20
3022
L. Titurius L.f. Sabinus. Silver Denarius (3.9 g), 89 BC.
Rome.
SABIN behind, bare head of King Tatius right; before, A PV; below
chin, palm branch.
Reverse:
[L] TITVRI in exergue, Tarpeia, fac-
ing, buried to her waist in shields, with raised hands she tries to
thrust off two soldiers who are about to cast their shields onto her;
above, star in crescent. Crawford 344/2c; Sydenham 699a; Tituria
5. Attractively toned.
Superb Extremely Fine.
The story of Tarpeia as depicted on this coin was well-known in
ancient Rome, and is recounted by Livy: “The last of these wars
was commenced by the Sabines and proved the most serious
of all… Spurius Tarpeius was in command of the Roman citadel.
Whilst his daughter had gone outside the fortifications to fetch
water for some religious ceremonies, Tatius bribed her to admit
his troops within the citadel. Once admitted, they crushed her to
death beneath their shields, either that the citadel might appear
to have been taken by assault, or that her example might be left
as a warning that no faith should be kept with traitors. A further
story runs that the Sabines were in the habit of wearing heavy
gold armlets on their left arms and richly jeweled rings, and that
the girl made them promise to give her ‘what they had on their
left arms,’ accordingly they piled their shields upon her instead
of golden gifts. Some say that in bargaining for what they had in
their left hands, she expressly asked for their shields, and being
suspected of wishing to betray them,
fell a victim to her own bargain” (Livy I, 11.5-9). Tarpeia’s body was
then hurled froma steep cliff on the southern summit of theCapito-
line Hill, and the Tarpeian Rock, as it became known subsequent-
ly, was where notorious traitors were executed in ancient Rome.
The head of Titus Tatius, king of the Sabines, relates to the Sa-
bine origin of the moneyer’s gens. On one variety of this type,
in place of the palm branch which alludes to Roman suc-
cesses in the Social War, is found a TA monogram, identifying
the head as that of King Tatius. A most unusual feature of the
obverse is the addition of the letters A PV (argentum publi-
cum), meaning that the issue was struck by metal owned by
the Roman state. Noting that a particular coinage was struck
by state-owned metal is not without precedent, and in fact it
occurs on coins of eight different moneyers during the Re-
publican period. However, it seems unnecessary: presumably
all official coinage was made from metal owned by the Ro-
man state, and its significance here is not readily apparent.
Estimated Value.............................................................. $800 - 900
Ex William C. Boyd Collection (Baldwin’s 42, 26 September 2005),
39 with Boyd’s original collection ticket showing that he purchased
the coin from Spink in 1889.
3023
L. Julius Bursio. Silver Denarius (3.9 g),
85 BC.
Rome. Draped bust of Apollo Ve-
jovis right, wearing winged laurel wreath;
behind, trident and tanner’s knife.
Re-
verse:
L IVLI BVRSIO in exergue, Vic-
tory, holding wreath and reins, driving
galloping quadriga right; above, XXXXV.
Crawford 352/1c; De Ruyter dies 153/
XXXV; Sydenham 728b; Julia 5a. Lus-
trous and lightly toned.
Mint State.
Estimated Value....................... $500 - 600
Ex Tkalec (7 May 2009), 92.
