are these coins really associated with gaius marius?

Yup, that is a carnyx beside the trophy. There are actually two but the one on the left is usually off-flan if the coin is off center by very much at all. There are others with a carnyx as well, for instance this one, minted in 118 BC at the colony of Narbo itself. In my opinion this one has some of the best Gallic imagery of any Roman coin:

Roman Republic AR denarius(21mm, 3.7g). L. Licinius Crassus, Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus and associates, 118 BC. Narbo, Gaul mint. L·POM – P – ONI – C NF Helmeted head of Roma right / Bearded warrior in fast biga right, holding shield, carnyx and reins and hurling spear; in exergue, L·LIC·CN·D(reverted)OM. Crawford 282/4. Sydenham 522a. BMCRR 1193. RBW 1109.

 

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Ummmm, speakin' of carnyces ...



D. Junius Brutus Albinus
AR (Silver) Denarius
Struck 48 BC => The year Caesar defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and becomes sole dictator of Rome, calling himself "Imperator"
Rome Mint
Diameter: 18mm
Weight: 3.60 grams
Obverse: Head of young Mars right, wearing a crested helmet
Reverse: BRVTI F ALBINVS, two gallic trumpets (carnyces) in saltire, oval shield above, round shield below
Reference: Postumia 11; Cr450/1a; Syd 941



One footnote — the word "Gallic" relates to Gaul, the Roman name for France, and therefore means "French", and not a Scottish or Irish language
The word “carnyx” is derived from the Gaulish root, "carn-" or "cern-" meaning "antler" or "horn," and the same root of the name of the god, Cernunnos (Delmarre, 1987 pp. 106–107). This is the name the Romans gave to the instrument. The original Celtic name is unknown. Even under torture, Carnyx players would not reveal the Celtic name of the instrument to the Romans ... (quoted wikipedia)

 

I have no coins associated with Gaius Marius, but I do have the other RR denarius with a Janus head.

Roman Republic 114/113 BC, C. Fonteius
AR denarius 3.82 grams - 20.25 mm
Obv: Beadless laur. Janiform head of Dioscuri, * (XVI monogram) below r. chin, control letter S below l chin, 6 dots below neck
Rx: Gallery left, with pilot and 3 rowers left, C FONT (NT in monogram) above, ROMA below
Ref: RRC 290/1, Syd 555, RSC Fonteia 1, SR167

 

The Janus head/trophy coin (dated by Crawford to 119) is not associated with Marius. The timeline is wrong. It is associated with victories in southern Gaul that lead to the foundation of Narbo, which occurred before Marius was on the scene (His first appearance is as Tribune in 119). Marius assumed his first consulship in 107 and at that time took command of the Jurgurthine War. Therefore victories associated with Marius must be later.

The timing of the C. Fundanius (first coin in this thread, which Crawford attributes to 101 BC) coin with triumphal quadriga and boy on the near horse is right for the victory to be one of Marius. Did generals who triumphed drive their own quadrigas? Or, would that be a reference to the victory of Marius without actually suggesting the figure in the chariot was Marius? Do you know from written history that his young son rode a horse in the triumph? That part of the reverse type is distinctive.

 

Maybe they did both? It seemed sometimes the victor drove his own chariot, sometimes a person did it for him. In the HBO show Rome when caesar had his parade his slave held a wreath behind his head while standing behind him on his chariot, IIRC caesar drove it himself.