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Message:: [QUOTE="cmezner, post: 8651598, member: 87809"]Lucius (b. 17 BC) was awarded "princeps iuventutis" in 3 AD, and this was symbolized by offering him a silver shield and a silver spear, the weapons of the cavalry. His elder brother Gaius had been princeps iuventutis in 7 BC. The task of principes iuventutes was to lead the yearly parade of the cavalry in Rome.About the "X": Mattingly relates it to the old symbol for the denarius; Before 141 BC all denarii had the mark of value "X" meaning it was worth 10 Asses. At the end of the 2nd century BC, this mark disappeared from the denarii. Mattingly argues further that the reappearance of "X" was due to the huge amount of denarii that circulated beyond the borders of the empire. [Mattingly, BMC 1, CXVII; M. Grant, Roman Imperial Money, London 1954, 78.] On the other hand, MacDonald & Giard interpret it as a classification symbol; MacDonals as a «control mark to distinguish the later strikings» [MacDonald, Observations (12) 29]. Giard as the mark for a secondary mint [GIARD, Lyon (Note 13) 44].Another interpretation is that after the death of Lucius and Gaius, the consuls Valerius Messala Volesus and Cornelius Cinna Magnus presented a new lex to pre-select consuls and praetors. For this, 10 centurions selected from the Senators and members of the three highest judge decurions were responsible. To honor Gaius and Lucius these 10 centurions were called after them: five with the name Gaius Caesar and five with the name Lucius Caesar. This is recorded in the Tabula Hebana. Thus the "X" designates these 10 centurions: C(ai) et L(uci) Caesar(um) appellentur to keep in remembrance Caius and Lucius. [Quoted and translated from: Wolters, "Gaius und Lucius Caesar als designierte Konsuln und principes iuventutis", pp 303-306][/QUOTE]

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