A 'bit'? I'd say so. That 'virgin test' type is pushing a 6. Harlan spent 5+ pages on the type but his book has detractors perhaps because he disagreed with Crawford on some things including the date of this type (62 rather than 64 BC). Add to that the fact that these have complimentary symbols in the fields. Mine is a lyre and what Banti called 'igneumone' but I have no idea what that is. Is yours the goatskin/cup? Regarding Harlan, Michael, Roman Republican Moneyers & Their Coins, 63 BC - 49 BC: I have the revised second edition of 2015 which shows Roscius under 62BC. 64 BC (Crawford's date) would suggest that the coin belonged in Harlan's earlier volume and I do not know where it was in his first edition of the 63-49 book which I have not seen. Most I see for sale now seem to be the old edition. I liked the revised one with a gray cover BUT I do not suggest paying the going rate for the old one with the orange and red cover. You may as well buy Crawford at the new price.
Mine is control-symbol pair 106, unidentified in Crawford. But with the highest magnification possible of the relevant portions of my photos of the coin, I can see flames burning in both items, so I think that they're both almost certainly some sort of candle holder or oil lamp. Regarding Harlan, I have only the revised edition of his 63-49 BCE volume. L. Roscius Fabatus is not in his 81-64 BCE volume.
Rather than reinventing the wheel with an explanation, I will direct you to the recent 64-post thread on that subject! See https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-...an-denarius-could-it-possibly-be-real.364583/
An enviable "consolation coin", @DonnaML. You raise good questions about the scene - Babelon agrees with Crawford on the relationship between the three - did they know something that we don't know about the scene? Who is Roman and who not in the scene? "Cavalier galopant à droit, et brandissant un javelot contre un ennemi armé d’un casque gallois et d’un bouclier ovale, qui est sur le point d’égorger un troisième combatant renversé a terre et sans armes" "Galloping horseman to the right, and wielding a spear against an enemy armed with a Gallic helmet and an oval shield, who is about to slaughter a third fighter knocked down and unarmed" -Babelon There are other scenes of Romans in battles like this one e.g. from 168 BC discussed in Michael J. Taylor. (2016). The Battle Scene on Aemilius Paullus's Pydna Monument: A Reevaluation. Hesperia: The Journal of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, 85(3), 559-576. I don't suggest that the scene on the coin is connected to this scene - only that it has a battle scene with some common elements (fallen, naked, Gauls, Romans on horse and on foot, non-Roman cavalrymen) and debate about the interpretation of who is on which side doing what to whom....11-Roman, 12-Gallic, 13-Roman, 14-Macedonian, 15-Roman. Here are my coins of this type: P. Fonteius P.f. Capito and T. Didius, AR denarius , 55 BC Obv: P·FONTEIVS·P·F – CAPITO·III·VIR, helmeted and draped bust of Mars right, with trophy over shoulder Rev: MN – FONT·TR·MIL, horseman thrusting spear at enemy who is about to slay unarmed captive; in right field, helmet and oval shield Ref: Crawford 429/1.
Only in sale catalog descriptions. For example: CNG, Bertolami, Vauctions, Roma : variations of "... to lower left, another enemy warrior, kneeling right" Heritage : "... spearing down at two Gallic warriors" Pegasi : "... Horseman riding over Gaulish warriors" Looking through the results again, I do think a greater proportion go with the right kneeling combatant attempting to kill or at least menace the unarmed one, and also that the latter's posture and being naked suggests he's a captive. Whatever the case is, I've no doubt there's probably a very interesting story behind the scene!
That's one fabulous looking coin Donna! This is my favorite RR "action" reverse denarius of P. Licinius Nerva with Roman cavalryman dragging enemy by the hair. This was the first republican denarius type I purchased when I was a kid.
I would put this one relatively high on the "action" scale. Plus the horse is just so darn cute! Q. Marcius Philippus, 129 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 4.01g). Obv: Helmeted head of Roma right, with cross on neck-guard; behind, *. Rev. Macedonian Horseman galloping right, wearing crested helmet, holding spear in right hand; below horses, Q·PILIPVS. In left field, Macedonian helmet with goat's horns and in exergue, ROMA. Ref: Babelon Marcia 11; Sydenham 477; Type as RBW 1054; Crawford 259/1.
I forgot to say: your second symbol looks like it could be a lyre-key, albeit upside down compared to the one on my L. Papius denarius, with a lyre and lyre key as the pair:
I bought this years ago, Severus Alexander 222-235 AD. All I know is he was killed by his soldiers along with his mother at the age of 27. The strike is sharp and it has luster. I have no idea what it may be worth?
I suggest that you post this question as a new, separate thread (preferably with a photo of the reverse side as well, and with larger photos of both sides). It has nothing to do with this thread.