150 BC to 0 AD
At the beginning of this period, Rome had just established control throughout Greece and Macedonia, and was in the process of subjugating Asia Minor. The non-Roman world in the Mediterranean and Near East consisted of the empires and kingdoms left over from the breakup of Alexander the Great's empire; by the end of this period, Rome systematically conquered all these territories, except for Persia proper, which had been taken over by the Parthians.
This period features a great variety of coinage types. In addition to Roman coins, Greek kingdoms and empires continued to strike coins while they were independent; plus, territories that were nominally under Roman control were often allowed to continue to strike coins for local commercial use—although the designs typically changed, so as to not challenge Roman authority. The first Judaean coins appear in this period, struck by the Maccabees after their revolt from the Seleucid (Persian) empire. In addition, Celtic tribes throughout Europe and Britain also struck coins.
002-178
 (click image to see larger picture) Seleucid empire Shekel/tetradrachm
—struck by Alexander Balas
Tyre, 150/149 BC
obv.- Diademed bust of Alexander Balas r
rev.- AΛEXANΔROU BAΣIΛEΩΣ surrounds; eagle stg left on prow with palm; date ΓXP (yr 163=150/149 BC), monogram HP; to left, monogram TYP on club
SNG Spear 1529
28mm; 13.6g; silver
002-465
 (click image to see larger picture) Seleucid Empire tetradrachm
—struck by Antiochus VII
Antioch, 138-129 BC
obv.- Head of Antiochus right in fillet border
rev.- ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΑΝΤΙΟXΟΥ; on l., ΕΥΕΡΓΕΤΟΥ; Athena standing left, holding Nike, monogram and mint mark A to left, all within laurel wreath
Sewell 297
31mm; 16.5g; Silver
Antiochus VII (Eurgetes), brother of Demetrius II, overthrew Tryphon and married Cleopatra of Eqypt
002-182
 (click image to see larger picture) Roman republic denarius
— struck by Cnaeus Porcius Cato
Rome, 123 BC
obv.- Helmeted head of Roma right
rev.- C CATO; Victory in biga
Syd 417; Crawford 274/1; RSC Porcia 1; SR 149
19mm; 3.6g; silver
Struck under Cnaeus Porcius Cato, moneyer
001-501
 (click image to see larger picture) Rome (Republic) denarius
—anonymous
Rome, 115-114 BC
obv.- ROMA; Head of Roma right, in winged Corinthian helmet, with X in field
rev.- Roma seated right on shields, wolf and twins before, two birds in field
RSC 226; RCV 152; Crawford 287; Syd 530
19mm; 3.4g; Silver
002-183
 (click image to see larger picture) Roman republic Denarius
—struck by
Rome, 103 BC
obv.- Helmeted head of Mars left
rev.- Q THERM M; two warriors fighting, the one on the left protects fallen comrade, the other wears horned helmet
Sear 197; Minucia 19
20mm; 3.9g; silver
Struck under Quintus Minucius Thermus, monyer
201-090
 (click image to see larger picture) Rome (republic) denarius
—struck by Publius Lentulus Marcelli f.
Rome, 100 BC
obv.- ROMA; Bare-headed bust of young Hercules right, seen from behind, wearing lion skin; club over shoulder, shield and A in fields
rev.- LENT MAR F; Roma standing facing, being crowned by Genius of the Roman People; A in left field, all within laurel-wreath
Crawford 329/1a; Sydenham 604; Cornelia 25
18mm; 3.1g; Silver
001-168
 (click image to see larger picture) Celtic imitation of Roman denarius
—struck by Arecoratas tribe
Spain, 120–20BC
obv.- Male head right; annulet behind
rev.- Celtiberian “ARECOR”; Horseman right, with couched lance; legend in ex
Villaronga pg.274, 26; Burgos 79
18mm; 3.72g; silver
001-504
 (click image to see larger picture) Rome (republic) denarius
—C. Licinius L. f. Macer
Rome, 84 BC
obv.- Bust of Vejovis left, viewed from behind, holding thunderbolt
rev.- C. LICINIVS. L.[F] / MACER in exergue; Minerva in fast quadriga right
Crawford 354/1. Sydenham 732. RSC Licinia 16
20mm; 3.86g; Silver
200-111
 (click image to see larger picture) Rome (republic) denarius
—struck by Mn. Fonteius C. f.
Rome, 85 BC
obv.- MN FONTEI CF; Laureate head of Vejovis right, monogram of Roma below chin, thunderbolt beneath neck
rev.- Infant winged Genius seated on goat right, caps of Dioscuri above, thyrsus below, all within wreath
RSC Fonteia 9; Crawford 353/1a; Syd. 724
21mm; 3.8g; Silver
ex Glendining, 16 April 1975, lot 4. Oversized flan, and so deeply toned it looks bronze. Click here for great goat detail.According to Seaby: "In the temple of Vejovis in Rome, there stood near his statue a goat bearing a winged Genius on his back, a representation of which recalls the infancy of Jupiter who was suckled by the goat Amaltheia on Mount Ida."
001-162
 (click image to see larger picture) Parthian empire drachm
—struck by Sinatruces
Ecbatana, 77-70 BC
obv.- Bearded bust right, wearing tiara with stag devices
rev.- BAΣIΛEΩΣ MEΓAΛOY APΣAKOY ΘEOΠATPOY NIKATOPOΣ; Archer seated right on throne, holding bow
Sellwood 33.4
21mm; 4.1g; silver
200-076
 (click image to see larger picture) Rome (republic) denarius
—struck by Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus
Spain, 76-75 BC
obv.- G P R; Diademed and draped bust of the Genius of the Roman People, right; scepter over shoulder
rev.- EX SC; Globe with wreathed scepter left and rudder right. Exe: C N LEN Q
RSC Cornelia 54; RRC 393/1a
19mm; 3.8g; Silver
Struck by Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus, Quaestor of Pompey. This coin was struck when the moneyer was acting as paymaster to Pompey's troops in Spain during the civil war.
001-170
 (click image to see larger picture) Hasmoneans Prutah
—struck by Alexander Jannaeus
Jerusalem, 103–76 BC
obv.- BASILE [WS ALEXANDR] OU; BASILE [WS ALEXANDR] OU, surrounding Selucid anchor
rev.- Lily within wreath
15mm; g; bronze
001-391
 (click image to see larger picture) Ptolemaic kingdom tetradrachm
—struck by Ptolemy XII
Alexandria, 54/3 BC
obv.- Diademed bust right, wearing aegis
rev.- BAΣIΛEΩΣ ΠTOΛEMAIOY; eagle standing left on thunderbolt, palm over right shoulder; LKH (date) above headdress of Isis before, ΠA behind
Svoronos 1837; SNG Copenhagen 395
23mm; 13.4g; silver
Ptolemy XII was the father of Cleopatra VII (yes, that Cleopatra). He made the fateful mistake of allying himself with Rome, in the persons of Julius Caesar and Pompey. In his will, he named Cleopatra and her brother as rulers, but named "the Roman people" as executors of his will, which gave Caesar all the legal justification he needed to direct its affairs. We all see how that turned out...
001-467
 (click image to see larger picture) Rome (republic) denarius
—struck by Marcus Junius Brutus
Rome, 54 BC
obv.- LIBERTAS; Bust of Liberty right
rev.- BRVTVS in exergue, the consul L. Junius Brutus walking left between two lictors preceded by an accensus.
Crawford 433/1; Sydenham 906; Junia 32
20mm; 3.6g; Silver
This coin was struck by one of the more infamous assassins of Caesar, Marcus Junius Brutus, about a dozen years before the assasination, while serving as a moneyer (and still close associate and kin of Caesar). The reverse type refers to Brutus' celebrated ancestor, L. Junius Brutus, the first consul and founder of the Republic who overthrew Tarquinius Superbus (the last Etruscan king of Rome) in 509 BC and thereby expelled the Tarquins from Rome and founded the Republic.
001-466
 (click image to see larger picture) Rome (Republic) denarius
—struck by Julius Caesar
Greece, 48 BC
obv.- LII; Diademed female head (Clementia?) right, wearing oak-wreath, cruciform earring, and pearl necklace; LII behind
rev.- CAE SAR; legend across field, Gallic trophy with carnyx and oval shield ornamented with thunderbolt; axe surmounted by animal's head to right
Crawford 452/2; CRI 11; Sydenham 1009; Kestner 3558; BMCRR Rome 3955; RSC 18
18mm; g; Silver
Military mint moving with Caesar (Greece?). Encapsulated by ICG - VF30, "Lucas Collection"
It's fairly unusual to find an ancient Greek or Roman coin that whose surfaces haven't been completely cleaned. This coin still has natural, uncleaned surfaces with original dust and dirt.
001-408
 (click image to see larger picture) Roman republic denarius
—struck by Mark Antony
Alexandria??, 32/31 BC
obv.- ANT AVG III VIR R PC; Praetorian galley sailing right
rev.- LEG XII; Legionary eagle between two standards
RSC Antony 41; Syd 1230; BMC 204
17mm; 3.0g; Silver
Legionary denarius of the 12th Legion
001-173
 (click image to see larger picture) Spain–Roman AE25
—struck by Augustus
Julia Traducta, 27 BC–14 AD
obv.- [PER]M CAES [AVG]; [PER]M CAES [AVG]
rev.- IVLIA TRAD within oak wreath; IVLIA TRAD within oak wreath
RPC 99, SGI 18
25mm; 6.8g; Bronze
001-450
 (click image to see larger picture) Celtic-Iberian as, in name of Augustus
Castulo, Spain, late 1st century BC
obv.- laureate bust of Augustus right
rev.- sphinx; star in field
28mm; 15.5g; bronze
Augustus often used the sphinx as his personal symbol; it was the image on his personal seal ring.
001-251
 (click image to see larger picture) Pergamum tetradrachm
—struck by Augustus
Ephesus, 24 - 20 BC
obv.- IMP CAESAR; bare-head bust right
rev.- AVGVSTVS; Capricorn bounding right, looking back, with cornucopia, surrounded by laurel wreath
RIC I 480; RPC I 2213; RSC 16. (Dealer notes RIC 12, Cohen 16)
25.9mm; 11.37g; Silver
Seutonius remarks on this coin. According to the biographer Suetonius (The Divine Augustus 1.94), Augustus was born under the sign of Capricorn (the moon, not the sun, was in Capricorn at his birth). Suetonius recounts a story from Augustus' youth, in which he visited an astrologer, who fell to his knees after seeing the configuration of the heavens at Augustus' birth. According to Suetonius, the incident gave Augustus (then Octavius) great faith in his destiny and caused him to make his horoscope public and later to strike silver coins with the sign of Capricorn. Capricorn on the reverse of this coin, as in the zodiac, takes the form of a goat with the tail of a fish and a cornucopia growing from its back.
The laurel wreath conveys the honor voted to him by the Senate of decorating his house with laurel wreaths. The laurel wreath plus the title Augustus announces to the locals the fact that Augustus has arrived, with the added astrological sanction of his birth sign.
|
