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Named after the Eternal City's eponymous founder, Romulus was the son of Maxentius and Maximilla. He was a child born into the absolute pinnacle of Roman power, the grandson of two Emperors: Maximian on his father's side and Galerius on his mother's. While still a boy and not yet elevated to the rank of Caesar, Romulus was twice ceremoniously bestowed the title of consul. Evidently, Maxentius intended for his son to propagate his dynasty and secure the future of a Rome-centered Empire. However, any such dynastic hopes evaporated with Romulus’s premature death in 309 AD.
Maxentius honored his deceased son with a series of poignant commemorative coins, including this nummus struck in Rome circa 310–311 AD. The obverse depicts the profile of the young Romulus encircled by the inscription IMP MAXENTIVS DIVO ROMVLO NV FILIO. Notably, Maxentius bestowed upon his son the unusual honorific
Nobilissimus Vir (Most Noble Man), a title that signaled his high rank without infringing upon the strictly regulated Tetrarchic titles of Caesar or Augustus.
The coin's reverse features a domed hexastyle shrine surmounted by an eagle, accompanied by the legend AETERNAE MEMORIAE (To Eternal Memory). This temple was not merely a numismatic fiction; it was part of a highly ambitious reconstruction project Maxentius launched after Rome suffered a devastating fire. Reportedly, completion of the task fell to his conqueror, Constantine the Great, who repurposed the site. Today, much of Romulus's temple — including its original 4th-century bronze doors — still stands within the Forum Romanum, a lasting monument to a father's grief and a dynasty that was not meant to be.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Divus Romulus, Died AD 309, BI Reduced Nummus (23mm, 7.25 g, 12h), Rome mint, 1st officina, Struck under Maxentius, circa AD 310-311, NGC Grade: VF, Strike: 3/5, Surface: 4/5, Obverse: Bare head right, IMP MAXENTIVS DIVO ROMVLO NV FILIO, Reverse: Domed hexastyle shrine, with doors closed and surmounted by eagle standing right, [head] left, with wings spread, AETERNAE MEMORIAE, REP in exergue, Reference: RIC VI 256.
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