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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;svessien, post: 589343, member: 15481&quot;]Congrats with the new old IHC, CW!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Here&#039;s a coin I find extraordinary:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><img src="http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x317/svessien/Roman/Mynter006-horz.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>This is a denarius from the late Roman Republic.</p><p>It was struck in 56 BC. The moneyer was Faustus Cornelius Sulla, son of L. Cornelius Sulla, the bloody dictator reigning from 82/81 BC to 78 BC.</p><p>(Read about sulla here: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Cornelius_Sulla#Dictatorship_and_Constitutional_Reforms" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Cornelius_Sulla#Dictatorship_and_Constitutional_Reforms" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Cornelius_Sulla#Dictatorship_and_Constitutional_Reforms</a></p><p>)</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The obverse pictures the diademed and draped bust of the godess Diana, sister of Apollo, goddess of the moon and protector of the young.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The extraordinary part is this coins reverse. Its image is similar to the image on the signet ring of the dictator, and commemorates a specific event in his career, namely the betrayal of King Jugurtha of Numidia. </p><p>The 3 pictured are Sulla himself, seated left between King Boccus of Mauretania who kneels before him, presenting an olive branch. Behind, right, sits Jugurtha with his hands bound.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The wikipedia article mentions this story, even with a picture of a coin similar to mine:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><b>Capture of Jugurtha</b></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&quot;In 107 BC, Sulla was nominated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaestor" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quaestor" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">quaestor</span></a> to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Marius" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaius_Marius" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">Gaius Marius</span></a>, who had been elected <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_consul" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_consul" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">consul</span></a> for that year. Marius was taking control of the Roman army in the war against King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugurtha" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugurtha" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">Jugurtha</span></a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numidia" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numidia" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">Numidia</span></a> in northern Africa</p><p>The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugurthine_War" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jugurthine_War" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">Jugurthine War</span></a> had started in 112 BC, but Roman legions under <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecilius_Metellus" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecilius_Metellus" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">Quintus Caecilius Metellus</span></a> had been unsuccessful. Gaius Marius, a lieutenant of Metellus, saw an opportunity to usurp his commander and fed rumors of incompetence and delay to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publicani" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publicani" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">publicani</span></a> (tax gatherers) in the region. These machinations caused calls for Metellus&#039;s removal; despite delaying tactics by Metellus, Marius returned to Rome to stand for the consulship and took over the campaign.</p><p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sulla_Coin2.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sulla_Coin2.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Sulla_Coin2.jpg/250px-Sulla_Coin2.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></a> </p><p>Sulla Capturing Jugurtha</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Under Marius, the Roman forces followed a very similar plan as under Metellus and ultimately defeated the Numidians in 106 BC, thanks in large part to Sulla&#039;s initiative in capturing the Numidian king. He had persuaded King <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bocchus" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bocchus" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">Bocchus</span></a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauretania" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauretania" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #0000ff">Mauretania</span></a>, a nearby kingdom, to betray Jugurtha, who had fled to Mauretania for refuge. It was a dangerous operation from the first, with King Bocchus weighing up the advantages of handing Jugurtha over to Sulla or Sulla over to Jugurtha.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Cornelius_Sulla#cite_note-4" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Cornelius_Sulla#cite_note-4" rel="nofollow"><span style="color: #800080">[5]</span></a> The publicity attracted by this feat boosted Sulla&#039;s political career. Much to the annoyance of Marius, a gilded equestrian statue of Sulla donated by King Bocchus was erected in the Forum to commemorate his accomplishment.&quot;[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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