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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.
denarii collection - roman republic |
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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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Q. Pomponius Musa. Silver Denarius (4.01 g), 65 BC. Rome. Q POMPONI MVSA, laureate head of Apollo right. Reverse HERCVLES MVSA RVM, Hercules Musagetes standing right, draped with lion's skin, playing lyre, club resting against leg. Crawford 410/1; Sydenham 810; Pomponia 8. An incredible example! Struck on a broad flan, well centered and of artistic style. Superb Extremely Fine.
Hersh and Walker date Q. Pomponius Musa's coins to 56 BC based on the fact that none of his coins appeared in the Mesagne hoard, which they dated to 58 BC. However, Musa's coins are uncommon, with Crawford estimating that no type had more than ten reverse dies. The period 57-54 BC saw massive outputs by the moneyers in Rome, and additionally even Hersh and Walker recognized there was difficulty with their arrangement in squeezing in an additional twenty-three moneyers during the period from 58-51 BC. Thus it appears illogical that we should be looking in the mid 50s for an unnecessary and rare issue of coins; a date in the mid 60s would be more appropriate. While the date is not secure, there is one additional piece of evidence that suggests an earlier date for Musa's coins. This is the appearance of the apex, an accent mark above the V in MVSA, indicating a long vowel. The only other instance of its use during the Republic is on the coins of L. Furius Cn.f. Brocchus, whom Harlan dates to 64 BC (see M. Harlan, Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins, 81 BCE-64 BCE, 2012, pp. 206-208; in his earlier study Harlan had dated Brocchus to 63 BC).
Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000.
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Q. Sicinius and C. Coponius. Silver Denarius (3.70 g), 49 BC. Military mint traveling in the East with Pompey, perhaps at Ephesus. Q SICINIVS III VIR, diademed head of Apollo right; below, star. Reverse C COPONIVS PR S C, club of Hercules draped with lion's skin; in left field, arrow; in right field, bow. Crawford 444/1a; HCRI 3; Sydenham 939; Sicinia 1. Well struck and well centered. The surfaces are lustrous with a touch of light tone. Nearly Mint State.
Here again we see the moneyer Q. Sicinius, this time paired with the praetor C. Coponius. Unlike the previous issue of Sicinius which was struck while he was still at Rome, this type was struck somewhere in the East after he fled along with the rest of the Pompeian senators. The club and lion's skin on the reverse resembles half- and quarter-cistophori that were struck in a number of eastern cities, including Apamea, Ephesus, Pergamum, Sardes and Tralles. The Roman proconsul held residence at Ephesus, and it was perhaps there that this issue was struck.
Estimated Value $1,400 - 1,600.
Ex NAC 59 (4-5 April 2011), 814.
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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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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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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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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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