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Crawford 317/2, ROMAN REPUBLIC, L. Appuleius Saturninus, AR Denarius
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Rome, The Republic.
L. Appuleius Saturninus, 101 BCE.
AR Denarius (3.92g; 18mm).
Rome Mint.
Obverse: Saturn driving fast quadriga right, holding harpa; ROMA in exergue.
Reverse: Saturn driving fast quadriga right, holding harpa; ·V below; L·SATVRN in exergue.
References: Crawford 317/2; Sydenham 580 (R6); BMCRR 1561-3; Appuleia 3.
Provenance: Ex P&P Santamaria (4 May 1961) Lot 150.
The type is one of an interesting series of three types by Saturninus, two of which depict Saturn as a naming pun. The first of the three types is a standard Roma head/quadriga; the second has Roma heads on both sides of the coin; the third (this coin) has quadrigae on both sides of the coin. The letter control marks on this double-quadriga type are unique to each die. Crawford attributed Saturninus' coinage to 104 BCE; but H.B. Mattingly, in Essays Hersh (1998), argues for a slightly later date based on a consensus that Saturninus was Quaestor in 104 BCE.
Saturninus was Quaestor in 104 BCE and Tribune of the Plebs in 103 and 100 BCE. He was a supporter of Marius and as Tribune he engaged in a series of aggressive political maneuvers including introducing land grants for Marius’ veterans. During an election, he arranged the brutal murder of the political rival of one of his allies, and this proved to be his downfall. Cornered and captured by a militia assembled by Marius himself, Saturninus and his conspirators were ultimately killed by a lynch mob.
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