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LIBERALITAS

Liberalitas is the Roman personnification of largesse or generosity. She is usually shown holding a Cornucopia, or horn of plenty in her right hand. She usually hokds a tablet or tessera with her left hand.

On the reverse of the denarius illustrated at left, Liberalitas is shown scattering coins, presumably in a donative to the people of Rome. Emperors often commemorated their acts of public generosity by issuing a coin bearing a symbolic image like this one. It is quite probable that the denarii being scattered by Liberalitas are like the one illustrated here. Such an act and the reinforcement of its memory in the minds of the people was politically good for the emperor. As the emperor needed to placate the army as well as the people if he wished to retain his throne and his head, he often gave a donative to the Praetorian Guard or the entire army. These events were usually commemorated by a coin with a soldier holding standards
on the reverse and a legend attesting to the faithfulness of the army.

Another image of liberalitas holding the tablet may be seen on the reverse of an Antoninianus of Gordian III. Please use your browser's BACK button to return to this page.


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