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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;John Anthony, post: 7981333, member: 42773&quot;]This is an interesting question from your blog...</p><p><br /></p><p><i><font size="4">Could the desultors be well closely associated with Numidians in the minds of Romans? Could the rat have some meaning related to Numidian betrayal in jumping sides during the War with Carthage or Romans jumping sides between Jugurtha and Adherbal? Could substituting desultor for dioscuri on the reverse be a comment about the political circus of the times?</font></i></p><p><br /></p><p>It&#039;s easy to imagine a desultor symbolizing vacillation, but did rats carry the same connotation to ancient Romans that they do today? In some cultures, rats have symbolized wealth and surplus. If you&#039;re born in the Year of the Rat (Chinese Zodiac) you may be smart, nimble, full of vitality and enterprising spirit, etc.</p><p><br /></p><p>Here are the legendary second and fourth kings of Rome on a denarius of C. Censorinus. “Numa Pompilius (753–673 BC; reigned 715–673 BC) was the legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus after a one-year interregnum. He was of Sabine origin, and many of Rome&#039;s most important religious and political institutions are attributed to him, such as the Roman Calendar, Vestal Virgins, the cult of Mars, the cult of Jupiter, the cult of Romulus, and the office of Pontifex Maximus.” [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numa_Pompilius" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numa_Pompilius" rel="nofollow">wiki</a>] Ancus Marcius (c. 677–617 BC; reigned 642–617 BC) was the legendary fourth king of Rome. Upon the death of the previous king, Tullus Hostilius, the Roman Senate appointed an interrex, who in turn called a session of the assembly of the people who elected the new king. Ancus is said to have ruled by waging war as Romulus did, while also promoting peace and religion as Numa did. [<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancus_Marcius" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancus_Marcius" rel="nofollow">wiki</a>] </p><p><br /></p><p>The reverse features a desultor. <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-quintet-of-roman-silver.388225/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-quintet-of-roman-silver.388225/">IF YOU LIKE THIS COIN CLICK HERE.</a> <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie14" alt=":angelic:" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1385037[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>ROMAN REPUBLIC.</p><p>C. Censorinus, moneyer.</p><p>AR Denarius, 19mm, 3.4g, 10h; Rome, 88 BC.</p><p>Obv.: Jugate heads of Numa Pompilius and Ancus Marcius right.</p><p>Reverse: Desultor riding one of two horses galloping right; spear below.</p><p>Reference: Crawford 346/1d.</p><p><a href="https://www.sullacoins.com/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.sullacoins.com/" rel="nofollow">ex Sulla Collection</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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