Pre-Long Beach Auction #80

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.