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Spurius Afranius. Silver Denarius (3.79 g), 150 BC. Rome. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet ornamented with griffin's head; behind, X (denomination). Reverse S AFRA below, ROMA in relief in linear frame in exergue, Victory, holding whip and reins, driving galloping biga right. Crawford 206/1; Sydenham 388; Afrania 1. Well centered and lustrous. Mint State.
Estimated Value $500 - 600.
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L. Titurius L.f. Sabinus. Silver Denarius (3.9 g), 89 BC. Rome. SABIN behind, bare head of King Tatius right; before, A PV; below chin, palm branch. Reverse [L] TITVRI in exergue, Tarpeia, facing, buried to her waist in shields, with raised hands she tries to thrust off two soldiers who are about to cast their shields onto her; above, star in crescent. Crawford 344/2c; Sydenham 699a; Tituria 5. Attractively toned. Superb Extremely Fine.
The story of Tarpeia as depicted on this coin was well-known in ancient Rome, and is recounted by Livy: "The last of these wars was commenced by the Sabines and proved the most serious of all… Spurius Tarpeius was in command of the Roman citadel. Whilst his daughter had gone outside the fortifications to fetch water for some religious ceremonies, Tatius bribed her to admit his troops within the citadel. Once admitted, they crushed her to death beneath their shields, either that the citadel might appear to have been taken by assault, or that her example might be left as a warning that no faith should be kept with traitors. A further story runs that the Sabines were in the habit of wearing heavy gold armlets on their left arms and richly jeweled rings, and that the girl made them promise to give her 'what they had on their left arms,' accordingly they piled their shields upon her instead of golden gifts. Some say that in bargaining for what they had in their left hands, she expressly asked for their shields, and being suspected of wishing to betray them, fell a victim to her own bargain" (Livy I, 11.5-9). Tarpeia's body was then hurled from a steep cliff on the southern summit of the Capitoline Hill, and the Tarpeian Rock, as it became known subsequently, was where notorious traitors were executed in ancient Rome.
The head of Titus Tatius, king of the Sabines, relates to the Sabine origin of the moneyer's gens. On one variety of this type, in place of the palm branch which alludes to Roman successes in the Social War, is found a TA monogram, identifying the head as that of King Tatius. A most unusual feature of the obverse is the addition of the letters A PV (argentum publicum), meaning that the issue was struck by metal owned by the Roman state. Noting that a particular coinage was struck by state-owned metal is not without precedent, and in fact it occurs on coins of eight different moneyers during the Republican period. However, it seems unnecessary: presumably all official coinage was made from metal owned by the Roman state, and its significance here is not readily apparent.
Estimated Value $800 - 900.
Ex William C. Boyd Collection (Baldwin's 42, 26 September 2005), 39 with Boyd's original collection ticket showing that he purchased the coin from Spink in 1889.
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Faustus Cornelius Sulla. Silver Denarius (4.05 g), 56 BC. Rome. FAVSTVS, diademed and draped bust of Diana right; above, crescent; behind, lituus. Reverse FELIX, Sulla seated left on raised platform between King Bocchus of Mauretania on left, presenting him with wreath, and King Jugurta of Numidia on right, hands bound behind him, both kneeling. Crawford 426/1; Sydenham 879; Cornelia 59. A superb example of this very rare issue. Struck on an exceptionally broad flan. Lovely old cabinet toning. Extremely Fine.
The moneyer of this coin was the son of the dictator Sulla. The reverse commemorates one of the most important events of his father's early career: the capture of Jugurtha. Jugurtha was a Numidian prince who had served in the Roman auxiliary cavalry, but who had come to blows with the Romans. Metellus Numidicus was given command to defeat Jugurtha, but Jugurtha was proving a wily adversary and through several campaigning seasons Numidicus was unable to defeat him. In 107 BC one of his legates, Marius, who disagreed with Numidicus' strategy for prosecuting the war, gained the consulship and also command in Numidia. However, Jugurtha was proving just as slippery for Marius as he had been for Numidicus. One of Marius' junior officers was Sulla, and he managed to capture Jugurtha through a ruse. He invited both Jugurtha and Bocchus, the King of Mauretania and Jugurtha's father-in-law, to a meeting. In advance of the meeting he had convinced Bocchus to betray Jugurtha, and when Jugurtha arrived unarmed his attendants were ambushed and Jugurtha was captured. Bocchus immediately handed him over to Sulla. Sulla had a signet ring engraved showing the event, and the reverse of this coin may be a direct copy of that signet ring.
Estimated Value $3,000 - 3,500.
Ex NAC 73 (18 November 2013), 166; Sternberg XIX (18 November 1987), 417.
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L. Scipio Asiagenus. Silver Denarius (3.89 g), 106 BC. Rome. Laureate head of Jupiter left; in right field, O and pellet. Reverse L SCIP ASIAG in exergue, Jupiter, holding scepter and reins, and hurling thunderbolt, driving galloping quadriga right. Crawford 311/1a; Sydenham 576; Cornelia 24b. Fine serrated edges. Well struck and perfectly centered, all delicately toned. Superb Extremely Fine.
The reverse records the decisive victory over Antiochos III the Great of Syria in 190 BC by the moneyer's ancestor, L. Cornelius Scipio, and his ancestor's brother, Scipio Africanus, at the Battle of Magnesia. The victory resulted in Roman control over the internal affairs of much of Asia Minor, greatly adding to the domains administered directly by Rome and bringing her one step closer to total dominance of the entire Mediterranean region.
In his later career, this moneyer become co-consul with C. Norbanus in 83 BC, and raised two armies to oppose Sulla during the Second Civil War. He was no match for the wily dictator and his hardened legions, however; both of his armies deserted him, defecting to Sulla, without ever committing to battle.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,200.
Ex Triton XV (3-4 January 2012), 1467; Tkalec (27 February 2008), 45.
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C. Postumius At.? or Ta.? Silver Denarius (3.8 g), 73 BC. Rome. Draped bust of Diana right, hair tied into knot at back of head, bow and quiver at shoulder. Reverse C POSTVMI / (TA) or (AT), hound running right; below, spear. Crawford 394/1a; Sydenham 785; Postumia 9. Well struck and nicely centered, all toned. Extremely Fine.
It is possible that the monogram found in the exergue of the reverse on this coin may resolve as Tatius. On coins of both L. Titurius Sabinus and T. Vettius Sabinus the same monogram occurs in conjunction with the head of the Sabine king, Tatius, but the surname TA or AT is otherwise unknown for the Postumia gens. It is possible that the Postumii, undoubtedly one of Rome's most ancient families, claimed descent from the Sabine king.
Estimated Value $700 - 800.
Ex Goldberg 59 (1-2 June 2010), 2319; Frederick H. Rindge Collection, pt. I (Malter XXIX, 22 March 1985), 489.
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L. Cassius Longinus. Silver Denarius (3.89 g), 60 BC. Rome. Veiled and draped bust of Vesta left; below chin, S; behind, kylix. Reverse LONGIN III V, male figure standing left, dropping tablet inscribed V (Uti rogas) into cista. Crawford 413/1; Sydenham 935; Cassia 10. Well struck on a nice broad flan, well centered and lustrous, all lightly toned. Nearly Mint State.
This coin is interesting in that it appears to lack the personal and family names of the moneyer. However, appearances can be deceiving. On the obverse below the chin of Vesta is a control letter, and the only letters employed on this issue are C, A, S, I and L. If one collects enough coins of this moneyer, he can then spell the moneyer's name in full. But why might a moneyer do this? In the case of L. Cassius Longinus it appears to relate to the recent exposure and suppression of the Catiline conspiracy. One of the most notorious members of the conspiracy whose task it was to burn down the city of Rome was one L. Cassius Longinus, but not the same person as our moneyer!
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,200.
Ex CNG 79 (17 September 2008), 939.
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M. Aburius M.f. Geminus. Silver Denarius (3.9 g), 132 BC. Rome. GEM behind, head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet ornamented with griffin's head; below chin, denomination. Reverse M (AB)(VR)I below, ROMA in exergue, Sol, holding whip and reins, driving galloping quadriga right. Crawford 250/1; Sydenham 487; Aburia 6. Lustrous and well centered. Mint State.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,200.
Ex Gorny & Mosch 190 (11 October 2010), 422.
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Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius. Silver Denarius (3.68 g), 81 BC. Mobile military mint with Sulla's army in northern Italy. Diademed head of Pietas right; to right, stork standing right. Reverse IMPER, jug and lituus within laurel wreath. Crawford 374/2; Sydenham 750; Caecilia 44. Well struck, well centered and lustrous. Nearly Mint State.
Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius came from one of the most important and wealthiest families of Rome. Beginning in the 3rd century BC, his family held numerous consulships, tribunates, censorships and military commands. His father, Q. Caecilius Metellus Numidicus, was the chief commander in the Jugurthine War in Numidia until Marius displaced him, and was later censor until driven into exile by Marius. The obverse of this coin portrays the goddess Pietas and alludes to the moneyer's cognomen, Pius. The moneyer acquired the honorable title from the people of Rome, whom he had beseeched in order to secure the restoration from exile of his father. The reverse probably refers to an unattested augurate of the moneyer's father, but may also allude to Sulla's holding of the augurate in ca. 82 BC (cf. Crawford p. 374).
Estimated Value $1,500 - 2,000.
Ex Nomos 5 (25 October 2011), 219.
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C. Hosidius C.f. Geta. Silver Denarius (3.85 g), 64 BC. Rome. GETA before, III VIR behind, diademed and draped bust of Diana right, bow and quiver at shoulder. Reverse C HOSIDI C F, the wild board of Calydon charging right, side pierced by arrow, harried by hound below. Crawford 407/2; Sydenham 903; Hosidia 1. Boldly struck in high relief with attractive iridescent toning. Superb Extremely Fine.
The classical myth of the Calydonian boar served to illustrate the need for paying proper respect to the gods and the consequences for not doing so. King Oeneus of Aetolia had forgotten to accord proper rites to the goddess Diana (Artemis), and for this sacrilege she sent a chthonic beast, the wild boar of Calydon, to ravage the Aetolian hinterland. The boar was the bane of the people, destroying vineyards and crops and forcing everyone to take shelter behind their city walls. With starvation ensuing, a hunt was organized, and most of the illustrious heroes of Greece's heroic age took part (with the exception of Hercules who fought his own chthonic beast, the Erymanthean boar). Amongst all these male heroes was one female, the heroine Atalanta, and she won the signal honor of being the first to wound the boar, having pierced its side with an arrow. For this she was awarded its hide. Although the precise meaning is lost to us, it can be assumed that Hosidius employed the type of the Caledonian boar to illustrate a claimed descent from one of the heroes involved in the hunt, perhaps from Atalanta herself.
Estimated Value $900 - 1,100.
Ex Meister & Sonntag 6 (1 October 2008), 201.
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L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus. Silver Denarius (3.92 g), 49 BC. Military mint traveling in the East. Triskeles, with winged head of Medusa facing at center and ear of grain between each leg. Reverse [L]E(NT) (MAR) COS, Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding thunderbolt and eagle. Crawford 445/1b; HCRI 4; Sydenham 1029; Cornelia 64a. Rare. Well struck with delicate iridescent toning. Superb Extremely Fine.
Identical to the previous lot, but lacking the harpa on the reverse. The harpa was a form of denticulated sickle and is usually associated with the god Saturn, who used it to mutilate his father, Uranus. Perseus also used a harpa to cut off the head of Medusa. On the coins of this issue where it does appear it signifies the aerarium, Rome's treasury, which was located in the Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum, but may also allude to the gruesome desire to cut off Caesar's head. If the common man drew such an association, it is perhaps for this reason - which would of course not fit with the honorable idealism of the Pompeians - that it was removed from the design.
Estimated Value $2,500 - 3,000.
Ex Heritage 3011/Gemini VIII (14 April 2011), 225; Numismatica Genevensis 3 (29-30 November 2004), 100.
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