This is my second coin of Q. CAECILIUS METELLUS PIUS, but it differs from the first. The reverse displays an elephant, so it adds to my parade of elephants in my collection. Q. CAECILIUS METELLUS PIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS CAECILIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Diademed head of Pietas right; stork standing right before REVERSE: Q C M P I beneath elephant walking left w/bell hanging from neck Spanish Mint 81 BC 3.75g; 18mm Caecilia 43; Crawford 374/1; Syd 750; Sear 301 Q. CAECILIUS METELLUS PIUS is an interesting character. He was a pro-Sullan politician and general who was Roman consul in 80 BC. He was the principal Senatorial commander during the Sertorian War, fighting alongside Pompeius Magnus. He was given the agnomen “Pius” because of his constant attempts to have his father, Quintus Caecilius Metellus Numidicus, officially recalled from exile. His father was the leader of the conservative faction of the Roman Senate and a bitter enemy of Gaius Marius. He served as consul for 109 BC, and was the chief commander in the Jugurthine War in Numidia until Marius displaced him. He later became a censor, entering into exile in opposition to Marius. Metellus Pius is a prominent character in the novels The First Man in Rome, The Grass Crown and Fortune's Favorites by Colleen McCullough. In the novels he is characterised as having a stutter, and referred to by contemporaries, including Sulla, as “the Piglet”. He is also mentioned in John Maddox Roberts' SPQR series as the fictional main character Decius Caecilius Metellus' uncle. My other coin of Q. CAECILIUS METELLUS PIUS: Q. CAECILIUS METELLUS PIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS CAECILIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Diademed head of Pietas right, stork before REVERSE: IMPER in exergue, lituus and jug, all within laurel wreath Spanish Mint 81 BC 3.8g; 20mm Crawford 374/2; Sydenham 751; Caecilia 44 Ex: Barry Murphy Post your coins of Q. CAECILIUS METELLUS PIUS, elephants or anything you deem related
Sweet new purchase! Love the stork on this series. My sole Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius: And one from his adopted son, Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio Nasica, also showing the elephant of the Caecili Metelli: (I need to reshoot both btw)
All hail the Piglet! I have a note on mine that it was struck in northern Italy, where Metellus Pius was fighting for Sulla, but your note says a Spanish mint. Looking at Wikipedia, it seems to depend on the timing. In 82, he was in northern Italy; but in 80 (as consul) he was in Spain. He served as Monetalis from 82 to 80. I'm thinking Italy is more likely, just because his term as Monetalis presumably ended when he became consul? But when was he named Imperator, as (apparently) indicated on this coin? The only occasion mentioned in Wikipedia is the victory over Sertorius in Spain... in 75! I am puzzled...
Great coin, Bing!! One has been on my Must Buy list for a while. This coin has my favorite "least realistic elephant" among the multitude of contenders in the Republican denarius series . Such a sad and pathetic elephant. They remind me of Eeyore and when I see these coins I hear his voice...
JW, I really regret that I do NOT have either of your cool Denarii of Q. CAECILIUS METELLUS PIUS! I went to look, but I only have his Uncle... from 96BCE, 3 of the same coin in varying degrees of condition! Oh well... my fallback position is: ELEPHANT: Etruria 3rd C BCE AE 18mm 4.76g Hd African r Elephant r letter below SNG Cop 48 HNI 69 SNG Paris 138-140 SNG Morcom 44 RARE
Here is some interesting information beginning at Page 136 with the quoted material below found nearer 144.
Thanks, @dadams! I vaguely remember looking at this paper when I was working on my Julius Caesar elephant writeup. I see now that on p. 137 he notes that Metellus was probably hailed as imperator for the first time in the Social War, maybe around 88. It also says he went to Spain in 79, not 80... so it seems probable this coin was issued in Italy if the dating of his status as monetalis is correct, and he didn't issue coins in Spain. That seems to be Crawford's opinion. The older British Museum catalogue dates them to the Spanish period of 79-77. However, in searching their online catalogue, it seems they have now changed their opinion and are going with the Northern Italian mint in 81. Problem solved, at least to my satisfaction, for the moment.
Stork and elephant combo is pretty cool @Bing. Man, I don't have ANY Roman elephants. Here's an Sunga elephant that has some body image issues. Someone fix this poor thing a sandwich. Sunga Kingdom, cast AE unit, 175-75 BC O: elephant, R: Three arched hills, crescent above. 16 mm, 2.3 g. Mitchiner 4366-4370.
