify the univerfal peace he gave to 

 the empire ; the Macellum, or fhambles, which he caufed 

 to be eredted, on another ; the fumptuous bridge built by 

 Trajan over the Tiber, on the reverfe of one of his me- 

 dals ; and the Amphitheatre and Naval Column, on thofe 

 of Titus. 



The third fort of reverfes includes inferiptions on the 

 table or field of the medal. On feveral Latin and Greek 

 imperial medals, we find nothing on the reverfe but s. c. or 

 A. E. for ^n/xa^ixn; ffaenx.:, inclofed in a crown. Others 

 reprefent fignal occurrences; as Victoria geiimaxica 

 imp. VI. cos. m. on the reverfc of M. Aurelius. Others 

 have titles of honour granted to the princes ; as s. p. Q. H. 

 Optimo PRINCIPI, on the reverfe of a Trajan, and alfo of 

 an Antoninus Pius. Other inferiptions again have refpect 

 to public vows, which were made for the emperor every 

 ten years, or fometimes, in the lower empire, every five 

 years. Thus we have on the reverfe of a Conlljntius 

 voris xxx. MliLTis xxxx. importing probably their en- 

 gagement to make new vows at the expiration of thirty 

 years, that he might reign forty years. 



Befidcs'lie reverfes already cnuiiicr.ited, there are others, 



called by Addifon riddles, which cannot be referred to any 



of the above dalles. Thus, Mercury in the form of a 



mius. Handing on a thui] ler-bolt, on the reverfe of 



P U 



