DR-188 | Crawford: 242/1
Caius Minucius Augurinus
Caius Minucius Augurinus

Gens: Minucia
Moneyer: Caius Minucius Augurinus
Date and mint: 135 BC - Rome


Obverse: Bust of Roma with helmet, right. Dotted border.
Legend: ROMA
Symbols: Obverse before, x

Reverse: Spiral column with aeolian capital, decorated with two bells at the top and two front parts of lions at the base; behind each of the lions, ear; standing on a column, robed statue holding a staff in the right hand; On the left, a robed figure holding bread (?) with both hands and placing his left foot on a modio; To the right, a robed figure holding a lituo in his right hand. Dotted border.
Legend: C A VG

Comment: Minucia was an old patrician family. Among its most prominent members are Lucius Minucius Augurinus, who was consul in 458 BC. and Marcus Minucius Rufus, master of cavalry in the Second Punic War. The family was known for its relationship with augurs, priests in charge of interpreting auspices, which reflected its religious prestige.

Gaius Minucius Augurinus, the coiner of this issue, is known primarily for his role in the minting of this denarius. His name suggests that he probably belonged to the college of augurs, a high-ranking religious position in Rome.

In 135 BC, Roma faced significant internal and external tensions. This was the beginning of the First Servile War in Sicily, a conflict that highlighted the social and economic problems derived from mass slavery. At the same time, the political struggles between the Roman elites marked the first signs of the conflicts that would define the last stage of the Republic.

On the obverse, the bust of Roma with the Corinthian helmet highlights the cultural and military connection with the Hellenistic world.

On the reverse, The Column highlights monumentality, while the lions and wheat ears represent strength and fertility. The robed figures allude to justice, the distribution of grain and religious authority, linked to the position of moneyer augur.

Provenance: Numismatica Ars Classica (2013)
Price: 2,620 €