DR-322 | Crawford: 335/1a
Lucius Caecilius Metellus / Caius Publicius Malleolus
Lucius Caecilius Metellus / Caius Publicius Malleolus

Gens: Caecilia / Poblicia
Moneyer: Lucius Caecilius Metellus / Caius Publicius Malleolus
Date and mint: 95 BC/92 BC - Rome


Obverse: Laureate bust of Apollo, right. Dotted border.
Legend: A ALB S F L METEL

Reverse: Roma seated on the left on a pile of shields, holding sword in left hand and spear in right hand, crowned behind by Victoria. Dotted border.
Legend: C MALL ROMA

Comment: ChatGPT Plus

The Caecilia gens was one of the most powerful in the Republic, with numerous consuls and generals, while the Poblicia gens, with an ancient tradition, had lost prominence at this time. The union of both families in this broadcast reinforces their political and institutional character. The period in which it was minted, between 95 and 92 BC, was marked by growing social tensions and pressure from the Italian allies who demanded citizenship, a situation that would lead a few years later to the social war. In this environment, senatorial families used currency as a means of propaganda that combined religion, myth, and exaltation of Roma.

The obverse presents the laureate bust of Apollo facing right, accompanied by the legend A ALB S F L METEL. Apollo, god of light and prophecy, projects a message of order and stability. The reverse shows Roma sitting on the left on a pile of shields, with a spear in her right hand and a sword in her left, while she is crowned by Victoria. The inscription C MALL ROMA identifies the second coin. The scene conveys the idea of military supremacy and eternal glory of the city, an especially significant message at a time of internal and external tensions.

Four variants of this denarius are known that affect the legends and the details of the dies. On the obverse the inscription appears abbreviated as A ALB S F L METEL or developed as A ALBINVS S F L METEL, while on the reverse it can be read C MALL ROMA or C POBLICI ROMA, reflecting the two ways of identifying the moneyer Poblicio. In addition, differences are documented in the control marks, located in different positions or with different symbols, and slight variations in style in the figure of Roma and in the arrangement of Victoria, the result of the work of several engravers in an extensive issue.

Provenance: Numismatica Ars Classica (2024)
Price: 565 €