Dear Friends! Apposite to the thread about Orichalcum I want to share one of my favourite historical coins. Not only because of its colour but of its historical importance too! The coin: Roman Republic, C. Clovius, gens Clovia AE - Orichalcium dupondius, 27mm, 14.87g, 0° 45 BC, struck for Julius Caesar in North Italy, probably Milan obv. CAESAR DICT TER Draped and winged bust of Victory, r., wearing hair up, [with ear ring; star behind] rev. [C.] CLOVI - PRAEF Minerva, in long garment and with Corinthian helmet, walking l., holding tropaeum over r. shoulder and in l. hand spear and shield decorated with head of Medusa; at her feet l. a snake erecting before her ref. Crawford 476/1a; RPC I 601/1; CRI 62; Sydenham 1025; C.7; Julia 17; BMCRR 4125 Scarce to rare with excellent provenance, about VF, attractive yellow olive river patina pedigree: Ex Glendining’s (25 June 1997), lot 45. Ex CNG This coin, apart from its nice river patina is remarkable too because of several reasons: Caesar's victory over the Pompeians at Munda on 17 March 45 BC resulted in a total victory for the dictator, thus bringing to an end the Pompeian opposition and to his supremacy in the Roman world. This remarkable Caesarian aes issue represented by this well-preserved specimen would appear to be closely associated with the gold aurei and quinarii of L. Plancus struck in Rome in the autumn of 45 BC for the purpose of distribution at Caesar's Spanish triumph. The issue of Roman aes at this time was a great novelty as regular production had ceased four decades before and was not destined to be resumed until the Augustan reform of circa 19-18 BC. The idea probably originated with the Pompeian coinage of bronze asses issued in Spain prior to the battle of Munda. Caesar's issue would have served the purpose of low value donation pieces for distribution to the populace during the triumphal procession through the streets of Rome. This orichalcum then could have answered the purpose to let the coins look more valuable. The bust of Victory and the warlike figure of Minerva convey a clear message that this was a special coinage issued for the celebration of a military success. Not a great deal is known of C. Clovius (or Cluvius), the prefect entrusted with the production of this most unusual coinage. We are not even sure of the precise nature of his prefectship, though it is tempting to assume that he was one of the six praefecti Urbi appointed by Caesar before he set out for Spain. But there are other suggestions too (Crawford p. 94, note 1). In 44 BC he was governor of Gallia Cisalpina and there appear to be later references to him during Augustus' rule. River patina: To my knowledge the description "river patina" came up in the middle of the 70th years, when a greater batch came on the market nearly without patina - like this dupondius. These coins reportedly were found from the river Aniene, a tributary of the Tiber. Probably it was the mud which can be found in many rivers that saved the coins from oxidation and has created this (almost not-existent) patina. Best regards
This coin coming fresh off the mint, bright like gold, must have made an overwhelming impression. Jochen
