DR-334 | Crawford: 336/1a
Caius Allius Bala
Caius Allius Bala

Gens: Aelia
Moneyer: Caius Allius Bala
Date and mint: 92 BC - Rome


Obverse: Female bust, right, diadem. Dotted border.
Legend: BALA
Symbols: Reverse below, Ray

Reverse: Diana in deer beam, right, holding scepter and reins on left and Torch on right, with Quiver on shoulders. Laurel wreath border.
Legend: C ALLI

Comment: The Aelia gens, also known in some branches as Allia, was of plebeian origin and achieved a certain notoriety in the Republic thanks to several of its members who held the position of moneyer; Up to five are known throughout the 2nd and early 1st centuries BC. Gaius Allio Bala, author of this broadcast from the year 92 BC, is one of them, although he did not leave other notable positions recorded in the sources.

The period of this coinage coincides with a time of political tensions in Rome, shortly before the social war. The Senate faced growing pressure from the Italian allies who were demanding citizenship, while in the city itself a climate of division between the optimates and the popular was maintained. In this context, moneyer types functioned as a vehicle for family propaganda and as a reminder of divine protection over Roma.

The obverse presents a diademed female bust to the right, accompanied by the legend BALA, a direct reference to the coin's cognomen. This resource, known as nomen loquens, reinforces the identification of the issuer with his currency and makes his surname visible in the iconography. The reverse shows Diana in a deer harness, holding a scepter and reins in her left hand and a torch in her right, with a quiver on her shoulder, all surrounded by a laurel wreath. Diana, hunter and protector goddess, appears here in a dynamic and unusual representation – the deer biga – that underlines her wild and divine character. The laurel wreath that frames the scene adds a triumphant and sacred component, reinforcing the link between divinity and victory.

Provenance: Auktionshaus H.D. Rauch (2014)
Price: 115 €