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Very rare C. Numonius Vaala, 41 BC Silver Denarius

1171

C. Numonius Vaala. Silver Denarius (3.92 g), 41 BC. Rome. C NVMONIVS VAALA, bare head of

Numonius Vaala right. Rev. VAALA in exergue, soldier advancing left, holding spear and shield, attacking

rampart defended by two soldiers. (Crawford 514/2; HCRI 322; Sydenham 1087; Numonia 2). Attractive

old cabinet tone, a little softly struck on top of head. About extremely fine.

$ 5,250

ex Ars Classica 17 (3 October 1934)

ex Count Tolstoi Collection (Hess, 11 March 1912), lot 923.

The obverse of this coin depicts an obscure ancestor of the moneyer C. Numonius Vaala who appears to have gained the cognomen

Vaala for the gens Numonia through his military exploits. The reverse shows him storming the palisades (

vallum

) of an enemy

rampart. It was customary in the Roman Republic to award the soldier who was first to break through the defenses of an enemy

fortification with the

corona vallaris

- a golden crown ornamented with palisades, similar to the somewhat more familiar

corona

muralis

awarded to the first soldier to break through the wall of an enemy city. It is presumably from the receipt of the

corona

vallaris

by the moneyer’s ancestor that he took the honorific cognomen Vaala (an archaic form of Vala), which was passed on to his

descendants.

ROMAN REPUBLICAN AES GRAVE ISSUES

1172

Anonymous. Æ Aes Grave Quadrans (56.55 g), ca. 265-242 BC. Rome. Dog walking left; below, three

pellets. Rev. Wheel of six spokes. (Crawford 24/6a; ICC 69; HN Italy 329). Green patina. Very fine. $ 750