New arrival from CNG! This is a type I previously had in the collection, but sold it off due to raised quality standards. Very happy to have the type back in the collection and in superb condition! L. Censorinus. 82 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.99 g, 6h). Rome mint. Obverse: Laureate head of Apollo right. Reverse: Marsyas standing left, raising hand and holding wineskin over shoulder; L•CENSOR downwards in left field; column surmounted by statue of Minerva(?) in right field. Reference: Crawford 363/1d. Provenance: CNG 111 (29 May 2019), lot 613. From the Alan J. Harlan Collection, purchased from Edward J. Waddell, Ltd. "In Greek mythology, the satyr Marsyas is a central figure in two stories involving music: in one, he picked up the double oboe (aulos) that had been abandoned by Athena and played it; in the other, he challenged Apollo to a contest of music and lost his hide and life. In antiquity, literary sources often emphasise the hubris of Marsyas and the justice of his punishment. Among the Romans, Marsyas was cast as the inventor of augury and a proponent of free speech (the philosophical concept "parrhesia") and "speaking truth to power." The earliest known representation of Marsyas at Rome stood for at least 300 years in the Roman Forum near or in the comitium, the space for political activity. He was depicted as a silen, carrying a wineskin on his left shoulder and raising his right arm. The statue was regarded as an indicium libertatis, a symbol of liberty, and was associated with demonstrations of the plebs, or common people. It often served as a sort of kiosk upon which invective verse was posted." The plebeian gens of the Marcii claimed that they were descended from Marsyas. Gaius Marcius Rutilus, who rose to power from the plebs, is credited with having dedicated the statue that stood in the Roman forum, most likely in 294 BC, when he became the first plebeian censor and added the cognomen Censorinus to the family name. Marcius Rutilus was also among the first plebeian augurs, co-opted into their college in 300, and so the mythical teacher of augury was an apt figure to represent him. The descendant of Marcius Rutilus, L. Marcius Censorinus, issued coins depicting the statue of Marsyas, at a time when the augural college was the subject of political controversy during the Sullan civil wars of the 80s BC. On the coin, Marsyas wears a Phrygian cap or pilleus, an emblem of liberty. This Marcius Censorinus was killed by Sulla and his head displayed outside Praeneste. Sulla's legislative program attempted to curtail power invested in the people, particularly restricting the powers of the plebeian tribunes, and to restore the dominance of the senate and the privileges of patricians."
Congrats, that's a great example. The Marysas on it is terrific! ROMAN REPUBLIC AR Denarius. 3.89g, 17mm. Rome mint, 82 BC. L. Marcius Censorinus, moneyer. Crawford 363/1d; Sydenham 737. O: Laureate head of Apollo right. R: Marsyas standing left, holding wineskin over shoulder; to right, column surmounted by statue of Minerva(?) standing left; L • CENSOR down left. Ex Prof Dr Hildebrecht Hommel Collection
Nice one, Michael Stolt. All that detail on the reverse is hard to find. As much as I love this type, mine are all somewhat worn (especially my avatar). Here are my 2 best. The second one has a fairly apparent die clash on the reverse:
Nice one! I also have an ex Hommel collection coin C. Fundanius. 101 BC. AR Quinarius (14mm, 1.76 g, 1h). Rome mint. Obverse: Laureate head of Jupiter right; C to left. Reverse: Victory standing right, crowning trophy, beside which stands carnyx; before which, Gallic captive kneeling left; C•FVNDA upwards to right; Q in exergue. Reference: Crawford 326/2 Provenance: CNG Electronic auction 432 (14 November 2018) lot 244, from the Andrew McCabe Collection, purchased from Peus. Ex Prof. Dr. Hildebrecht Hommel (†1996) and the three-generation Hommel family collection.
Here is mine. L. Censorinus. AR Denarius, 82 BC. Pair number: 15. D/ Laureate head of Apollo right. On right, [fish] off flan. R/ L. CENSOR. The satyr Marsyas standing left, with right arm raised and holding wine-skin over left shoulder; behind, column bearing statue on top. On right, letter D. Cr. 363/1a. B. (Marcia) 24. AR. g. 3.85 mm. 16.50 RRRR. Of the highest rarity, only 5 specimens known. Old cabinet tone. VF.The gash across the reverse surface is an 'adjustment al marco'. (C. Stannard 'The adjustment al marco of the weight of Roman Republican denarii blanks by gouging' in 'Metallurgy in numismatics vol 3' Royal Numismatic Society, 1993). Ex: Artemide Aste Auction L Lot 246. November 3, 2018. "An Unprecedented Important Collection of Cr. 363/1a-b"
Great coin with many stories connected. I also upgraded a few years ago, and haven't yet convinced myself to release the first one - it has perhaps a less dramatic 'adjustment al marco' as described by @Orfew. I am not sure there are duplicates in ancient coins... Here's the companion (as it is not a replacement): L. Censorinus, 82 BC, AR Denarius, Rome mint Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right Rev: Marsyas standing left, raising hand and holding wineskin over shoulder; to right, column surmounted by statue of (Victory? Minerva?) standing right Ref: Crawford 363/1d (no control marks - c. 197 obv/c. 228 rev dies per Crawford RRC) Pliny tells a story (NH XXI.6) of Augustus' daughter, Julia, getting in trouble with her father for placing a garland or chaplet on the statue of Marsyas (during her "nocturnal debaucheries"). I think it was Gaius Marcius Censorinus, who minted coins in 88 BC (Crawford 346) and fought Sulla in the Battle of the Colline Gate, of whom Appian writes: "It was estimated that 50,000 men on both sides lost their lives in this engagement. Prisoners, to the number of more than 8,000, were shot down with darts by Sulla because they were mostly Samnites. The next day Marcius and Carinas were captured and brought in. Sulla did not spare them because they were Romans, but killed them both and sent their heads to Lucretius at Praeneste to be displayed round the walls." - Appian, The Civil Wars, 1.93 Sulla would have enjoyed the Greek version of the tale, with Marsyas as a reminder of a god's right to punish anyone who dares to challenge them. Apollo and Marsyas and the Judgment of Midas (Melchior Meier, AD 1581) - Midas, right, punished for choosing Marsyas as the winner in the music competition with Apollo, and Marsyas, left, flayed by Apollo, center, for his hubris in challenging the god.
