Cr 467/1 AR Denarius J. Caesar

o: COS.TERT.DICT.ITER. Head of Ceres right
r: AVGVR above, PONT.MAX. below. Simpulum, sprinkler, capis and lituus; M in right field
Minted in Africa, c 46 b.c.
3.37 gms; 19.00 mm
This coin is not a beauty and may have been a pendant at some point. Yet it is one of those intensely historical coins, minted on either side of the Battle of Thapsus, which ended the old Republican resistance to Julius Caesar. This type, with "M" ligate in reverse field right, has been said to indicate "Munus" (gift in the sense of obligation); the other variation has "D", presumably "Donativum" (gift in the sense of "here you go, poorer person"). I personally find the distinction between M and D somewhat odd and perhaps there was a more sophisticated distinction being made. As the marks appear on coins of equal value, it seems a very obscure way of distinguishing among soldiers and mere beneficiaries.