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Cr 489/6 AR Quinarius M. Antonius
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Quinarius, Lugdunum ? 42 BCE 1.78 gm
o: [III·VIR·] R·P·C around head of Victory (with features of Fulvia?)
r: [A]NTONI Lion walking r.; at sides, [A] – XL[I]. In exergue, IMP.
Usually said to be Antony's third wife, Fulvia and as giving his age of 41. The idea that the portrait is Fulvia is a bit of a stretch, and Crawford does not mention or attribute it as such in RRC. Nor is "Victoria" obvious, as the wings, if that is what is visible in FDC examples, are tiny even compared to full statuette forms. In every example I have seen, the portrait is poorly-executed and hardly a tribute to either Victory or Fulvia herself. Fulvia seems to have been a formidable person, and so the non-standard style would be perhaps consistent, but the uninspired portrait would then have been a significant failure.
The attribution of Antony's age as "41", which certainly fits some chronologies, nonetheless does not have a better explanation than that it seems that Julius Caesar put his age at "52" on a coin. There is debate about the dating and meaning of such age references, but, from my perspective, neither age matters as an absolute number -- both Antony and particularly Caesar had already legally been through the cursus, including Consul. Antony was Consul for 44 BCE. (Otherwise, as to Antony, we would have heard from Cicero at excruciating length.) Perhaps these are "birthday" issues, but a sad, lonely and pathetic birthday it would reflect. Antony's later coins with Octavia are more persuasive.
Antonia 32. Sydenham 1163. Sear Imperators 126.
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![Cr 489/6 AR Quinarius M. Antonius
Quinarius, Lugdunum ? 42 BCE 1.78 gm
o: [III·VIR·] R·P·C around head of Victory (with features of Fulvia?)
r: [A]NTONI Lion walking r.; at sides, [A] – XL[I]. In exergue, IMP.
Usually said to be Antony's third wife, Fulvia and as giving his age of 41. The idea that the portrait is Fulvia is a bit of a stretch, and Crawford does not mention or attribute it as such in RRC. Nor is "Victoria" obvious, as the wings, if that is what is visible in FDC examples, are tiny even compared to full statuette forms. In every example I have seen, the portrait is poorly-executed and hardly a tribute to either Victory or Fulvia herself. Fulvia seems to have been a formidable person, and so the non-standard style would be perhaps consistent, but the uninspired portrait would then have been a significant failure.
The attribution of Antony's age as "41", which certainly fits some chronologies, nonetheless does not have a better explanation than that it seems that Julius Caesar put his age at "52" on a coin. There is debate about the dating and meaning of such age references, but, from my perspective, neither age matters as an absolute number -- both Antony and particularly Caesar had already legally been through the cursus, including Consul. Antony was Consul for 44 BCE. (Otherwise, as to Antony, we would have heard from Cicero at excruciating length.) Perhaps these are "birthday" issues, but a sad, lonely and pathetic birthday it would reflect. Antony's later coins with Octavia are more persuasive.
Antonia 32. Sydenham 1163. Sear Imperators 126.](albums/userpics/31877/normal_822KMK544503.jpg "Click to view full size image
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Cr 489/6 AR Quinarius M. Antonius
Quinarius, Lugdunum ? 42 BCE 1.78 gm
o: [III·VIR·] R·P·C around head of Victory (with features of Fulvia?)
r: [A]NTONI Lion walking r.; at sides, [A] – XL[I]. In exergue, IMP.
Usually said to be Antony's third wife, Fulvia and as giving his age of 41. The idea that the portrait is Fulvia is a bit of a stretch, and Crawford does not mention or attribute it as such in RRC. Nor is \"Victoria\" obvious, as the wings, if that is what is visible in FDC examples, are tiny even compared to full statuette forms. In every example I have seen, the portrait is poorly-executed and hardly a tribute to either Victory or Fulvia herself. Fulvia seems to have been a formidable person, and so the non-standard style would be perhaps consistent, but the uninspired portrait would then have been a significant failure.
The attribution of Antony's age as \"41\", which certainly fits some chronologies, nonetheless does not have a better explanation than that it seems that Julius Caesar put his age at \"52\" on a coin. There is debate about the dating and meaning of such age references, but, from my perspective, neither age matters as an absolute number -- both Antony and particularly Caesar had already legally been through the cursus, including Consul. Antony was Consul for 44 BCE. (Otherwise, as to Antony, we would have heard from Cicero at excruciating length.) Perhaps these are \"birthday\" issues, but a sad, lonely and pathetic birthday it would reflect. Antony's later coins with Octavia are more persuasive.
Antonia 32. Sydenham 1163. Sear Imperators 126.")
