29
3040
M. Plaetorius M.f. Cestianus. Silver Denarius (3.91 g), 67
BC.
Uncertain mint. Draped female bust right, with hair in bag
or net; behind, dagger.
Reverse:
M PLAETORI CEST EX S C,
winged caduceus. Crawford 405/3b; Sydenham 805; Plaetoria
6. Well struck and nicely centered, lustrous.
Nearly Mint State.
This moneyer’s coinage of seven distinct types falls into two
groups, the first group with two types having the legend AED
CVR EX S C showing that Cestianus struck those coins while
curule aedile in either 68 or 67 BC, and five types that are
special issues authorized by the Senate and employ the leg-
end EX S C (ex senatus consulto). This latter group, from which
this coin comes, was dated by Crawford and others to 67 BC,
but Hersh and Walker reassigned them to 57 BC based on the
fact that the Mesagne hoard contained no examples. How-
ever, the five types in question show marked stylistic differenc-
es, which indicates that each was either struck at a separate
officinae with different workmen involved in engraving the
dies, or, a more reasonable assumption, that they were struck
at different mints altogether. Additionally, all employ control
marks, a feature that saw its heyday in the 70s and early 60s.
In the early 60s BC, there was a significant pirate menace in
the Mediterranean. Rome was at special risk as it imported
most of its food fromoutside of Italy, and the pirates were caus-
ing prices to skyrocket. After previous attempts to confront
the problem had proved ineffectual, legislation was passed
assigning command to combat the pirates to Pompey, giving
him extraordinary command over the entire Mediterranean
Sea. He was allowed to recruit as many troops as he thought
necessary, and he did so, raising 120,000 infantry, 5,000 cav-
alry, and a sizable fleet of 500 ships. The money to pay for
this massive buildup - according to Appian 6000 Attic talents
(24,000,000 denarii) - was authorized by senatorial decree.
Pompey divided his command into thirteen districts, assign-
ing each a fleet under the command of a legate. He kept for
himself a fleet of sixty ships, with which he toured the various
districts. His first efforts were concentrated in the western Med-
iterranean, and in a mere forty days he eliminated the pirate
menace there. He then went on to the eastern Mediterranean
and quickly subdued the remaining pirates, many of whom
had settled in southern AsiaMinor at a distance from the coast.
It is in light of these events that Cestianu’s non-AED CVR
types should be seen. Pompey needed someone familiar
with minting operations to coin the 6000 talents decreed
by the Senate to pay for extraordinary command, and
Cestianus, who had just served as curule aedile with au-
thority to strike coins, fit the mold perfectly. Additionally, it
is logical to assume that he would have traveled through-
out the thirteen districts seeing to the monetary needs
of each fleet, which would explain not only the divergent
styles of his five EX S C types, but their complete absence
from the Mesagne hoard. Finally, this resolves the question
of symbols reappearing on coins in the 50s. For these rea-
sons Cestianus’ non-AED CVR denarii should be assigned a
date of 67 BC, not 57 BC as proposed by Hersh and Walker.
Estimated Value ................................................. $1,000 - 1,400
Gemini V (6 January 2009), 235.
