DR-270 | Crawford: 304/1
Lucius Memmius
Lucius Memmius

Gens: Memmia
Moneyer: Lucius Memmius
Date and mint: 109 BC/108 BC - Rome


Obverse: Bust of a young male (possibly Apollo), right, with oak crown. Dotted border.
Legend:
Symbols: Obverse before, x

Reverse: Dioscuri standing face to face between their horses, each holding a spear. Dotted border.
Legend: L MEMMI

Comment: The Memmia gens was a plebeian family of relative importance in Republican Roma. Although it never reached the influence of the great patrician houses, it did provide tribunes and magistrates, and in later times it was linked to literary and political figures such as Gaius Memmius, protector of poets such as Lucretius and opponent of Julius Caesar.

The moneyer Lucio Memio is known mainly for this issue. No further information is preserved about his career, but his access to the moneyer magistracy reflects that the family had managed to consolidate a place among the political elite of the late 2nd century BC.

The coin was minted in Rome around 109–108 BC, years marked by the war against Jugurtha in Numidia, a conflict that revealed the corruption of the military commanders and the fragility of the republican system. The defeat of Aulus Postumius Albinus in 109 BC. It was a serious blow to the prestige of Roma, and the people demanded responsibility from their rulers. It was in this context of military crisis and citizen discontent that this denarius was issued.

The obverse features a youthful bust crowned with oak, usually identified with Apollo. The oak crown (corona civica) was a symbol traditionally awarded to someone who saved the life of a Roman citizen, which could be related to a message of protection and salvation in difficult times. The reverse shows the Dioscuri standing face to face between their horses, holding spears. The twins Castor and Pollux were protectors of Roma, associated with victory in battles and divine help in critical moments. We interpret this set as a message of confidence in the protection of the gods and in Rome's ability to overcome adversity. At the same time, the choice of Apollo and the Dioscuri suggests a link to the moneyer lineage, perhaps a claim by the Memmia gens as heir to a tradition of service to the city.

Provenance: Roma Numismatics (2022)
Price: 2,035 €