Man. Acilius Glabrio, 49 BC. AR Denarius, 18 mm, 3.75 g. Rome mint. Obv: Laureate head of Salus right; behind, SALVTIS. Rev: Valetudo standing left, resting arm on column and holding snake; on right., MN ACILIVS; on left, III VIR VALETV. Crawford 442/1a; Acilia 8; Sydenham 922. Notes The name Manius Acilius Glabrio is attested no less than seven times in Roman history, but the moneyer in question here was likely a lieutenant of Julius Caesar, quaestor pro praetore (provincial magistrate) in Macedonia from 45 to 44 BC, and suffect consul in 33 BC (T.R.S. Broughton, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic, Vol 1, pp. 308, 326). Crawford dates the coin to 49 BC, and the math adds up rather nicely. Glabrio would have been a member of the IIIviri aere argento auro flando feriundo, and an aspirant to the higher governmental positions he eventually achieved. I’m not sure exactly how RRC dates this coin, but given the above information, it certainly doesn’t pose any of the problems associated with, for instance, the Sextus Pompey issues. “For other issues Woytek suggests new mint locations consistent with the movement of the Imperators, whilst Crawford considers it better to think in terms of issues for a given campaign rather than trying to pin down a manufacturing location.” (Andrew McCabe, http://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/RRC440.html) If we assume RRC is correct in dating the coin to 49 BC, there is no doubt that it would have been minted in Rome, at the temple of Juno Moneta, as Glabrio’s military and political careers did not flourish till later. Being a moneyer was a stepping stone to bigger things. Salus was the personification of security and well-being. Some sources claim Valetudo was the Roman version of the Greek goddess Hygieia, others claim a connection to the Gaulish god Glanis. Both deities are associated with healing, so its entirely possible that they were merged into Valetudo when they were absorbed into the Roman pantheon. To my knowledge, these denarii of Glabrio are the only types on which Valetudo appears.
That's a sweeeeeet lookin' coin, JA!! (congrats on a beautiful RR) => I'm lovin' Valetudo playin' the snake!!
Yes, this one's a keeper. I like the legends on your coin better. Unfortunately, SALVTIS is partially off-flan on mine, but I think its overall merits make up for that. Even pricier examples all have their share of drawbacks. I also find the ligatures TV and MN interesting.
that's a darn fine lookin' coin JA...i don't see any wear on the bust or the reverse figure at all....and just a tad on the reverse legend. pretty, just still l0oks like an ancient...good one.
I was quite sure I had heard of valetudo before, and not as a god or religion. It turns out that there are unarmed combat events in Brazil called vale tudo. The term apparently means "anything goes" in Portuguese. Wonder if it's just a coincidence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vale_tudo
Valetudo means state of health or about the same thing as salus except that, I believe, you could add a negative adjective and use the word for poor state of health. The IIIVIR makes me wonder which of several groups of three magistrates are being referred to here. It is not necessarily AAAFF or the moneyers. Was there a set of three in charge of public health? I understand that the Acilia family had been instrumental in bringing health care to early Rome.
I don't see any apparent connection, Z. Valetudo, or Hygieia, was the goddess of personal health and cleanliness, later associated with social welfare. I can't think of anything further from the ideals of combat. In fact, this coin type combining Salus with Valetudo is a stark contrast to the various Roman military types, emphasizing security, stability, and well-being. I'm not certain of the significance of the snake, but in this context, it surely isn't anything belligerent.
Really? That's quite interesting! Are there other coins on which the inscription IIIVIR is known not to refer to the moneyers?
The obvious one is the Legionary denarius series. The vast majority of the moneyers do not use the term making me wonder what was different about the ones that did.
