Ancient coins offer no shortage of stories of political and military battles. The two coins that I feature today are from political opponents in an argument from 100 BC about social welfare programs and subsidy of grain prices. Lucius Apuleius Saturninus pushed as tribune for increasing grain subsidies by the Republic to steeply lower the price of grain for Roman citizens - lowering the subsidized price to 5/6ths of an As per modius (about 1/4 bushel). Lucius Appuleius Saturninus, 104 BC, AR denarius (17.5mm, 3.17 g, 6h), Rome mint Obv: Helmeted head of Roma left Rev: Saturn, holding harpa and reins, driving quadriga right; M with three • (above, below and left) Ref: Crawford 317/3a; Sydenham 578; Appuleia 1 Q. Servillius Caepio arguing that such a policy would be fiscally irresponsible. Despite this argument or perhaps because of it, in the same year he is issuing this coin with L. Calpurnius Piso, which reads: "AD FRVmentum EMundun EX Senatus Consulto" (for the purchase of grain by decree of the senate). L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus and Q. Servilius Caepio, 100 BC, AR denarius, Rome mint Obv: PISO · CAEPIO · Q, laureate head of Saturn right; harpa to left, bow below Rev: Two quaestors seated left between two stalks of grain, AD·FRV·EMV / EX·S·C Ref: Crawford 330/1b (control above off flan); Sydenham 603; Calpurnia 5 Note: An obverse die match confirms the control on this coin: a crescent. A post earlier this year from @Ryro on this issue - slightly different coin Crawford 330/1a - and Q. Servilius Caepio. A longer write-up on this pair can be found in my Notes: Grain and Civil Unrest in the Republic. Spoiler: It does not end well... Saturninus takes ambition for reelection a few steps too far and ends up paying the price. As always coins, additional references, comments and corrections are all much appreciated. Post your coins of Saturninus and Caepio, any coin pair that illustrates political or military opponents or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.
Great coins and writeup, @Sulla80 . SATURNINUS RR Saturninus 104 BC Roma Saturn hldng Sickle Quad 2 dots-V S 193 Cr 317-3a var
L CALPURNIUS PISO CAESONINUS & Q SERVILIUS CAEPIO ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS CALPURNIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Head of Saturn facing right, harpa and legend PISO behind, CAEPIO and symbol below, Q below chin REVERSE: AD FRV EMV EX SC, the two quaestors seated left between 2 grain ears Struck at Rome 100 BC 3.6g, 20mm Crawford 330/1a; Syd 6031
Thanks @Alegandron & @Bing for the additional examples. An excellent addition of Mn. Marcius, aedilis plebis primum frumentum populo in modios assibus datavit. HOW OFTEN AND ON WHAT OCCASIONS CORN HAS SOLD AT A REMARKABLY LOW PRICE? "The consequence was, that when the Roman manners were such as these, the grain that Italy produced was sufficient for its wants, and it had to be indebted to no province for its food; and not only this, but the price of provisions was incredibly cheap. Manius Marcius, the ædile of the people, was the first who gave grain to the people at the price of one As for the modius." -Pliny, Natural History 18.4
Coingrats on the beautiful and history-full coins of the upcoming social wars(a completely useless war that furthered the fissures that the Gracchi Brothers had shown a light on some 3 decades before) and also Julius Caesar's birthday 100 BCE!. And thanks for the shout out! Here is a recent w!n from @Severus Alexander 's smashing AMCC3 from the time of the Gracc!!! M. Marcius Mn.f, issued 134 BCE, fourrée denarius. 3.07g, 17.5mm. Obv: Helmeted head of Roma to right, wearing earring and pearl necklace; behind, modius; below chin, mark of value. Rev: M MAR-C / RO-MA; Victory driving biga galloping to right, holding the reins in her left hand and a whip in her right; below, splitting the inscription, two grain ears. Crawford 245/1. Purchased from AMCC3 July 2021 And my coin of Caepio: Cornelius. Pub Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus. Denarius. 100 BC. Auxiliary mint of Rome. (Ffc-617). (Craw-329 / 1b). (Rsc-478). Anv .: Bust of young Hercules right, turned from spectator, wearing lion's skin, club over shoulder, shield and Latin letter K and dots behind. ROME, below. Rev .: LENT MAR F, (NT and MAR interlace), in exergue. Roma standing facing, being crowned by the Genius of the Roman People, same letter K between them, all within laurel-wreath. Ag. 2.95 g. VF. Purchased from Tauler & Fau 4/2021
Sulla, good write up. I am very much interested in prices of goods in ancient Rome, which, of course, in the case of grain, must have varied considerably with periodic disruptions of the grain supply by war, internal discord, and natural occurrences. As I have read, circa 100 BC, the subsidized price of grain was some 5/6 of an As. Do you happen to know what the unsubsidized price, the price of grain in the marketplace, was at that time? And again I realize that its price would vary with geography, proximity to grain producing regions. Any more information of the price of grain in the city of Rome, at any time from the late Republic to the early Empire, would be greatly appreciated from any other posters as well.
6 1/3 As was very roughly 1/2 price (Livy, Periochae 60.7) I think there is a Cicero reference to a price of a modius at about 12 As. (price of grain would also vary based on supply - so government subsidy particularly important in times of scarcity where unsubsidized prices might go much higher).
