Won this SULLA today

Now you are getting me interested in collecting by control devices. I normally do not do that, but Sulla has ALWAYS been a fascinating historical figure for me...

 

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Occam's Razor more than anything else. We know there are numbered dies, and from other, unambiguous examples we know that sometimes the number is barred (though surprisingly not always.) We know of no other possible letters, ambiguous or otherwise, other than for obvious reasons V and X. Secondarily, at least one other early number (I think III, from memory) occurs on the Cr-367/1 configuration, implying that that legend is the earliest part of the issue, so I is not unexpected.

 

@Alegandron
Very nice coin. Sulla is definitely on my list.

 

Thank you. I enjoy chasing historical junctures.

 

The history contained in this type is phenomenal. Awesome!

Here's mine, followed by the historical writeup currently in my database (could be somewhat plagiarized...):



As consul for the year 88 BC, Sulla was awarded the coveted assignment of suppressing the revolt of Mithradates VI of Pontus, but political maneuvers resulted in this assignment being transferred to Marius. In response, Sulla turned his army on Rome, captured it, and reclaimed his command against Mithradates. His prosecution of the first Mithradatic War was successful, but he spared the Pontic king for personal gain. In 83 BC, Sulla returned to Italy as an outlaw, but he was able to win the support of many of the leading Romans. Within a year he fought his way to Rome, where he was elected dictator. It was during this campaign to Rome that this denarius was struck. The obverse type represents Sulla's claim to be acting in Rome's best interest. The reverse shows Sulla enjoying the highest honor to which a Roman could aspire, the celebration of a triumph at Rome. The moneyer, Lucius Manlius Torquatus, was a proquaestor serving under Sulla in the Mithridatic wars.

And here is an issue of one of Sulla's grandsons, Q. Pompeius Rufus, celebrating the memory of his illustrious but controversial grandfather in 54 BC:



Quintus Pompeius Rufus was the grandson of Sulla through his daughter Cornelia Sulla. His grandfather was a supporter of Sulla, and shared the consulship with him in 88 BC. When civil war broke out the same year, Marius forced him out of the consulship, and his son (our Pompeius's father) was murdered by Marians. Sulla officially assigned Italy to Pompeius, but the latter was murdered after taking command of Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo's troops. Thus our young Pompeius was deprived of both his father and grandfather the same year.

Pompeius was tribune of the plebs in 52 BC and although he was Caesar's brother in law (through his sister Pompeia), he supported Pompey in the civil war. The last instance in which the sources mention Pompeius is that in 51 BC his enemies spread false rumors that he had murdered Cicero on his way to Cilicia.

 

I missed my target today in the Triskeles auction but it's nice to see others were more successful than I. I don't know much about these types but I happen to have one from years ago. I have it listed as Crawford 367/5 but I'm sure it was a cut and paste from the listing.

 

I have grandpa Sulla, which I just picked up this weekend at the ANA National Money Show.

151 BC, Publius Cornelius Sulla
AR denarius 3.83gm - 18mm
Obv: Helmeted hd of Roma r.
Rev: Victory in biga r, P SVLA below, ROMA in ex.
Reference: SR84, Crawford 205/1, Syd 386

And I have a denarius issued by the son of dictator Sulla.

56 BC, Faustus Cornelius Sulla
AR denarius 3.8 gm - 20 mm
Obv: Diad. Head of young right, clad in lion's skin, S C behind, sometimes accompanied by FAVSTVS monogram
Rev: Globe surrounded by four wreaths, aplustre and ear of corn in lower field
Reference: SR385, Crawford 426/4b, Syd 883

 

@ancientcoinguru

I love the toning on the first coin. A great example, congrats!

 

@Alegandron nice score!

Sweet coins guru. Twice in ten minutes I see this type for the first time on different threads. Funny how that works out. Time to start saving I suppose.

 

nice gandalf! i'd love to get a sulla coin.

i guess this cat was an enemy of his....

 

An excellent addition!

 

Nice!! => Gandalf, congrats on scoring the cool OP-Sculla!! (total winner)

Sadly, I don't have a Sculla example ... umm, how 'bout a sweet Scully? (can I join the club?)

 

Yeah, she will do...

 

Avatar! Well played!

 

Great Sulla Alegandron!!! Congrats!!!
And cheers for all the other awesome Sullas!!
I too am Sulla fan! The guy should be as famous as JC, yet I had never heard of him until I found a coin of him online and started doing research. I then read G. P. Bakers, Sulla the Fortunate; good book, btw. What an awesome historical figure! Sulla sums it well with his own epitaph: "No greater friend. No worse enemy."
Yeah, Sulla rocks!!!

Here are more:

This is my first catch. Fairly worn, but still a nice one in my book


This is my upgrade I super love this coin, the iridescent tone is better in hand, but I am still on the lookout for one with a clear 'SULLA' legend.


And last but not least, yet surely the most worn, is type that I didn't think I would be able to afford for a long time until this piece came up for sale.

My favorite lowball!!!! How many millennia did this silver coin exchange as money??

Faustus Cornelius Sulla. AR Denarius Rome, 56 BC.
O: FAVSTVS , diademed and draped bust of Diana right, crescent above, lituus behind.
Rx: FELIX , Sulla seated left on raised platform between King Bocchus of Mauretania on left, presenting him with wreath, and King Jugurta of Numidia on right, hands bound behind him, both kneeling.

 

Well done! very nice! LOL, I ALMOST forgot his epitaph... so cool!

 

A congress of Sulla's

 

These are GREAT! None I like the best; ALL I like the most! Nice

 

Wow! This thread is packed with over the top awesome Sulla coins!!!! Nice additions Carthago!

 

@Carthago wins the internet today. Those are sweet.

I will have to get a copy of that. I usually find well-researched historical fiction even more fun to read... if you haven't read Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series, it is a must. Sulla is a major character in the first three books.