61
3083
Julius Caesar. Silver Denarius (3.9 g), 42 BC.
Rome. L. Livineius Regulus,
moneyer. Wreathed head of Julius Caesar right; behind, laurel branch; before,
winged caduceus.
Reverse:
L LIVINEIVS above, REGVLVS below, bull charg-
ing right. Crawford 494/24; HCRI 115; Sydenham 1106; RSC 27. Rare. Lus-
trous with the obverse perfectly centered. One of the finest examples extant.
Superb Extremely Fine.
The significance of the reverse is not certain. It most probably refers to
an event of 47 BC, mentioned by both Dio Cassius (xli.39.2) and Sueto-
nius (Caes. 59), where during the African War Caesar was performing a
sacrifice before the impending battle at Thapsus against the combined
forces of Scipio and Juba. The sacrificial bull escaped, but despite this
ominous omen Caesar was not dissuaded from commencing battle. We
know that a praetor by the name of L. Livineius Regulus served with Caesar
during the African War, and we can assume that this praetor, who per-
haps was present and played a significant role at Thaspus, was a close
relation of the moneyer. Of course this reference to the sacrifice at Thap-
sus is not the only interpretation of the reverse. The bull also represents
the zodiacal sign of Taurus in Venus, and thus we should probably see
an allusion to Caesar’s claimed divine descent from the goddess Venus.
Estimated Value...................................................................... $25,000 - 30,000
Ex Goldberg 65 (4-6 September 2011), 4124.
