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2nd Century BC Roman Republic
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Denarius of
the moneyer Lepidus
(c. 114 to 91 BC)
Obverse:Bust
of Roma laureate, wearing diadem, earring and necklace. In
front ROMA, star behind.
Reverse: Military equestrian figure standing on three
archpedestal. M AEMILIO aroundfigure, LEP in arches. |
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The bust of Roma appears on the obverse of this coin wearing
the laurel crown, diadem, earring and necklace. In front of
her is the legend ROMA and behind is a star which was a sign
of eternity and glory, but was also often used as a mintmark.
Roma, the personification of Rome as a goddess, was worshipped
in Rome and throughout Italy. The reverse shows a military
equestrian figure (man on a horse) standing on a three arch
pedestal. Equestrian statues were raised in Rome in honor of
individuals for some great military achievement. In essence
they were symbols of victory. In the field around the figure
appears the name MaNio AEMILIO with LEPido in the arches.
Being in the dative case, this name states that the equestrian
statue shown here was erected in honor of Manius Aemilius
Lepidus who was the ancestor of the moneyer who bears the same
name. This ancestor may be the Manius Aemilius Lepidus who
was praetor in 213 BC or his son who was consul in 158 BC. It
is clear that this moneyer is using his glorious heritage in
order to promote his own political status.
1st Century
BC Roman Republic
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Quinarius of
the moneyer Gaius Egnatuleius
(c. 101 to 97 BC)
Obverse:
Laureate head of Apollo, behind C EGNATVLEI<C F Q>.
Reverse: Victory standing inscribing shield attached to trophy.
Between Q; ROMA below. |
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The obverse
of this coin shows the laureate head of Apollo, the god of health,
literature and fine arts, along with the name of the moneyer Caius
EGnNATVLEIus Caii Filius, “Caius Egnatuleius, the son of the elder
Caius.” This moneyer is only known from his coins and was the sole
member of his family to have held the office of moneyer. The Q
stands for quinarius, the denomination of this coin. The reverse
depicts Victoria standing, inscribing a shield which is attached to
a trophy. This alludes to the victories of Gaius Marius, namely in
the war against Jugurtha and his defeat of the Germans who were
threatening to invade Italy. Q once again identifies the
denomination while ROMA appears in the exergue.
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Denarius of
the moneyer Lucius Titurius Sabinus
(89 BC)
Obverse:
Bearded head of king Tatius. In front A P V; SABIN behind.
Reverse: Two soldiers carrying out the killing ofTarpeia who
is between them. L TITVRI in exergue. |
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This
denarius of the moneyer Lucius Titurius Sabinus displays how the
ancestors of this man fit into an important part of Roman history.
The obverse presents the bearded head of King Tatius, a Sabine king
who, after the Romans carried off the Sabine women, is said to have
captured the Capital of Rome through the treason of a woman named
Tarpeia. After a reconciliation, Tatius and Romulus are believed to
have ruled jointly together over both the Romans and the Sabines.
The name SABINus was adopted by the Tituria clan to show their
descent from the Sabine peoples or perhaps even from King Tatius
himself who was said to be the head of the Tities tribe, hence the
name Tituria. On the right of his head is the legend Argento
PVblico which means “from the public silver” which labels this
denarius as a special issue since silver was taken from the public
treasury to produce it. These special issue coins were usually
struck on the basis of some special need as the result of an
important event. Since this coin is dated to 89 BC it is likely
connected to the Social War which took place from 91-87 BC.
The reverse
shows the scene of two soldiers killing Tarpeia who betrayed the
Capitol in return for the golden armlets that the Sabines wore.
Instead, the Sabines killed her by hurling their massive shields
upon her. Lucius TITVRIus, the name of the moneyer, can be seen
below. Not much is known about this moneyer beyond what can be
learned from his coins. He may have been the father of Quintus
Titurius Sabinus who was a lieutenant of Julius Caesar’s in the war
against the Gauls (57-54 BC).
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Denarius
Serratus of the moneyer
Gaius Naevius Balbus
(c. 79 BC)
Obverse: Head
of Venus wearing diadem; S C behind.
Reverse: Victory in a trigaholding reins in both hands. C NAE
BALB in exergue. XXXIIII above. Border of dots. |
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This coin
was issued by the moneyer Caius Naevius Balbus who is unknown in the
records of history and seems to have been struck in honor of Sulla.
The obverse contains the head of Venus wearing a diadem and the
abbreviated legend Senatus Consulto. Sulla was devoted to the
worship of Venus the Conqueror whom he credited for his victories
and had her name along with those of Mars and Fortuna inscribed on a
trophy. The reverse shows Victoria driving a triga (three-horse
chariot) which alludes to Sulla’s victories against Jugurtha of
Numidia and Mithridates VI of Pontus. The moneyer’s name Caius
NAEvius BALBus occurs below while above is the control mark of the
mint XXXIIII.
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Denarius of
the moneyer Lucius
Lucretius Trio
(c. 76 BC)
Obverse:
Laureate head of Neptune. Trident and XVIII behind.
Reverse: Winged Genius on bridled dolphin. L LVCRETI TRIO in
two lines below. |
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The obverse
of this coin shows the laureate head of Neptune, the Roman god of
the sea, along with his sacred staff, the trident. Behind him is
the control mark XVIII. The reverse shows Genius riding on a
dolphin and the moneyer’s name Lucius LVCRETIus TRIO of whom little
is known. It is important to note here the similarity of this type
with a Greek coin type of Tarentum which shows Taras riding on a
dolphin (Go
to Coin). This is evidence that Roman coin types were
influenced by the Greeks. Each family was believed to have a god
who presided over them called a genius. The Genius pictured
here likely belongs to the family of the moneyer. The presence of
Neptune with trident and Genius on a dolphin are intended to record
some naval event connected with a member of the moneyer’s family.
It may refer to Caius Lucretius Gallus who in 181 BC was made
duumvir navalis, a member of a naval board of two, along with
Caius Matienus in order to equip a fleet for the campaign against
the Ligurians. Ten years later Gallus received command of a fleet
in the war against Perseus of Macedon.
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Denarius
of the moneyer
Quintus Caepio Brutus
(c. 59 BC)
Obverse: Head
of Libertas with LIBERTAS behind. Border of dots.
Reverse: L. Iunius Brutus (consul 509 BC) walking between two
lictors and preceeded by an accensus; BRVTVS in exergue.
Border of dots. |
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The moneyer
of this coin, Quintus Caepio Brutus, is more famously known in
history as Marcus Junius Brutus, one of the men who assassinated
Julius Caesar. Brutus was born in 85 BC and on the death of his
father was adopted by his uncle. Hence the name Q. Caepio Brutus
which occurs on official public documents and on coins. In 59 BC he
assumed the office of moneyer and in the next year accompanied Cato
to Cyprus. Upon his return to Rome he sided with the party of
Pompey and fought against Caesar at Dyrrhachium in 48 BC. After the
battle at Pharsalus, Brutus was pardoned by Caesar becoming governor
of Cisalpine Gaul in 46 BC, holder of the high office of praetor of
the city in 44 BC, and receiving a promise by Caesar to hold the
governorship of Macedonia. Despite this, he joined the conspiracy
which helped to assassinate Caesar and met his fate on the
battlefields at Philippi where he was defeated by the forces of
Octavian and Marc Antony and there committed suicide.
The obverse
of this coin contains the head of the goddess Liberty along with her
Latin name LIBERTAS which is on the right. This type was chosen by
Brutus who sided with Pompey on the grounds that he most favored the
cause of freedom. The reverse depicts Brutus’ ancestor Lucius
Junius Brutus walking between two lictors and preceded by an
accensus. The lictors accompanied the consuls during official
exercises such as senatorial sessions carrying the fasces, a bundle
of rods with an ax in the middle which symbolized the authority of
the consuls. The accensus was a minor official or attendant of a
consul. According to history, L. Junius Brutus drove the Tarquin
kings from Rome and served the first consulship of the Republic in
509 BC. M. Junius Brutus, the moneyer, is claiming descent from
this great historical figure for propaganda purposes in order to
drive forward his own political career which was aiming towards the
consulship.
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Denarius of
the moneyer Gaius
Vibius Pansa
(c. 48 BC)
Obverse: Head
of Liber wearing ivy wreath. PANSA behind. Border of dots.
Reverse: Ceres walking with torch in each hand before a
plough. C VIB<IVS C F C N> to left. Border of dots. |
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The moneyer
of this coin, Caius Vibius Pansa, was the son of the elder Pansa
who was moneyer in 87 BC. He had a very successful political career
since he was a loyal partisan of Julius Caesar. Although he does
not appear to have been actively involved in a command under Caesar
during the Civil War, he was governor of Bythinia and Pontus in 47
BC and Cisilpine Gaul in 45 BC. He was elected consul in 43 BC, the
year following Caesar’s assassination, but died in Mutina attempting
to save Decimus Brutus from the clutches of Marc Antony who had
besieged him there.
The obverse
of this coin struck in 48 BC contains the head of Liber, also known
as Bacchus or Dionysus, wearing an ivy crown. Liber was the god of
wine and was worshipped by the Romans because he rescued the mind
from the burden of everyday cares and responsibilities. The ivy
crown was commonly worn by this god. The moneyer’s cognomen PANSA
can be seen on the left. The reverse depicts Ceres, the goddess of
fertility walking with a torch in each hand and a plough before
her. The plough is symbolic of her role in agriculture while the
torches allude to her desperate search for her daughter Proserpine
who had been taken down into the depths of the earth to be the bride
of Pluto, the god of the underworld. The type showing Ceres was
also struck by the moneyer’s father and may refer to a particular
cult with which the family was connected or to the more general
public associations of the cults of Ceres and Liber (Bacchus). This
scene is encircled by the moneyer’s name Caius VIBIVSCaii Filius
Caii Nepos which also identifies him as the son of the elder Pansa
and the descendant of his grandfather.
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Denarius of
Julius Caesar (c.
48 BC)
Obverse: Head
of Venus diademed. Border of dots.
Reverse: Aeneas walking naked, holding Paladiumin his right
hand and carrying his father Anchises on his left shoulder.
CAESAR on right. |
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This
denarius was struck under the authority of Julius Caesar in 48 BC
and highlights his divine and noble ancestry. The coins minted by
Caesar were military issues struck during the years of the Civil War
in which Caesar was at odds with Pompey the Great who also had coins
struck in his name at this time. It is believed that this coin was
struck soon after Caesar’s victory over Pompey at Pharsalus on
August 9, 48 BC.
The
diademed head of Venus, from whom the Julian gens claimed their
divine descent, adorns the obverse of this coin. The hero Aeneas
was the son of Anchises and Venus. Aeneas’ son was Ascanius, also
known as Iulus, who provides the Julia gens with their noble name.
According to Roman myth, Ascanius’ descendant known as Romulus was
the founder of the city of Rome. The reverse contains the scene of
the naked Aeneas carrying his father Anchises upon his left shoulder
and the Paladium in his right hand. At the fall of Troy Anchises
was rescued by his son Aeneas who carried him on his shoulders from
the burning city. They later ventured out to sea and came upon the
shores of Italy. The Paladium was an image of Minerva, the Roman
goddess of wisdom and war, to which were attached the destinies of
Troy. Dionysius of Halicarnassus says that it was the gift of
heaven to the Trojans and that Aeneas acquired it and brought it
with him to Italy. On the right of this scene is CAESAR, the
cognomen of Julius. The name is believed to be derived from an
incident where one of his ancestors was born by means of an incision
made on his mother’s womb. The name literally means “cut.”
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Denarius of
the Second Triumvirate
(c. 41 BC)
Obverse: Head
of Antony, M ANT IMP AVG III <VIR R P C M B>ARBAT Q P.
Reverse: Head of Octavian,CAESAR IMP PONT III VIR R P C. |
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This coin
depicts Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus and Marcus Antonius who were
both members of the Second Triumvirate which also consisted of
Marcus Aemilius Lepidus. The Second Triumvirate was formed in 43 BC
and established absolute powers for these men in the Roman Empire.
The agreement, also known as the Lex Titia, gave Octavian control of
Africa, Sicily, Sardinia, Italy, and eventually Spain, Antony
controlled the Greek East including Egypt, and Lepidus controlled
Gaul and Further and Nearer Spain. This coalition also brought
about the downfall of Brutus and Cassius, the assassins of Julius
Caesar, at the Battle of Philippi in 42 BC. The Triumvirate came to
an end in 36 BC when Octavian won over Lepidus’ army and soon became
a rival against Marc Antony.
The obverse
of this coin contains the portrait of Marc Antony along with the
abbreviated legend which in its entirety reads Marcus ANTonius,
IMPerator, AVGur, IIIVIRRei Publicae Constituendae Marcus BARBATius,
Quaestor Provincialis. Translated this inscription states Antony’s
name along with his stately titles as general-in-chief, priest in
the college of augurs, and a member of the triumvirate of the Roman
Republic. The second part of the inscription consists of the name
of the moneyer responsible for this particular coin issue, Marcus
Barbatius, as well as his title as a provincial quaestor.
The reverse
contains the portrait of Octavian along with the legend which reads
CAESAR IMPerator PONTifex IIIVIRRei Publicae Constituendae This
states Octavian’s cognomen, Caesar, his position as
general-in-chief, his priestly office as pontifex, and his
membership as a triumvir.
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Cistophorus
of Marcus Antonius
(39 BC)
Obverse: Head
of Antony wearing ivy wreath, lituus below. Encircled by M
ANTONIVS IMP COS DESIC ITER ET TERT; the whole within wreath
of ivy leaves and berries.
Reverse: Cista mystica surmounted by the draped bust of
Octavia. Cista mystica is placed between two interlaced
serpants; IIIVIR on left, R P C on right. |
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This coin
was struck in Asia in 39 BC in honor of Marc Antony. The obverse is
inscribed with the legend Marcus ANTONIVS IMPerator COnSul
DESIGnatus, ITERum ET TERTium, which translated reads, ”Marc Antony,
general-in-chief, consul elect for the second and third time.”
Antony is portrayed here wearing an ivy wreath which was symbolic of
the god Bacchus, also known as Dionysus, the god of wine and male
fertility. Antony often fashioned himself after this god. Upon
Antony’s return from Italy to Greece in the year that this coin was
struck, statues of him were erected throughout Asia Minor bearing
the name Bacchus and the Athenians saluted him as this god as well.
Antony’s fellow citizens in Rome frowned upon this behavior and as a
result he began to lose popularity in Rome which eventually
contributed to his downfall.
The reverse
of this coin contains the abbreviated legend IIIVIR Rei Publicae
Constituendae which identifies Antony as a member of the Second
Triumvirate. A cista mystica surrounded by serpents appears in the
center and was considered to be the secret box of Bacchus. The
woman depicted above it is believed to be Octavia who was the wife
of Antony and the sister of his fellow triumvir Octavian. Antony
married Octavia in 40 BC as part of the pact of the Second
Triumvirate.
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Denarius of
Marcus Antonius (31
BC)
Obverse:
Galley with standard at prow. ANT AVG inscribed above, IIIVIR
R P C below.
Reverse: Legionary eagle between two standards. LEG XX
inscribed below in field. |
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This
denarius struck in 31 BC alludes to the historic Battle of Actium.
By this year Octavian had already established considerable support
among the aristocracy in Rome in light of Antony’s likening of
himself to the god Dionysus and the fact that he had abandoned his
wife Octavia to be by the side of his wealthy Ptolemaic queen of
Egypt Cleopatra. Octavia, the sister of Octavian, had been married
to Antony as part of the agreement made between Antony and Octavian
at Brundisium in 40 BC which renewed the terms of the Second
Triumvirate. This political rivalry between Antony and Octavian now
became a personal one as well. Antony had also failed in an
expedition against the Parthians in 36 BC which also hampered his
credibility among the Roman elite. At the Battle of Actium,
Octavian, with the assistance of his experienced general Marcus
Vipsanius Agrippa, defeated Antony and Cleopatra who fled the scene
of the battle to Egypt.
This coin
was struck under Marc Antony and emphasizes his military power.
Cleopatra provided Antony with a significant number of ships and
supplies in order to carry out this battle against Octavian. The
obverse illustrates Antony’s naval forces since it depicts a galley
with a military standard at the prow. Above this is the abbreviated
legend ANTonius AVGur, which is his name and priestly office. Below
reads IIIVIR Rei Publicae Constituendae which refers to Antony as a
triumvir of the Roman Republic. Antony became part of the Second
Triumvirate in 43 BC along with Octavian and Lepidus.
The reverse
pertains to Antony’s land forces. The scene is that of a legionary
eagle between two standards. Below is the abbreviated legend LEGio
XX which refers to the Roman Legion which Antony commanded. The
standards belong to the Legion. The eagle, “King of Birds” and the
minister of the thunderbolts of the almighty god Jupiter, was the
principle standard of Roman legions.
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Silver
Quinarius of Octavian
(c. 28 BC)
Obverse: Head of Octavian. <CAE>SAR in left field, IMP VII in
right field.
Reverse: Victory standing above cista mystica holding palm
branch in left hand and laurel wreath in right hand between
two snakes. ASIA RECEPTA to left and right. |
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This coin
which was struck around 28 BC refers to Octavian’s recovery of Asia
from the hands of his rival Marc Antony. During the Second
Triumvirate Antony had acquired Asia to control. However, upon the
discontinuation of the Second Triumvirate after 36 BC, it became
important to Octavian to recover these lands from Antony’s hold and
reinstitute them as part of the Roman Empire which he himself would
control. Upon Antony’s defeat at Actium in 31 BC, he fled with
Cleopatra to Alexandria in Egypt. Octavian soon followed and laid
siege to Alexandria in the following year Antony, having lost
almost entirely both military and political support, committed
suicide and Cleopatra followed in this deed soon after. Octavian
took control of Egypt and transformed it into a Roman province and
gained control of Antony’s Greek provinces and client states in
Asia. The death of Antony paved the way for Octavian to assume
absolute power over the Roman Empire since no adversaries stood in
his way any longer.
The obverse
of this coin contains the portrait of Octavian along with his
cognomen CAESAR and the title IMPerator VII. The reverse contains
the picture of Victoria holding a palm branch and a laurel wreath
standing above a cista mystica between two snakes. The cista
mystica refers to the god Bacchus who Antony fashioned himself
after. The laurel wreath that she is holding is a symbol of the god
Apollo who Octavian adopted as his patron deity and credited him for
his divine presence during the victorious campaign against Antony.
In summation, this scene with Victoria standing above the cista
mystica represents Octavian’s victory over Marc Antony. The legend
ASIA RECEPTA when translated states, “Asia recovered” and refers to
the fact that Octavian regained the Asian provinces and client
states for the Roman Empire.
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