The last years of the decline of the Roman Republic up to the rise of the Roman Empire

My example, with commentary including the connection with Pompey that @Valentinian mentions:

Roman Republic, Manius Acilius Glabrio, AR Denarius, 50 BCE (Harlan and BMCRR) or 49 BCE (Crawford), Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate head of Salus right, wearing necklace and earring, with hair collected behind in knot ornamented with jewels, SALVTIS upwards behind head / Rev. Valetudo* [Harlan says portrayal is of a statue of Valetudo] standing left, holding snake with right hand and resting left arm on column, MN•ACILIVS [downwards on right] III•VIR•VALETV [upwards on left] [MN and TV monogrammed]. RSC I Acilia 8, Crawford 442/1a, Sydenham 922, Sear RCV I 412 (ill.), Harlan, RRM II Ch. 30 at pp. 229-238, BMCRR Rome 3945. 17.5 mm., 3.98 g.



* Valetudo was essentially another manifestation of Salus (portrayed on the obverse), the goddess of health and well-being -- a concept sometimes “extended to include not only physical health but also the general welfare of the Roman people, the army and the state.” John Melville Jones, Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins (London, 1990) at p. 276. This is the only Roman coin to depict a personification of Valetudo. See id. at p. 314. Crawford (Vol. I at p. 461) says that “perhaps” these types refer to the story that the first Greek doctor to come to Rome practiced on the gens Acilia’s street, and that “it is also possible” that “expectations of a Caesarian victory influenced the choice of types.”

Harlan dismisses the “first Greek doctor” story (pointing out that the actual story in Pliny characterizes that doctor very negatively, giving no reason to commemorate him) (see RRM II at p. 231), and vigorously argues that the coin was actually pro-Pompey, not pro-Caesar. He asserts that Acilius was Pompey’s stepson for a brief period of time, born in Pompey’s house (stating that he was the son of Aemilia, Pompey’s second wife, who apparently divorced Acilius’s father to marry Pompey while she was pregnant with Acilius, although she died in childbirth and Pompey soon remarried to Mucia Tertia).

Harlan suggests that the specific inspiration for the depictions on this coin was Pompey’s grave illness around the time the coin was issued, and that the coin equated the health of Pompey with the health of the Republic: “ If the coin is dated to 50, by the end of the year, anyone who saw Salus and Valetudo on the coinage could only call to mind the national concern, and then the universal relief and thanksgiving over Pompey’s return to health. Whatever the intended meaning, certainly by the end of the year 50 the coin could easily be seen as a piece of Pompeian propaganda proclaiming that they are the ones protecting the state and Caesar is the threat to the safety of the Republic.” (RRM II at pp. 232-233.)

Harlan also estimates, based on the number of known different obverse and reverse dies, that nearly 11 million of these denarii were minted (the most during this time-period), and suggests that they were intended to be used to pay the 130,000 troops that the Senate authorized Pompey to raise in preparation for the coming conflict. (Id. p. 234.)

 

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Even apart from the age issue, the same person would not be a moneyer after having achieved the high office of Consul, let alone 17 years afterwards.

 

Please be careful. If this gets out it might break the internet.
It's even salt that he's throwing/sowing in the meme!


Anyway, for what it's worth,


in this incredibly complex equation all signs point back to, some of the greatest sons of Roma, the Gracchi bros, IMO.
From the time of Gaius Gracchi after the murder of his brother:

T. Quinctius Flamininus, 126 BCE, AR denarius. Rome, 3.91g, 18mm.
Obv: Helmeted bust of Roma right; flamen's cap behind; XVI ligate below chin
Rev: The Dioscuri riding right, each holding a couched lance, stars above; Macedonian shield between T-Q below; ROMA in exergue.
Crawford 267/1
The key feature of the type – the Macedonian shield on the reverse – is very clear on this example.
Issued by a descendant of the more famous Flamininus, a philhellene who prosecuted the second Macedonian War against Philip V and proclaimed freedom for Greece.
Ex: AMCC 2 consigned by Caesar_Augustus

 

But when Pompey was campaigning in the East, he came to know that Murcia was having a love affair with Julius Caesar and he sent Murcia the divorce letter.
Shortly afterwards, Pompey married Julia, the beautiful and only daughter of Julius Caesar, the man with whom Murcia had cheated on him. Julia was 23 years old, and Pompey 47 years old. Initially, it was a politically motivated marriage, but it became a love marriage.

One can see how the Romans felt in matter of the heart: pragmatic, unsentimental and free of jealousy. In the same year, Julius Caesar married Calpurnia, the daughter of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (don't have any of his denarii to share, maybe someone here does and can share it)

 

A denarius of Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus was posted by @Ryro here: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/so...ia-and-grandpa-to-brutus.377279/#post-6897247

 

More from the time of the decline.

A new arrival, a Gaius Porcius Cato denarius, who was the grandson of Cato the Censor. Don't know how Gaius Cato was related to Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato the Younger), different Praenomina but they had the same Nomen and Cognomen.

Gaius betrayed Gaius Gracchus in the late 120s BC and was elected consul (posterior) in 114, alongside the plebeian Manius Acilius Balbus (consul prior). Cato, as consul in 114 BC, was assigned Macedonia as his province, which was normally given to a praetor. He fought unsuccessfully against the Scordisci, the first Roman defeat in a generation. As was customary with defeated commanders, Cato was not prorogued in his province and he returned to Rome in 113 BC. He was accused of extortion in Macedonia under the provision of the Lex Acilia Repetundarum, and was sentenced to pay a fine of 8,000 Sestertii. However, he kept his seat in the Senate and remained politically active. He was sued again in 109 BC by a special court set up to investigate the bribes received by Roman politicians. Cato may have not even waited for the result of the trial and went into exile at the less civilized town of Tarraco in Spain. He became a citizen of that town and presumably died there.

AR Denarius, Rome 123 BC
3.78 g, 17.5 mm, 6h

Crawford 274/1; Sydenham 417; Porcia 1; RBW 1096;

Ob.: Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) at left, border of dots.
Rev.: Victory driving galloping biga right, holding reins and whip; C•CAT ROMA

Picture from CNG:

​

 

Marcus Porcius Cato (Cato Uticensis)
Denarius 47 - 46 BC

 

Here's my one member of the Cato family:

Roman Republic, M. Cato, AR Quinarius [half denarius], 89 BCE. Obv. Head of young Liber (or Bacchus) right, M•CATO (AT ligate) downwards behind; below, control-mark star/ Rev. Victory seated right, holding patera with outstretched right hand and palm branch over left shoulder; in exergue, VICTRIX (TR ligate). Crawford 343/2b, RSC I Porcia 7 (ill.) (type with symbol as control-mark), BMCRR 662, Sydenham 597(c), Sear RCV I 248 (ill.), RBW Collection 1298. 15 mm., 1.58 g., 6 h. Ex. Numismatique Louis Brousseau Auction 1, Aug. 24, 2019, Lot 255.*



*Issued at end of Social War. The moneyer’s specific identity and relationship to Cato the Younger (Uticensis) are unknown; he was not that Cato’s father, who died no later than 91 BCE. There is a possibility that he can be identified with M. Porcius the wine-merchant. See Crawford p. 352. The reverse figure is presumably Victoria Virgo, whose shrine was built by Cato Censorius (id., citing Livy).

The control-mark of a star is not among the 67 control-marks listed in Crawford Table XXV at pp. 350-351. There is one other example of this control-mark listed in acsearch.

 

Roman Republic
AR Denarius
134 BCE
Ti. Minucius C.f. Augurnius
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma r., * behind (XVI monogram)
Rev: Column surmounted bu statue between two togate figures, TI MINVCI on l, AVGVRINI on r, and ROMA upper behind
Sear 153; Crawford 278/1
Comment: Year prior to Tribunalship of Tiberius Gracchus. This was the year of planning, anger, and buildup to Tiberius being elected Tribune of the Plebs in 133 BCE. At the end of that year, he was murdered by the Senate - quite literally, torn apart!


Roman Republic
AR Denarius
121 BCE
C. Plutius
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma r., X behind
Rev: Dioscuri galloping r., C PLVTI below, ROMA in ex.
Sear 153; Crawford 278/1
Comments:
- 2nd Tribunal Year of Gaius Gracchus, younger brother of Tiberius Gracchus. Gaius was murdered by Optimates (the Senate) in 121 ending his term in office as Tribune.
- Further, this is the final issue of the Galloping Dioscuri reverse type on the Denarius.
- Lastly, Sear states that the Plutia gens is unknown to history. Crawford regards this moneyer as a Plautius, son of C. Plautius who was Praetor in 146 BCE

 

That is the next one on my wish list. Will be trying to find one of Marcius Porcius Cato

 

Tiberius Gracchus Tribunalship would be ended and one of the Optimates, Quintus Pompeius, proposed that after his Tribunal year was over, he should be accused of infringement of the Law and abuse of office.

Since according to the law, Tiberius could not be re-elected for a second term, he tried to convince the people that even though a re-election was against the Law, it was justified so the agrarian reform that he had initiated, could be completed.
On the day of the voting, his opponents had the majority. It came to altercations, which made a fair election impossible. Tiberius, surrounded by his supporters, was waving his hand and pointing to his head, trying to show that his life was in danger. His opponents understood this as a sign that he wanted to crown his head. The Senators came in great numbers with Pontifex Maximus Cornelius Scipio Nasica leading the way and shouting "Whoever wants to save the Republic, follow me". The Senators armed with clubs and sticks battered the people to reach the temple on the Capitoline Hill, the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus, where Tiberius was standing with his supporters. When Tiberius saw his opponents coming after him he tried to flee, but he fell and a club smashed his head. He died on the stairs of the Capitulinus [V.Paterculus II,3].
According to Plutarch, it was Publius Saturnius, a Tribune colleague, who killed Tiberius [Plutarch, Tiberius & Gaius Gracchus, 28].

 

@jdmKY, @DonnaML, @Alegandron your images are shown as broken links, and I can't see them, what a pity.

 

Very odd -- I can see all of them.

 

Hopes this helps... I enjoy this period.. Rome was struggling with its new-found power and flush with wealth from conquest... this later led to the Social War.


Roman Republic
AR Denarius
134 BCE
Ti. Minucius C.f. Augurnius
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma r., * behind (XVI monogram)
Rev: Column surmounted bu statue between two togate figures, TI MINVCI on l, AVGVRINI on r, and ROMA upper behind
Sear 153; Crawford 278/1
Comment: Year prior to Tribunalship of Tiberius Gracchus. This was the year of planning, anger, and buildup to Tiberius being elected Tribune of the Plebs in 133 BCE. At the end of that year, he was murdered by the Senate - quite literally, torn apart!



Roman Republic
AR Denarius
121 BCE
C. Plutius
Obv: Helmeted head of Roma r., X behind
Rev: Dioscuri galloping r., C PLVTI below, ROMA in ex.
Sear 153; Crawford 278/1
Comments:
- 2nd Tribunal Year of Gaius Gracchus, younger brother of Tiberius Gracchus. Gaius was murdered by Optimates (the Senate) in 121 ending his term in office as Tribune.
- Further, this is the final issue of the Galloping Dioscuri reverse type on the Denarius.
- Lastly, Sear states that the Plutia gens is unknown to history. Crawford regards this moneyer as a Plautius, son of C. Plautius who was Praetor in 146 BCE

 

Thank you

Today I can see all the pictures, yesterday I couldn't - Don't know why

 

I occasionally have this issue. Sometimes a weak internet connection.