Browsing the Schaeffer die notebooks, has brought a bit unexpected provenance recently. The first coin, a denarius that you don't see every day with <30 dies reported in Crawford. The obverse portrait labelled "FEELIX" (Lucius Cornelius Sulla's "fortunate" nickname) show's Hercules but could also be intended to show Sulla on this coin from his son. His son with Caecillia Metella, Faustus Cornelius Sulla is the moneyer. Faustus was married to Pompeia the daughter of Pompey the Great and he sided with his father-in-law during the civil war between Caesar and Pompey. After the battle of Thapsus (in modern Tunisia) he was killed by Publius Sittius, a supporter of Caesar in 46 BC. At least two children with Pompeia are known, one of whom had a descendant who became a senator and consul suffectus - elected under circumstances where the consul died or was removed from office - under Tiberius in 31 AD. Faustus Cornelius Sulla, Rome, 56 BC, AR Denarius Obv: FEELIX, diademed bust of young Hercules right, wearing lion skin headdress Rev: FAVSTVS, Diana driving galloping biga right, holding reins and lituus; crescent above her head; one star above, two stars below horses Ref: Crawford 426/2 For the coin above, a quick check in the Schaefer notebooks in CRRO, turned up this pleasant surprise. The same coin is pictured on page for 426/2, adding provenance to my coin from "Feb 95 / WP / 138". This coin was an easy one to look up as there is only a half page of clippings in Schaefer for this coin. The WP for Wayne C. Phillips....so I know where this coin was in 1995. I've posted a few related references in my notes: Fun Provenance Find. This second coin is from P. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus, 100BC and was described as from the Bennito Collection. P. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus, 100 BC, AR Denarius (17.5mm, 3.08 g, 11h), Rome mint Obv: Bareheaded bust of young Hercules right, seen from behind, wearing lion skin and holding club; to left, shield and •/R / Rev: LENT.MAR.F. Roma standing facing, holding spear, being crowned by Genius of the Roman People, holding wreath and cornucopia; •/R between them; all within laurel wreath Ref: Crawford 329/1a; Sydenham 604; Cornelia 25; RBW 1186 var. (control letter) Note: ex CNG, from the "Benito Collection", formed by the Spanish ambassador Ramón Sáenz de Heredia y Alonso, who passed away in 2016. This coin also shows up in the Schaefer pages as a coin from @Andrew McCabe. Not sure I would call these "plate coins" but fun provenance nonetheless. I've posted a long winded set of information on this coin in my notes pages: Unencrypting Crawford RRC. Post coins with surprise provenance, coins of Faustus C. Sulla, P. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.
I have found several provinances of coins in my collection from Shaefer's RDP study. I jumped in and arbitrarily found another one tonight after seeing this thread. Thanks @Sulla80 ! RRC 83/3 "Upright spearhead" quinarius: Provenance: Kuenker sale, November '94
An excellent quinarius, @Fugio1, congrats on the added provenance. I had not thought to look up quinarii. Dies for this quinarius were easy to match up with the letter codes, the double die match is not my coin: The Gallic carnyx suggests a reference to Marius' victories over the Cimbri and Teutones (Cimbrian War 113-101 BC). By 104 BC these tribes were seen as a serious threat to Rome and Marius turned the tide. The end of this war with Marius granting Roman citizenship to his Italian soldiers, was also the beginning of the Social War. The Numidian war from this same time period (104 BC) was the start of the rivalry between Marius and Sulla, as Sulla felt he wasn't sufficiently credited for the role he played in the capture of Jugurtha, leading the the victory and triumph for Marius. C. Fundanius Q, AR Quinarius, 101 Obv: Laureate head of Jupiter right; behind, •/Q Rev: C·FVNDA Victory r., holding palm branch and crowning trophy. Beside which stands carnyx and before, captive. In exergue, •Q Ref: Babelon Fundania 2, Sydenham 584, Crawford 326/2
