The RBW collection of Roman Republican coins part II

487487 Aureus January-April 43, AV 8.09 g. C·NORBANVS / L·CESTIVS Draped bust of Sibyl r.; in r. field, PR.Rev. Cybele on throne in biga of lions l., holding patera in r. hand and resting l. hand on tympanum; in upperl. field, S·C. Babelon Cestia 3 and Norbana 5. Bahrfeldt 26 and plate IV, 22 (these dies). Sydenham 1155.Sear Imperators 196. Calicó 5 (these dies). Crawford 491/2.Rare. Reverse slightly off-centre, otherwise extremely fine 9’000Privately purchased from H. Kreindler in April 1991.Marcus Antonius and L. Livineius Regulus488488 Aureus 42, AV 8.01 g. M·ANTONIVS – III.VIR·R·P.C Head of M. Antonius r. Rev. L·REGVLVS –IIIVIR·A·P.F Hercules seated facing on rock, holding spear and sword, with lion’s skin draped over lap; onr, shield decorated with gorgoneion. Babelon Antonia 22 e Livineia 3. C 25. Bahrfeldt 48 and plate VI, 17(these dies). Sydenham1103a. Sear Imperators 143a. Calicó 91. Crawford 494/2.Extremely rare, apparently only fifteen specimens known of which only five are inprivate hands. Struck on a very broad flan and good very fine 30’000Ex Sternberg sale 21, 1988, 324.The portrait aurei of 42 B.C. are devoted to the three members of the second triumvirate – Octavian, Antony and Lepidus.All were produced by four moneyers, Clodius, Mussidius, Varus and Regulus, and Buttrey’s proposal that the fourmoneyers struck in the same year has generally been accepted.Each moneyer struck portrait aurei for each triumvir, making it a comprehensive series. The aurei of L. Livineius Regulusare unique within the group because they are not die linked with coins of the other three moneyers. This aspect, taken withthe unusual characteristics of some of Regulus’ silver coins, allowed Buttrey to argue that Regulus was the primus, orleading member, of the college of four moneyers. If so, the coins of Regulus may have been struck first, with those ofClodius, Mussidius and Varus following in a manner that allowed them to be die linked among each other.Based upon the inscription PRAEF.VR on one of Regulus’ denarii, Buttrey suggests Regulus was serving as the praefect ofthe city of Rome in 42 B.C., and that his duties included control of the coinage when consuls were absent. Thus, Regulusout of necessity may have become one of the moneyers so he could perform his expanded duties as praefect.Regulus’ portrait aurei were carefully conceived, as the reverse type associated with each triumvir refers to the divineforbearers of the men: Octavian claimed descent from Venus, which is implied by Regulus’ type of Aeneas carryingAnchises; Lepidus counted Mars among his ancestors, which is alluded to by his type depicting the Vestal Virgin Aemilia;and Antony is said to have been descended form Hercules, who is shown on the aurei Regulus produced for him.As Buttrey points out, offering descent from a divinity as a qualification for authority was not original to this series;similar overtures had been made on earlier coinage by Sulla (with Venus), Pompey (with Neptune) and Julius Caesar (withVenus). However, Regulus’ coins show a strengthening of that trend, and imply that “...the Fortune of the city was to beassured by divinity as it were made flesh.”The portrait die of this specimen was paired only with one reverse die, assuring us that it did not have a particularly longlife. Stylistically it is perhaps the finest of all the Antony portrait dies employed by these moneyers. The inscription IIIIVIR A P F is instructive, if not entirely clear. It almost certainly abbreviates quatuorviri argento publico feriundo orquattuorvir auro publico feriundo, with the latter representing the first time gold was included as part of the regular issues– something of a landmark in the development of Roman coinage.110