DR-684 | Crawford: 472/1
Lucius Papius Celsus
Lucius Papius Celsus

Gens: Papia
Moneyer: Lucius Papius Celsus
Date and mint: 45 BC - Rome


Obverse: Bust of Juno Sospita, right, wearing goatskin. Dotted border.
Legend:

Reverse: Wolf, right, putting a stick on the fire; To the right, an eagle fanning the flames. Dotted border.
Legend: L PAPIVS CELSVS III VIR

Comment: The Papia gens, of plebeian origin and linked to the Latin city of Lanuvium, left its mark on republican numismatics through the repeated presence of its tutelary goddess, Juno Sospita. This family tradition reaches one of its most interesting expressions in the denarius issued in 45 BC. by Lucius Papio Celsus, descendant of an earlier moneyer magistrate of the same name.

Papio Celsus served as tresvir monetalis at a decisive moment: after the defeat of Pompey and his followers, Caesar imposed a new political and institutional order in Rome. The currency then became an effective propaganda instrument, capable of transmitting messages of legitimacy and renewal.

The obverse of the main type (Crawford 472/1) shows Juno Sospita, wearing a goatskin headdress and stern gaze, without legend. The reverse depicts an unusual scene: a wolf placing a log on the bonfire, while an eagle fans the flames. This is a motif that refers to an ancient omen mentioned by Dionysius of Halicarnassus, probably of local tradition in Lanuvium. The image symbolizes the foundation and continuity of the community protected by divine forces, and in the context of 45 BC. It could be interpreted as a metaphor for the rebirth of Roma after the civil war, kept alive by its tutelary symbols.

Papio Celsus also coined a second, less frequent type (Crawford 472/2), which replaced the bust of Juno with the personification of Triumph, in direct allusion to Caesar's victories. However, the first was much more common and is considered the most representative due to its coherence with the religious tradition of the Papia gens.

Altogether, this issue combines founding myth, local identity and political message in one of the most original compositions of late Republican numismatics. The wolf and the eagle, divine protectors, together with Juno Sospita or the Triumph, convey a clear idea: Roma, like Lanuvium, is destined to endure thanks to the protection of its gods and the victory of its leaders.

Provenance: Numismatica Ars Classica (2012)
Price: 2,915 €