Tarpeia Buried in Shields

Triton XVII, Lot: 633. Estimate $3000. Sold for $10000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. AR Denarius (19mm, 4.12 g, 10h). Rome mint; P. Petronius Turpilianus, moneyer . Struck 19-18 BC. CAESAR AVGVSTVS, bare head right / TV RPILIANVS III VIR, Tarpeia standing facing, raising both hands, buried to her waist under ten shields; broken spear below. RIC I 299; RSC 494; BMCRE 29-31; BN 157-160. EF, darkly toned, die flaws and a few light scratches on obverse. Well centered and struck.

From the Archer M. Huntington Collection, ANS 1001.1.12877.

As a subplot of the myth of the abduction of the Sabine women, Tarpeia was a Vestal Virgin who betrayed the city of Rome to the Sabines when they were attempting to rescue their wives and daughters. Her price for betraying Rome was what the Sabine soldiers wore on their left arms, meaning their gold bracelets, but the Sabines were so offended by Tarpeia's reprehensible greed and treason that they took her request literally. She met her death under the crushing weight of the soldiers’ shields.

This example clearly shows a broken spear below the ten shields under which Tarpeia is buried. On some examples this feature would be off the flan. However, there are clearly two varieties – some denarii of the type which do have and others that do not have the broken spear, which is not mentioned in the references cited.