This is probably the last coin I'm getting before my upcoming trip to Cuba in 3 weeks. It is a Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus denarius, minted as an emergency issue to pay Pompey's troops in Spain and keep them from mutinying. So while not a coin of Pompey, this coin was used by Pompey's soldiers, and Pompey himself might have received many of these coins as payment too...so who knows, Pompey's might have used this coin to buy some supplies (well, his slaves anyway). I doubt Pompey's did his own shopping. It's got a nice bit of dark toning, like the other RR coin I got yesterday. I love me some old toning much better than shinny recently cleaned/overcleaned coins. This coin is my 14th Roman Republic coin, and will be my last silver one for a while. My next Roman Republic coins have to be bronze. I'm bummed out by not having any Republic era Bronzes yet. Something I must remedy before the year is out. ROMAN REPUBLIC. Cn. Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus. AR Denarius, 4.0g, 20mm, 6h; Spanish Mint, 74 BC. Obv.: Diademed, draped and bearded bust of the Genius of the Roman People facing right, scepter over shoulder, "G P R" above. Rev.: Globe between wreathed scepter and rudder, "EX - S C" in field, "CN LEN Q" below. Reference: Crawford 393/1a; Sydenham 752.
PS: please show your own if you've got them, or any related coins. If anyone is interested in this info, Crawford estimated 5,000,000 of these were minted, which is pretty low. Some of the more common RR denarii today might have had mintage rates surpassing 20,000,000. After all, lots of soldiers to pay especially during times of war.
Nice. I have the Eraviscan coin that was based off of that coin.. It was minted in Hungary imitating the Roman version minted in Spain.. Imitating Cn. Lentulus. Head of Jupiter right / Globe between rudder and thunderbolt; small X to right, RAVIS (S retrograde) below. Freeman 4 (dies 2/C);
Roman Republic coins have a lot of character. They will probably be my next go-to once I can afford to escape Chinese coins.
Nice coin: well struck, centered, nicely toned and the dies must have been produced by the first string at the mint. This moneyer has a lot of minor die differences. You have a good one from the group.
Mine has been around... very pedestrian! RR Cornelius Lentulus 76-75 BCE AR Den Questor Pompey Genius Globe Scepter Rudder S 323 Cr 393-1a Got a few others from the Patrician Lentulus of the Cornelius gens: RR Cn Lentulus Clodianus 88 BCE AR Quinarius Jupiter Victory crowning trophy QAC S 255 Craw 345-2 RR Cn Lentulus Clodianus 88 BCE AR Quinarius Jupiter Victory crowning trophy Craw 345-2 S 255 RR Cornelius Lentulus Clodianus 88 BCE AR Den Mars Biga S 254 Cr 345-1 RR Cornelius Lentulus 88 BCE AR Den Mars Biga S 254 Cr 345-1
I purchased one of these when I first began focusing on the Roman Republic. They are a really interesting type and yours is a really nice example. Here's mine: Mine was recently cleaned when I picked it up. Two years in a paper envelope had toned it more than I expected and I need to reshoot it.
I didn't actually clean it but it was obvious that the person I purchased it from did based on the bright surfaces and how fast it began retoning. Unfortunately I'm not sure what this person cleaned it with.
