DR-394 | Crawford: 352/1b
Lucius Iulius Bursio
Lucius Iulius Bursio

Gens: Julia
Moneyer: Lucius Iulius Bursio
Date and mint: 85 BC - Rome


Obverse: Male head, right, with attributes of Apollo, Mercury and Neptune. Dotted border.
Legend:
Symbols: Obverse behind, control mark

Reverse: Victoria in chariot, right, reins in left hand and crown in right. Dotted border.
Legend: EX A P

Comment: The Julia gens is one of the most famous families in Rome. Its members boasted descent from Iulus, son of Aeneas, which directly connected them to the goddess Venus. That mythical lineage, passed down for centuries, ended up giving shine to figures like Julius Caesar and Augustus. In the 1st century BC, carrying the name Julia was already synonymous with prestige and the promise of power.

The moneyer man Lucio Julio Bursio is hardly known outside of these coins, but his mere membership in the gens placed him in a tradition full of authority. In turbulent times, it was enough to stamp a surname like Iulius on silver to give any message political weight.

The year 85 B.C. It was not a quiet year for Roma. While Sulla fought Mithridates in Greece, the city was in the hands of Cinna's supporters. Cinna himself would die that same year, leaving Roma in a climate of uncertainty and political violence. In this context, currency was not a simple means of payment, but a channel of propaganda and collective trust.

The obverse is striking: a male head that brings together the attributes of Apollo, Mercury and Neptune. It is a hybrid image, designed to condense several virtues in a single face: the clarity of Apollo, the skill of Mercury and the marine strength of Neptune. It was like proclaiming that Roma was under complete divine protection, capable of covering all spheres of life.

The reverse offers a more traditional, but equally powerful scene: Victoria advances on a chariot, holding the crown of triumph. The motif had appeared many times on the republican denarius, but here, attached to the obverse, it acquired a particular nuance. It was not just about celebrating past victories, but about ensuring that Roma, with the help of all the gods, would emerge victorious from its crises.

In short, the Bursio denarius combines innovation and tradition: an original obverse that unites three divinities in a single face, and a classic reverse that recalls the glory of triumph. The result is a message of confidence in the midst of the political confusion of 85 BC: Roma may falter, but under the protection of its gods and with the favor of victory, it will always find the path to greatness.

This denarius, despite being anonymous, is attributed to Bursius due to its clear typology. As the exergue on the reverse indicates, it was minted with silver from the public treasury.

Provenance: Numismatica Ars Classica (2024)
Price: 2,310 €