DR-273 | Crawford: 307/1a
Manlius Fonteius
Manlio Fonteius

Gens: Fonteia
Moneyer: Manlius Fonteius
Date and mint: 108 BC/107 BC - Rome


Obverse: Laureate heads of the Dioscuri, right. Dotted border.
Legend: PP
Symbols: Obverse before, x | Reverse below, control mark

Reverse: Galera, right, distocando doliolum in stern. Dotted border.
Legend: MN FONTE I

Comment: The Fonteia gens was a plebeian family of lesser renown within the Republic, but with several members who held magistracies throughout the 2nd century BC. Although he did not achieve the notoriety of the great senatorial houses, he sought prestige in politics and the military, sometimes resorting to currency as a vehicle to praise his origins and claim his place in Romen tradition.

The moneyer Manlio Fonteio is known mainly for this issue, and we have no evidence that he developed a notable political career. His work as a moneyer magistrate must have been one of the first steps in the cursus honorum, although the scant mention of his figure in the sources limits our knowledge.

The coin was minted in Rome in the years 108–107 BC, in a turbulent context. Roma was still mired in the war against Jugurtha, in which the ineptitude of several generals caused serious defeats and deep popular indignation. Discontent with the Senate grew, and political fissures began to open that would mark republican life in subsequent decades.

The message of the coin combines elements of tradition and family propaganda. On the obverse the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, appear with laureate heads to the right. These divine twins were protectors of Roma and symbols of victory in battle, associated with the famous apparition at Lake Regilus that would have ensured the triumph of the young Republic. The reverse depicts a galley with a doliolum at the stern, a small barrel or container that has sparked debate about its meaning. A possible interpretation is that it alludes to a religious or ritual symbol, perhaps related to navigation or a specific episode in the Fonteia family tradition. What seems clear is that the iconography refers to the sea and divine protection, presenting the Fonteii as heirs of a legacy linked both to the Dioscuri and to the safeguarding of Roma in times of crisis.

Provenance: Roma Numismatics (2023)
Price: 1,245 €