|
Crawford 428/3, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Q. Cassius Longinus, AR Denarius
|
Rome, The Republic.
Q. Cassius Longinus, 55 BCE.
AR Denarius (3.91g; 19mm).
Rome Mint.
Obverse: Bonus Eventus or Genius of the Roman People head facing right; scepter behind.
Reverse: Eagle on thunderbolt, facing right; lituus to left; jug to right; Q CASSIVS below.
References: Crawford 428/3; Sydenham 916; BMCRR 3868; Cassia 7.
Provenance: Ex Fernandez Collection [Aureo & Calico Alba Longa Auction (7 Nov 2018) Lot 227].
The identity of the head on the obverse is in doubt. Crawford interprets the obverse as Genius of the Roman People and the reverse an allusion to imperium. Michael Harlan theorizes that the head is Bonus Eventus and that it ties to symbols of the augurate on the reverse. Augurs, after all, want to predict good outcomes. Harlan's interpretation doesn’t fully explain the scepter on the obverse, which is not a typical characteristic of Bonus Eventus.
|
|