ROMAN REPUBLICAN DENARIUS (COIN)
Numismatics
ROMAN REPUBLICAN DENARIUS (COIN)
Silver.
Diameter: 1.92 cm; Thickness: 0.2 cm.
Roman period. 121 B.C.
Origin
Unknown. Jerez de la Frontera. Cádiz
Description
Denarius with the head of the goddess Roma wearing a winged helmet, and the mark of an X behind her. This mark indicated the number of asses it was worth - i.e. 10. The denarius was Rome's official currency. Castor and Pollux, the Dioscuri, appear on horseback and armed with spears on the reverse. The children of Jupiter appeared frequently on Roman coins as they were thought to bring victory in various battles. For this reason they were honoured by different festivals and the erection of a temple in the Forum. On the lower part of the images one can see the legend “C. Pluti”, which refers to magistrate responsible for the issue. The word “Rome" appears in the exergue.
Bibliography
- González, R.; Barrionuevo, F. y Aguilar, L. (1997): Museo Arqueológico Municipal de Jerez de la Frontera. 'Municipal Archaeological Museum of Jerez de la Frontera' Ayuntamiento de Jerez, pp. 92-93.
