Crawford 405/2, ROMAN REPUBLIC, M. Plaetorius Cestianus, AR Denarius

Rome, The Republic.
M. Plaetorius M.F. Cestianus, 57 BCE.
AR Denarius (4.00g; 20mm; 7h).
Rome Mint.

Obverse: Female (Fortuna?) bust, facing right.; Φ behind.

Reverse: M PLAETORI· CEST·S·C; Boy facing front, holding a tablet or wooden lot inscribed SORS.

References: Crawford 405/2; Sydenham 801(R5); BMCRR 3525; Plaetoria 10.

Provenance: Ex Naville 60 (27 Sep 2020) Lot 398; from a European Collection, purchased in 1986.

A difficult type, often off-center and with a high-relief reverse design that is prone to heavy wear of the face and tablet. On this example, while not apparent from the photo, the boy’s head is practically three-dimensional in its relief. The unusual, full-frontal reverse design and generally pleasing style make this a very-popular type among Roman Republican collectors.

The moneyer is Marcus Plaetorius Cestianus, who was Curule Aedile in 67 BCE and Praetor in 64 BCE.

Cestianus issued coins in two different years – once as Curule Aedile (those coins with AED CVR also in their inscriptions) and a second time in a non-aedile capacity, but in both cases by order of the Senate. The presence of S·C in the reverse inscription of this coin identifies it as special coinage produced by Senatorial decree. Crawford arranged Cestianus’ non-aedile coins in 69 BCE, ahead of his Curule Aedile issue in 67 BCE; however, hoard evidence strongly supports flipping this order around. In their analysis of the Messagne hoard, Hersh and Walker redated the non-aedile coins to 57 BCE. They note that Cestianus’ non-aedile issues do not appear in hoards until long after his Curule Aedile issues of 67 BCE, and they postulate that he issued the non-aedile coins in 57 BCE as pro-praetor (having been praetor in 64 BCE). In Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins, Michael Harlan disagreed with this late date, suggesting instead a date within a year of the AED CVR coins, and explaining their different workmanship and absence from hoards on Cestianus striking the coins overseas for Pompey during his pirate war.

The imagery refers to the worship/oracle of Fortuna at Praeneste, where lots were used for divination. There is some disagreement on the identity of the obverse bust but it seems very likely to be Fortuna, even if inconsistent with other depictions of that deity. Sors were lots, and it is a tablet or wooden lot that the boy holds on the reverse. The moneyer was descended from a Cestia gens member who had been adopted into the Plaetoria gens. The Cestia had ties to Praeneste.