22
3026
P. Crepusius. Silver Denarius (4.06 g), 82 BC.
Rome. Laure-
ate head of Apollo right, scepter at shoulder.
Reverse:
P CREP-
VSI in exergue, Soldier on horse rearing right, hurling spear;
behind. V. Crawford 361/1a; Sydenham -; Crepusia 1c. Needle
sharp, lustrous and delicately toned. A superb example.
Nearly
Mint State.
The moneyer’s family is little known, and the moneyer him-
self is only know from his coins. This issue of denarii was
quite massive, however, with controls numbers reach-
ing DXX. According to Crawford, the control numerals on
the reverse form a continuous sequence with no control-
numeral having more than one die. Crawford 361/1a,
the only variety without obverse control, is extremely rare
while the rest of P. Crepusius’ denarii are all quite common.
Estimated Value.................................................. $1,200 - 1,400
Ex Tkalec (29 February 2008), 114.
3027
C. Mamilius C.f. Limetanus. Silver De-
narius (3.81 g), 82 BC.
Rome. Draped
bust of Mercury right, wearing winged pet-
asus; behind, A above caduceus.
Reverse:
MAMIL LIME(TA)N, Ulysses advancing
right, holding staff and extending hand
to his dog Argus, coming to greet him.
Crawford 362/1; Sydenham 741; Mamilia
6. Mostly well struck on a nice large flan.
Although a trifle soft at the borders from 3
to 6 o’clcock an on the corresponding por-
tion of the reverse, the central features are
amazing. Lustrous and lightly toned.
Near-
ly Mint State.
The types on this coin allude to the money-
er’s claim to descent from Telegonus, son
of Ulysses and Circe, and hence from the
god Mercury. The reverse features a sadly
endearing scene from the Odyssey, when
Odysseus returns home after twenty years
disguised as a beggar and his old dog,
who had been neglected, recognizes him:
“So they spoke. And a dog, lying there,
lifted its head and pricked up its ears.
Argus was the hound of noble Odysseus,
who had bred him himself, though he
sailed to sacred Ilium before he could
enjoy his company. Once the young men
used to take the dog out after wild goat,
deer and hare, but with his master gone
he lay neglected by the gate, among
the heaps of mule and cattle dung that
Odysseus’ men would later use to manure
the fields. There, plagued by ticks, lay
Argus the hound. But suddenly aware of
Odysseus’ presence, he wagged his tail
and flattened his ears, though no longer
strong enough to crawl to his master. Od-
ysseus turned his face aside and hiding
it from Eumaeus wiped away a tear then
quickly said: ‘Eumaeus, it’s strange indeed
to see this dog lying in the dung. He’s
finely built, but I can’t tell if he had speed
to match or was only a dog fed from
the table, kept by his master for show.’
“Then, Eumaeus, the swineherd, replied:
‘Yes this dog belongs to a man who has
died far away. If he had the form and
vigour he had when Odysseus left for Troy
you’d be amazed by the speed and pow-
er. He was keen-scented on the trail, and
no creature he started in the depths of the
densest wood escaped him. But now he is
in a sad state, and his master has died far
from his own country, and the thoughtless
women neglect him. When their masters
aren’t there to command them, servants
don’t care about the quality of their work.
Far-voiced Zeus takes half the good out
of them, the day they become slaves.’
“With this he entered the stately house
and walking straight into the hall joined
the crowd of noble suitors. As for Ar-
gus, seeing Odysseus again in this
twentieth year, the hand of dark death
seized him” (Homer, Od. XVII.290-327).
Estimated Value ..................$1,000 - 1,200
Ex Tkalec (27 October 2011), 140.
