Details of Priestly objects personified
Religion is an important theme on Roman coins. In addition to temples and altars, coins show ceremonial objects used by the various priestly colleges of Ancient Rome. The object on the far left of this coin is a simpulum (a ladle used by the the most senior college the Pontifices), that on the far right a lituus (a curved staff used by the Augures who normally made prophesies based on the flight of birds). Priestly objects appear on coins from the late Republic until the late 3rd century AD. The reverse is most commonly seen on radiates of Tetricus II (AD 272-274).
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