DR-314 | Crawford: 329/1b
Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus
Cneo Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus

Gens: Cornelia
Moneyer: Gnaeus Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus
Date and mint: 100 BC - Rome


Obverse: Bust of Hercules seen from behind, with his head turned to the right and a mace on his left shoulder. Dotted border.
Legend: ROMA
Symbols: Obverse left field, Shield | Obverse right field, control mark | Reverse left field, control mark

Reverse: Roma standing face to face, holding spear in right hand and wearing helmet with triple crest; On the right, a male figure crowning it with his right hand and holding a cornucopia in his left hand. Laurel wreath as border.
Legend: LENT MAR F

Comment: The denarius of Publius Cornelius Lentulus Marcellinus was minted in Rome in the year 100 BC. by a member of the Cornelia gens, one of the oldest and most prestigious families in the Republic. The Cornelians repeatedly occupied consulates and magistracies, and from their different branches figures such as the Scipios, the Sisennas or the Lentulos emerged, all of them with great influence on the politics and military life of Roma.

The reference to his work as moneyer magistrate in this year is preserved from the moneyer Publio Cornelio Lentulo Marcelino, within the framework of a lineage with solid projection.

The historical context was especially turbulent. In the year 100 B.C. Roma experienced political unrest led by Saturninus and Glaucia, which ended with their death after the use of force by the Senate. It was a period marked by social tension and by the growing role of Mario, who in his sixth consulate dominated the political scene. In this environment, coins continued to be a vehicle of family legitimation and state propaganda.

The obverse shows a very rare bust: Hercules from behind with his head turned to the right and his mace on his left shoulder, known as Hercules Respiciens. This representation, documented in Reate (present-day Rieti), a Sabine city conquered by Roma at the beginning of the 3rd century BC. and considered in Antiquity the umbilicus Italiae (the navel of Italy), it has a strong identity value. The choice of this motif refers to the Sabine connection of the Cornelia gens and the tradition of strength and courage associated with Hercules.

The reverse features the goddess Roma standing, armed with a spear and triple-crested helmet, while a male figure crowns her and holds a cornucopia. It is the genius of the Roman people, a symbol of community and prosperity. Roma thus appears exalted as the incarnation of the State, reinforced by victory and abundance. The laurel wreath that frames the scene underlines the triumphant nature of the message.

There are variants of this denarius with changes in the legends and control marks, which shows the breadth of the issue and the importance that the moneyer gave to this iconographic program.

Provenance: Bertolami Fine Arts (2020)
Price: 2,860 €