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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;DonnaML, post: 7997212, member: 110350&quot;]Roman Republic, T. Carisius, AR Denarius, 46 BCE, Rome mint. Obv. Head of Sibyl (or Sphinx) right, her hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling, tied with bands / Rev. Human-headed Sphinx seated right with open wings, wearing cap, T•CARISIVS above,; in exergue, III•VIR. Crawford 464/1, RSC I Carisia 11 (ill.), Sear RCV I 446 (ill.), Sear <i>Roman Imperators</i> 69 (ill. p. 46), Sydenham 983a, BMCRR 4061. 19 mm., 3.87 g.*</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1387190[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>*The head on the obverse is described simply as a “Sibyl” in Crawford, “Sibyl Herophile” in Sear, and “Aphrodisian Sibyl” (i.e., Sibyl relating to Aphrodite/Venus) in RSC and BMCRR. The Sibyl Herophile was the name of a Sibyl at Erythae in Ionia opposite Chios, also associated with Samos. Crawford notes at p. 476 that the combination of a Sibyl on the obverse and a sphinx on the reverse “recall</p><p>those of Gergis in the Troad [citing BMC Troas, pp. xxx and 55], perhaps allud[ing] to Caesar’s Trojan origin,” the moneyer being a supporter of Caesar. See the examples of these coins of Gergis at <a href="https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/troas/gergis/i.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/troas/gergis/i.html" rel="nofollow">https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/troas/gergis/i.html</a> and <a href="https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=79" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=79" rel="nofollow">https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=79</a> . On each such coin, the Sibyl is characterized as “Sibyl Herophile.” Characterizing her as the “Aphrodisian” Sibyl would relate to the gens Julia’s legendary descent from Venus. The theory that the obverse instead portrays the head of the Sphinx on the reverse is presented in an article by D. Woods, “Carisius, Acisculus, and the Riddle of the Sphinx,” <i>American Journal of Numismatics Vol. 25</i> (2013).</p><p><br /></p><p>The “IIIVIR” in the exergue on the reverse refers to the moneyer’s position at the mint. See <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=IIIVIR" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=IIIVIR" rel="nofollow">https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=IIIVIR</a>, defining the term as a “Latin abbreviation: Triumvir. On coins of the Roman Republic IIIVIR is used as a shortened abbreviation for IIIVIR AAAFF, which abbreviates ‘III viri aere argento auro flando feiundo’ or ‘Three men for the casting and striking of bronze, silver and gold,’ a moneyer or mint magistrate.”</p><p><br /></p><p>I&#039;m tempted to add to the description that the sphinx is wearing sunglasses, but I don&#039;t think they&#039;d been invented yet.</p><p><br /></p><p>Another mythical beast that&#039;s neither a sphinx nor a pegasus (since we&#039;ve had a lot of pegasi posted lately).[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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