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Choice Roman Silver Denarius of Marc Antony browse these categories for related items... Directory: Archives:Regional Art:Ancient World:Roman: Pre AD 1000: Item # 266664
Janus Antiquities By Appointment New Jersey (330) 612-3957 Guest Book SOLD |
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This coin, issued just before Marc Antony lost his civil war against Julius Caesar at the Battle of Actium, is a fantastic piece of Roman history! Antony, whose affair with Cleopatra has become infamous courtesy of Shakespeare, lost this final fight for the control of Rome in 31 B.C. Short on funds, Antony minted these denarii to pay his soldiers between 32-31 B.C. As the Battle of Actium was to be a sea battle, the obverse features a Roman galley, while the reverse features two legionary standards and an eagle, symbol of Roman might. These coins were minted and stamped with the numbers of the legions under Antony's control; this particular coin was minted for Legion XVI.
While Antony lost the battle, his coins remained in circulation for some time. Because Antony was short on silver at the end of the war, his denarii were minted with a mix of copper and silver, thus devaluing the coins. This impure mix kept the coins in active circulation for hundreds of years after Antony's defeat as no one had any reason to save them. However, in the 2nd Century A.D. the value of all Roman currency had become so devalued that Antony's coins were more pure, and therefore more valuable by comparison. After centuries of use (which accounts for the significant wear on virtually all of his issues), Marc Antony's denarii were finally saved and hoarded such that most are found in large caches when discovered today. Obv: ANT AVG III VIR R P C - Galley right, banner at prow right. Rev: LEG XVI - Two standards with eagle between them. AGE: Patrae mint, 32-31 B.C. CONDITION: Quite good for the type with significant detail still visible. Bear in mind that this coins was traded around the Empire for around 200 years! DIMENSIONS: About 3.15 grams REFERENCE: SEAR RCV I (2000), #1479, page 283 - RRC 544 (VF $160 - XF $440) |
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