Wow, Ale-G => that's an amazing OP-Winner!! (fantastic everything on that baby!!) ... I'm very jealous of that great coin-addition Oh, and as always => great thread-additions by the usual suspects (great coins) Ummm, I'm not 100% sure what was pivotal, but buying each of these sweet AR RRs was pivotal in temporarily massaging my coin-addiction!! (is that good enough?) => congrats again on such a fine OP-winner!! Cheers, coin-bro
That's an amazing newp Alegandalf! Glad your trip was a success. Oh, and great coins everyone as usual!
Very nice! Celebrating Marius' joint Triumph with Catulus over the Cimbri... I understand Marius actually was lost in the battle, as the terrain was dry, a lot of dust was kicked up by the armies, and Marius marching back and forth until he was able to "collide" with the enemy. He was rather upset because Catulus actually won the day, and Sulla was pivotal with his Cavalry charge that broke the enemy cavalry's back. I have Rufus' Craw 324/1 and Sentius Craw 325/1 Victory types from 101 BCE, but not this one! Nice!
Can also be considered a pivotal point in Rome's political history, as loyalty of legions shifted from the state/senate/people to commanding individuals through the struggle between Marius and Sulla following the cimbrian war. Basically Sulla had demonstrated such high success rate that made his troops believed he was a god, that fundamentally enabled dictatorship.
Highly agree...the events quickly culminated in the Socii War with their Allies (which had made Rome extinct if they lost), and paved the way for the Imperators and the Civil War resulting in Augustus as Emperor... LOL, we can pin it all on Marius and Sulla's competitive grudge (Populari vs Optimates) towards each other... Years before, the Gracchii Bros TRIED to fix it!!!
Nice didrachm! My favorite is an Iberian (Roman Republican Provincial) that could be the first living Roman on a coin. In 211 Publius Cornelius Scipio's father and uncle were killed in Spain. He went to Spain as a young man because others wanted to stay in Italy and fight there. He was able to take New Carthage (Cartagonova) and coins from there changed from having an Iberian or Carthaginian head to a Roman head. Some attribute this coin to Scipio. This description is from the seller's web site, so use google translate if you yo no hablo español: CELTIBÉRICAS e HISPANO ROMANAS; CARTAGONOVA. Dicalco. Hacia 220 a.C. Vv lám. LVII-16. Peso 11'66 grs. Casi MBC+, pátina verde.
If the coin was minted in 220 BC then I think it's unlikely the depiction is of Scipio Africanus or his father. Like you said, his uncle and father were defeated and killed in 211 BC, so at the time the coin was issued, Scipio had just started his campaign against Hannibal's brother.
I think this is mostly identified as after 209 BC (not 220 as in the Spanish description above) as it has been suggested that this coin was minted right after Scipio's take over of Carthago Novo and the male head that was normally minted on these issues (Melqart, Hannibal, what have you) was replaced with a clearly Roman style head that is completely different from the male style heads issued by the Carthaginians. It's also suggested that this is Scipio's likeness, but I think that is extremely unlikely. Here's mine, the only ancient eBay purchase I've ever made. There are silver issues that show the same transformation.
I have one of those also! L'audace of Scipio to be the first Roman with his living likeness on a coin! Pretty rough example... IF it is him...
@Alegandron that quadrigatus is just awesome (and on my wish list for decades). What other posted is very interesting too, making this thread valuable Here's a coin I consider as pivotal in the roman coinage, being the first silver issue of the Roman republic Republic, Didrachm Rome mint c. 269-266 BC No legend, Diademed head of young Hercules right, with club and lion's skin over shoulder ROMANO, She wolf right, suckling Romulus and Remus 7.29 gr Ref : RCV # 24, RSC # 8 Q
@Cucumbor : Cuke, that is a FANTASTIC didrachm! That has been on my hit list too! Nice nice features, slight wear...I covet! Well done!