DR-385 | Crawford: 349/1
Lucius Memmius GaLucius / Caius Memmius GaLucius
Lucius Memmius GaLucius / Caius Memmius GaLucius

Gens: Memmia
Moneyer: Lucius Memmius GaLucius / Caius Memmius GaLucius
Date and mint: 87 BC - Rome


Obverse: Laureate bust of Saturn, left. dotted border
Legend: EX S C
Symbols: Obverse before, control mark | Obverse behind, Harp

Reverse: Venus in biga, right, holding scepter and reins in left and reins in right; above, flying Cupid with crown. Dotted border.
Legend: L C MEMIES L F / GAL

Comment: The Memmia gens was of plebeian origin and acquired some political weight in the late Republic. The most prominent member of this family was Gaius Memmius, tribune of the plebs in 111 BC, famous for his confrontation with senatorial corruption around the Jugurtha scandal, which he forced to declare publicly in Rome. His denunciation remained a symbol of opposition to the abuses of power. Another representative was Gaius Memmius, consul in 34 BC, aligned with Caesar and later with Antony. These figures show that the family sought to associate itself with causes of legitimacy and justice.

The moneyer one, identified in legend as Lucius or Gaius Memmius Galucius, is difficult to specify due to the ambiguity of the abbreviations, although it is generally accepted as Lucius. Its issuance in 87 BC. It is framed in one of the most turbulent moments of the Republic, with Roma under the control of Cinna and Marius after Sulla's departure to the East. The city lived in an environment of political repression and violence, and in this climate the coins functioned as messages of legitimacy and hope.

On the obverse, laureate Saturn appears, accompanied by the legend EX S C, which indicates an extraordinary issue authorized by the Senate. The choice of Saturn is significant: he was the god of the golden age, of primitive order and abundance, which could evoke a return to balance in times of chaos. The control symbols (mark and harp) reinforce the character of controlled and special emission.

The reverse shows Venus in biga, with Cupid crowning her from above. Venus, goddess of love and fortune, was associated with the Julia gens, but also with the victory and prosperity of Roma. The inclusion of Cupid, his son, underlines that divine and protective dimension. The scene refers to the triumph and favor of the gods, an especially powerful message in the midst of the civil war.

Altogether, this denarius combines symbols of origin (Saturn) and future hope (Venus and Cupid). The mention of the Senate (ex senatus consulto) legitimized the broadcast in a context of political fracture. It is a coin loaded with propaganda: it promised order and abundance under the protection of Saturn, and victory and prosperity under the protection of Venus.

Provenance: Numismatica Ars Classica (2013)
Price: 2,260 €