Pre-Long Beach Auction #80

C. Naevius Balbus. Silver Denarius (3.81 g), 79 BC. Rome. S C behind, diademed head of Venus right; before, B. Reverse C N(AE) B(AL)B in exergue, Victory, holding reins, driving galloping triga right. Crawford 382/1a; Sydenham 769; Naevia 6b. Well struck, perfectly centered and lustrous. Nearly Mint State.

The moneyer is unattested other than on this special coinage authorized by senatorial decree (ex senatus consulto), which should most probably be viewed as another issue to finance operations in the the Sertorian War in Spain. The triga depicted on the reverse is most interesting. At the time this coin was struck it was already an archaic convention, Homeric in origin, originally borrowed from the Greeks and used in Rome only during the ludi Romani, the games celebrating the Roman victory at Lake Regillus. It appears only one other time during the Republican period, on coins struck 111-110 BC under the moneyers Appius Claudius Pulcher, T. Manlius Mancius, and Q. Urbinius.
Estimated Value $500 - 600.
Ex Tkalec (27 October 2011), 143.