Exceptional Quality Sulla Denarius
498
Faustus Cornelius Sulla (56 BC), Silver Denarius, 4.05g. Mint of Rome.
FAVSTVS
, diademed and draped bust
of Diana right, crescent above, lituus behind. Rev.
FELIX
, Sulla seated left on raised platform between King
Bocchus of Mauretania on left, presenting him with wreath, and King Jugurta of Numidia on right, hands
bound behind him, both kneeling (Crawford 426/1; Sydenham 879; Cornelia 59). Struck on an exceptionally
broad flan, lovely old cabinet toning, extremely fine.
A superb example of this very rare issue.
$ 3,000
ex Sternberg Auction XIX, 18 November 1987, lot 417
ex NAC Auction 73, 18 November 2013, lot 166
The moneyer of this coin was the son of the dictator Sulla. The reverse commemorates one of the most important
events of his father’s early career: the capture of Jugurtha. Jugurtha was a Numidian prince who had served in the Roman
auxiliary cavalry, but who had come to blows with the Romans. Metellus Numidicus was given command to defeat
Jugurtha, but Jugurtha was proving a wily adversary and through several campaigning seasons Numidicus was unable
to defeat him. In 107 BC one of his legates, Marius, who disagreed with Numidicus’ strategy for prosecuting the war,
gained the consulship and also command in Numidia. However, Jugurtha was proving just as slippery for Marius as he
had been for Numidicus. One of Marius’ junior officers was Sulla, and he managed to capture Jugurtha through a ruse.
He invited both Jugurtha and Bocchus, the King of Mauretania and Jugurtha’s father-in-law, to a meeting. In advance
of the meeting he had convinced Bocchus to betray Jugurtha, and when Jugurtha arrived unarmed his attendants were
ambushed and Jugurtha was captured. Bocchus immediately handed him over to Sulla. Sulla had a signet ring engraved
showing the event, and the reverse of this coin may be a direct copy of that signet ring.
High Quality Historic Sulla Denarius
499
Faustus Cornelius Sulla (56 BC), Silver Denarius, 3.79g. Mint of Rome.
FEELIX
, diademed bust of Hercules
right, lion skin tied at neck. Rev.
FAVSTVS
in exergue, Diana, holding lituus and reigns, driving galloping biga
right, crescent and two stars above, star below horses (Crawford 426/2; Sydenham 881a; Cornelia 60). Well
struck on a broad flan with a bold portrait and a light iridescent tone, extremely fine.
Very
rare
.
$ 7,500
ex NAC Auction 73, 18 November 2013, lot 167
This splendid Denarius again records the feats of the moneyer’s father, the dictator Sulla. The obverse recalls the magnificent public
feast that Sulla gave in honor of Hercules after defeating Mithradates VI of Pontus, and his piety for dedicating a tenth of all his
property to the hero. The reverse commemorates Sulla’s defeat of Gaius Norbanus, who had been sent to oppose his return from
the East. Sulla credited the goddess Diana with the outcome as it had occurred in an area sacred to her, and he consecrated a spring
well-known for its healing powers as well as the surrounding neighborhood to the goddess.
