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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Mikey Zee, post: 2860634, member: 72818&quot;]It seems appropriate that my last purchase for the month of September would be a &#039;Republican&#039; since a quarter of my collection falls within that general time period. True to form, this denarius significantly differs from those I have. The atypical obverse bust of Liberty caught my eye and that cool reverse compelled me to place a competitive bid. And a bit of research revealed a rather interesting moneyer named L Valerius Flaccus who struck this coin 108/107 BC during the bloodily turbulent times of Marius and Sulla---not to mention still circulating during the ascension of Julius Caesar. Rather than bore those with little interest in moneyers---a common preliminary to the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursus_honorum" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cursus_honorum" rel="nofollow">political career track</a> for young men of senatorial rank---I&#039;ll provide a Wikipedia link below.</p><p><br /></p><p>What about the coin itself? It&#039;s graded at &#039;extremely fine&#039;, well centered and includes all those wonderful devices already mentioned. Of particular interest to me was the references to the &#039;priestly&#039; offices held by the moneyer and his ancestors....</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Apex</b> the hat worn by certain Roman priests, originally referring to the rod or spike surmounting the headdress.</p><p><img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&amp;ik=d585a8dc82&amp;view=fimg&amp;th=15e9f6ebd444c6f8&amp;attid=0.1&amp;disp=emb&amp;realattid=ii_15e9f6ea34353d88&amp;attbid=ANGjdJ-4QZI1XQpRb5m2bTk4ReuJg-BfX-YQrbgu6FaBl-Rsy1CJzrIrkINLALQ7v2bbEJTP44zVv3DDsNC1NQp_mL8BwfhOl3IliMizDQHk7jbe473SOCzOUQk3Y1o&amp;sz=w456-h442&amp;ats=1506174623007&amp;rm=15e9f6ebd444c6f8&amp;zw&amp;atsh=1" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><img src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSit4oa4iZB98gZ4x68326IJ-YKsy25FWzV7JlEXo8eUYlvdcNO" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>In <a href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Religion%20in%20ancient%20Rome&amp;item_type=topic" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Religion%20in%20ancient%20Rome&amp;item_type=topic" rel="nofollow">ancient Roman religion</a>, the <b>Flamen Martialis</b> was the high priest of the official state cult of <a href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Mars%20(mythology)&amp;item_type=topic" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Mars%20(mythology)&amp;item_type=topic" rel="nofollow">Mars</a>, the god of war. He was one of the <a href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Flamines%20maiores&amp;item_type=topic" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Flamines%20maiores&amp;item_type=topic" rel="nofollow">flamines maiores</a>, the three high priests who were the most important of the fifteen <a href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Flamen&amp;item_type=topic" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Flamen&amp;item_type=topic" rel="nofollow">flamens</a>. The Flamen Martialis would have led public rites on the days sacred to Mars. Among his duties was the ritual brandishing of the sacred <a href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Spear&amp;item_type=topic" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Spear&amp;item_type=topic" rel="nofollow">spears</a> of Mars when the <a href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Roman%20army&amp;item_type=topic" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.revolvy.com/main/index.php?s=Roman%20army&amp;item_type=topic" rel="nofollow">Roman army</a> was preparing for war.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Valerius_Flaccus_(princeps_senatus_86_BC)" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Valerius_Flaccus_(princeps_senatus_86_BC)" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucius_Valerius_Flaccus_(princeps_senatus_86_BC)</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Please feel free to pile on<img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]681057[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>L. Valerius Flaccus, Denarius, Rome, 108 or 107 BC; AR (g 3.85; mm 19; h 3); Draped and winged bust of Victory r.; before, *, Rv. Mars advancing l., holding spear and trophy; behind, corn ear; before, apex and L VALERI / FLACCI. Crawford 306/1; Valeria 11; Sydenham 565. Cabinet tone, extremely fine.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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