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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Sulla80, post: 7854515, member: 99456&quot;]Ancient coins offer no shortage of stories of political and military battles.&nbsp; 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.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Lucius Apuleius Saturninus </b>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 <i><b>As</b></i> per modius (about 1/4 bushel).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1353196[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Lucius Appuleius Saturninus</b>, 104 BC, AR denarius (17.5mm, 3.17 g, 6h), Rome mint</p><p><b>Obv: </b>Helmeted head of Roma left</p><p><b>Rev:</b> Saturn, holding harpa and reins, driving quadriga right; M with three • (above, below and left)</p><p><b>Ref:</b> Crawford 317/3a; Sydenham 578; Appuleia 1</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Q. Servillius Caepio </b>arguing that such a policy would be fiscally irresponsible.&nbsp; Despite this argument or perhaps because of it, in the same year he is issuing this coin with L. Calpurnius Piso, which reads: &quot;<b>AD FRV</b>mentum <b>EM</b>undun <b>EX S</b>enatus <b>C</b>onsulto&quot; (for the purchase of grain by decree of the senate).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1353197[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus and Q. Servilius Caepio</b>, 100 BC, AR denarius, Rome mint</p><p><b>Obv:</b> PISO · CAEPIO · Q, laureate head of Saturn right; harpa to left, bow below</p><p><b>Rev: </b>Two quaestors seated left between two stalks of grain, AD·FRV·EMV / EX·S·C</p><p><b>Ref:</b> Crawford <a href="http://numismatics.org/crro/id/rrc-330.1b" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://numismatics.org/crro/id/rrc-330.1b" rel="nofollow">330/1b</a> (control above off flan); Sydenham 603; Calpurnia 5</p><p><b>Note: </b>An <a href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?zpg=12038" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?zpg=12038" rel="nofollow">obverse die match</a> confirms the control on this coin: a <b>crescent</b>.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/social-wars-q-servilius-caepio-son-of-a-disgraced-general-father-to-servilia-and-grandpa-to-brutus.377279/" class="internalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.cointalk.com/threads/social-wars-q-servilius-caepio-son-of-a-disgraced-general-father-to-servilia-and-grandpa-to-brutus.377279/">A post earlier this year</a> from [USER=91461]@Ryro[/USER] on this issue - slightly different coin Crawford 330/1a - and Q. Servilius Caepio.</p><p><br /></p><p>A longer write-up on this pair can be found in my Notes: <a href="https://www.sullacoins.com/post/grain-and-civil-unrest-in-the-republic" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.sullacoins.com/post/grain-and-civil-unrest-in-the-republic" rel="nofollow">Grain and Civil Unrest in the Republic</a>.&nbsp; [SPOILER=&quot;It does not end well...&quot;]Saturninus takes ambition for reelection a few steps too far and ends up paying the price.[/SPOILER]</p><p><br /></p><p>As always coins, additional references, comments and corrections are all much appreciated.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Post your coins of Saturninus and Caepio, any coin pair that illustrates political or military opponents or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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