DR-691 | Crawford: 474/1a
Lucius Valerius Acisculus
Lucius Valerius Acisculus

Gens: Valeria
Moneyer: Lucius Valerius Acisculus
Date and mint: 45 BC - Rome


Obverse: Bust of Apollo, right, hair tied up with a band; behind, Star; behind, acisculus. Dotted border.
Legend: ACISCVLVS

Reverse: Europe sitting on bull, right. Dotted border.
Legend: L VALERIVS

Comment: Lucio Valerius reminds us of the very ancient origin of the Valeria family. Thanks to Plutarch a story has come down to us. In Etruria, due to a terrible plague that devastated the area, the oracle was consulted and the answer was obtained that the only way to put an end to such an evil was to annually sacrifice a virgin to Juno, which was done annually until it was the turn of the virgin Valeria Luperca. When she was going to commit suicide with the sword that was given to her, an eagle snatched it from her hands, leaving a pickaxe on the altar and throwing the sword at a heifer. Seeing this, Valeria Luperca sacrificed the heifer and with the pickaxe touched the sick people she saw and they were cured. This is another of the denarii that would be minted again during the time of Emperor Trajan.

Provenance: Roma Numismatics (2020)
Price: 6,605 €