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Cr 393/1b AR Denarius Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
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Spain (?) 76-75 BCE 3.62gm. 17 mm.
o: Draped bust of the Genius Populi Romani r., hair tied with band and sceptre over shoulder; above, [G·P·R]
r: Sceptre with wreath, globe and rudder; EX – S·C. Below, [LE]NT [monogram NT] CVR * FL.
Cornelia 55; Sydenham 752a; Crawford 393/1b.
This nice and beautifully toned but not spectacular example of this type illustrates a few of the conundrums that come with it. One is the use of the office title on the reverse, Curator [* = for Denarii] Flandorum, which is uncommon even though, theoretically, the vast majority of the moneyers held a variation on that title -- especially the majority who did not strike Bronze and certainly not Gold. Another, the very tight flan, which cuts off the almost certain "LE" on rev. and part of the L -- tight flans are common, but the main elements of the obverse and reverse design are mostly present, so this flan/blank could be the runt of the mint, although it is a full 17 MM. The "Genius" head could be any lesser male diety, so the loss of the GPR is unfortunate. From Lentulus's perspective, of course, the key element of his full name was obscured. Good thing that there was almost always a Cornelius on the ballot, so, as is known, he moved ahead. The Spanish mint attribution is based in part on the "1a" type, which has "Q" for Quaestor instead of "Curator...", suggesting a non-standard appointment. Andrew McCabe illustrates a nice "1a".
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![Cr 393/1b AR Denarius Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
Spain (?) 76-75 BCE 3.62gm. 17 mm.
o: Draped bust of the Genius Populi Romani r., hair tied with band and sceptre over shoulder; above, [G·P·R]
r: Sceptre with wreath, globe and rudder; EX – S·C. Below, [LE]NT [monogram NT] CVR * FL.
Cornelia 55; Sydenham 752a; Crawford 393/1b.
This nice and beautifully toned but not spectacular example of this type illustrates a few of the conundrums that come with it. One is the use of the office title on the reverse, Curator [* = for Denarii] Flandorum, which is uncommon even though, theoretically, the vast majority of the moneyers held a variation on that title -- especially the majority who did not strike Bronze and certainly not Gold. Another, the very tight flan, which cuts off the almost certain "LE" on rev. and part of the L -- tight flans are common, but the main elements of the obverse and reverse design are mostly present, so this flan/blank could be the runt of the mint, although it is a full 17 MM. The "Genius" head could be any lesser male diety, so the loss of the GPR is unfortunate. From Lentulus's perspective, of course, the key element of his full name was obscured. Good thing that there was almost always a Cornelius on the ballot, so, as is known, he moved ahead. The Spanish mint attribution is based in part on the "1a" type, which has "Q" for Quaestor instead of "Curator...", suggesting a non-standard appointment. Andrew McCabe illustrates a nice "1a".](albums/userpics/31877/839NN368.jpg "Cr 393/1b AR Denarius Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
Spain (?) 76-75 BCE 3.62gm. 17 mm.
o: Draped bust of the Genius Populi Romani r., hair tied with band and sceptre over shoulder; above, [G·P·R]
r: Sceptre with wreath, globe and rudder; EX – S·C. Below, [LE]NT [monogram NT] CVR * FL.
Cornelia 55; Sydenham 752a; Crawford 393/1b.
This nice and beautifully toned but not spectacular example of this type illustrates a few of the conundrums that come with it. One is the use of the office title on the reverse, Curator [* = for Denarii] Flandorum, which is uncommon even though, theoretically, the vast majority of the moneyers held a variation on that title -- especially the majority who did not strike Bronze and certainly not Gold. Another, the very tight flan, which cuts off the almost certain \"LE\" on rev. and part of the L -- tight flans are common, but the main elements of the obverse and reverse design are mostly present, so this flan/blank could be the runt of the mint, although it is a full 17 MM. The \"Genius\" head could be any lesser male diety, so the loss of the GPR is unfortunate. From Lentulus's perspective, of course, the key element of his full name was obscured. Good thing that there was almost always a Cornelius on the ballot, so, as is known, he moved ahead. The Spanish mint attribution is based in part on the \"1a\" type, which has \"Q\" for Quaestor instead of \"Curator...\", suggesting a non-standard appointment. Andrew McCabe illustrates a nice \"1a\".")
