Quadrigatus


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Quadrigatus, an early Roman coin so called from quadrigae. - "The marks of silver money were bigae and quadrigae, an hence their appellations (says Pliny) of bigati and quadrigati.  That piece of money which is now (he adds) called Victoriatus, was struck under the Lex Clodia. It was also stamped with the figure of Victory, and thence derived its name. -In the course of time, however, the types of denarii varied.  For each individual magistrate, at his own will and pleasure, placed on the coin which he was officially privileged to have struck, that particular god or goddess, who was the favourite object of his worship, or whom for any other reason he might choose in that manner to honour. Thus for example C. Licinius Macer represented Pallas wearing a helmet, in a car drawn by four horses at full speed.  In like manner C. Aburius stamped his denarii with the figure of Mars, as his brother M. Aburius did that of the Sun.


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