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Mn. Aquillius Mn.f. Mn.n. Silver Denarius (3.8 g), 65 BC. Rome. III VIR behind, VIRTVS before, helmeted and draped bust of Virtus right. Reverse (MN) AQVIL (MN) F (MN) N, SICIL in exergue, the consul Mn. Aquillius standing left, head right, raising a prostrate Sicilia before him, and holding shield. Crawford 401/1; Sydenham 798; Aquillia 2. Well struck on a nice large flan and lustrous. Mint State.
The types on this handsome denarius recall the virtue of the moneyer's grandfather, Manius Aquillius, who diligently quelled the slave revolt in Sicily (104-101 BC) that had defied three earlier governors. In 104 BC, the consul Marius took command in Gaul to subdue the Cimbri and Teutones, and the Senate granted him permission to request troops from Rome's allies so that he might pursue the war. When he asked Nikomedes of Bithynia for troops, the king responded that he had none to spare as most of his men had been seized by Roman tax farmers as slaves. The Senate then decreed that no citizen of allied states could be held in slavery to serve in Rome's provinces, and instructed the praetors to see to their liberation.
In Sicily, the Roman governor P. Licinius Nerva freed about 800 slaves, but then a group of influential landowners and wealthy elites convinced the governor to desist. The slaves who had not yet been freed stole away from the farms in open revolt. Licinius initially pursued these slaves and inflicted a serious defeat upon them, but when he failed to follow up his victory this emboldened other slaves in the province and the revolt quickly escalated. Soon there was a slave army of 40,000 ravaging the province, inflicting serious defeates on Roman forces sent to pursue them.
All this changed in 101 BC with the arrival of the moneyer's ancestor, the governor Manius Aquillius. He quickly wore down the slave army, reducing their strongholds to rubble and killing many. He defeated their leader in single combat in a notable battle, although he himself suffered a serious head wound. After recovering, he quickly mopped up further resistance and pacified the province.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,300.
Ex Ponterio 145 (11-12 January 2008), 253.
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Q. Sicinius. Silver Denarius (4.0 g), 49 BC. Rome. FORT P R, diademed head of Fortuna Populi Romani right. Reverse III VIR across field, Q SICINIVS, crossed palm branch and caduceus; above, wreath. Crawford 440/1; HCRI 410; Sydenham 938; Sicinia 5. A lustrous, beautiful specimen and delicately toned. Superb Extremely Fine.
Little is known of the moneyer Q. Sicinius, and his family, while noble, was not a driving force in Roman politics. The types of the coin show that he sided with Pompey after Caesar crossed the Rubicon. The obverse depicts the head of the Fortune of the Roman People, and the symbols on the reverse all reference Pompey's accomplishments: the palm for his many victories, the wreath that was awarded him by the Senate specifically for his defeat of Mithradates VI in 63 BC, and the caduceus for his defeat of the Cilician pirates. This was the last normal issue of denarii before Caesar's occupation of Rome, at which time Sicinius fled east along with the rest of the Pompeians.
Estimated Value $800 - 900.
Ex Pat Coyle Collection (Goldberg 69, 29 May 2012), 3380.
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C. Claudius Pulcher. Silver Denarius (3.94 g), 110-109 BC. Rome. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet ornamented with griffin's head and circular decoration on bowl. Reverse C PVLCHER in exergue, Victory, holding reins, driving galloping biga right. Crawford 300/1; Sydenham 569; Claudia 1. Finely detailed, delicately toned and perfectly centered. A superb example thus quite rare. Nearly Mint State.
Estimated Value $700 - 800.
Ex Nomisma 37 (4 October 2008), 77.
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Cn. Lentulus. Silver Denarius (4.01 g), 74 BC. Uncertain mint in Spain. G P R above, diademed and draped bust of the Genius of the Roman People right, scepter over shoulder. Reverse CN LEN Q in exergue, EX S C across field, scepter, globe, and rudder. Crawford 393/1a; Sydenham 752; Cornelia 54. Boldly struck and lustrous with delicate golden toning. Nearly Mint State.
Here we follow Harlan's revised dating to 74 BC as opposed to Crawford's 76 BC for this issue (see M. Harlan, Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins, 81 BCE-64 BCE, 2012, pp. 83-91). The revised date is based on the slight down-dating of the terminus of the Roncofreddo hoard as evidenced by the Mesagne hoard, Cn. Lentulus' own cursus honorem which makes a date for this issue in 75 too early, and most importantly a letter from Pompey to the Senate in Rome requesting money to pay his troops.
The letter from Pompey was recorded by Sallust (2.98), and was read before the Senate in January of 74. In it, Pompey states that he had already exhausted his own (considerable) personal resources and even gone into debt supporting his troops, yet they had only been paid for one year of service while they had already served for three. He threatened that if the Senate did not provide the necessary funds to pay his troops he would not only be unable to pursue the war against Sertorius, but that he would likely lose control of his legions and the war could be brought to Italy itself. With these dire warnings, the Senate found the money to pay Pompey's troops, authorizing Cn. Lentulus, ex senatus consulto, to strike the coins.
The year following this issue Cn. Lentulus struck an identical issue employing the same designs but with the unusual legend LENT CVR x FL, Curator denariorum flandorum. He did so because he was no longer quaestor with the responsibility of issuing coins to pay the troops, nor for that matter was he even a mint magistrate (thus the designation III VIR would not apply either), yet he was still responsible for making sure there was sufficient specie to finance military operations. We do not know if this title was official and had come from the Senate in Rome or if Lentulus merely invented the title to indicate his responsibility.
Estimated Value $600 - 700.
Ex NAC 51 (5 March 2009), 31; NAC 33 (6 April 2006), 257.
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L. Marcius Philippus. Silver Denarius (4.0 g), 57 BC. Rome. ANCVS below, diademed head of Ancus Marcius right; behind, lituus. Reverse PHILIPPVS on left, equestrian statue right on arcade of five arches; within arches, AQVA (MAR). Crawford 425/1; Sydenham 919; Marcia 18. Well struck and well centered, lustrous. Nearly Mint State.
The obverse portrays the diademed head of Ancus Marcius, the fourth King of Rome. He was the progenitor of the Marcia gens which had at least two branches, the Philippi and the Reges. Although L. Marcius Philippus belonged to the Philippi branch of the Marcii, he appropriated an event from the Reges branch as it was the praetor Quintus Marcius Rex who built the Aqua Marcia in 144-140 BC. Perhaps the moneyer was being a little devious to illustrate something he could not rightfully claim; the man in the street probably would simply assume that it was the moneyer's ancestor who had supplied Rome with it's greatest source of potable water.
Estimated Value $2,000 - 2,500.
Ex Goldberg 59 (1-2 June 2010), 2335; Bank Leu 38 (1 May 1986), 189.
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M. Marcius Mn.f. Silver Denarius (3.93 g), 134 BC. Rome. Head of Roma right, wearing winged helmet ornamented with griffin's head; behind, modius; below chin, denomination. Reverse M (MAR)-C / RO-MA in two lines below, Victory, holding whip and reins, driving galloping biga right; below, two wheat ears dividing legend. Crawford 245/1; Sydenham 500; Marcia 8. Well struck, perfectly centered and lustrous. A touch of delicate golden toning adds to its appeal. Mint State.
Estimated Value $800 - 900.
Ex Nomisma 37 (4 October 2008), 96.
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L. Censorinus. Silver Denarius (4.06 g), 82 BC. Rome. Laureate head of Apollo right. Reverse L CENSOR, Satyr standing left, extending arm and holding wine skin over shoulder; behind, statue on column. Crawford 363/1d; Sydenham 737; Marcia 24. Lustrous and lightly toned. Nearly Mint State.
The meaning of the reverse is obscure. Crawford suggests it has to do with the moneyer's nomen but does not elaborate. Marsyas is best known in Greek and Roman mythology for his hubris. He was said to have challenged the god Apollo to a contest playing the flute, the victor getting to decide whatever punishment the loser would receive. Naturally, Apollo won the contest, and and as punishment for daring to challenge a god, he chose to flay Marsyas alive.
Estimated Value $800 - 900.
Ex Tkalec (29 February 2008), 117.
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C. Calpurnius Piso L.f. Frugi. Silver Denarius (3.83 g), 61 BC. Rome. Laureate head of Apollo right; behind, Φ. Reverse C PISO L F FRVG, nude horseman wearing conical hat galloping right; above, sword. Crawford 408/1a (dies 33/1038); Hersh 89 (O33/R1038); Sydenham 846; Calpurnia 24j. Boldly struck in high relief and lustrous. A superb example. Nearly Mint State.
A collector could spend a lifetime assembling the many varieties and various symbol combinations of the coins of C. Calpurnius Piso L.f. Frugi, and even then it is doubtful whether he would ever near completion. The types of Apollo and racing horseman refer to the Apolline Games first instituted in 212 BC under the moneyer's ancestor, P. Cornelius Sulla. The moneyer later became quaestor in 58 BC, but is perhaps most known as the husband of Tullia, the beloved daughter of the famous orator and statesman, Cicero.
Estimated Value $900 - 1,000.
Ex LHS 100 (23-24 April 2007), 398; NAC 10 (9 April 1997), 515.
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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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