Sulla’s Dream

Triton XVIII, Lot: 937. Estimate $3000. Sold for $6000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Moneyer issues of Imperatorial Rome. L. Aemilius Buca. January 44 BC. AR Denarius (20mm, 3.87 g, 6h). Rome mint. Diademed head of Venus right, wearing earring and necklace, hair collected into a knot, falling in two locks down her neck; L • BVCA downward behind / Sulla’s dream: in the foreground on left, Sulla reclining right against a rock, his left arm supporting his head; on right is seen Luna Lucifera, wearing crescent on head, descending left from a mountain, her veil floating above her head and holding lighted torch in right hand; Victory with spread wings standing facing in background, holding palm frond in raised right hand. Crawford 480/1; Alföldi Type I, 28-37 (A6/R6); CRI 164; Sydenham 1064; Aemilia 12; Kestner 3684; BMCRR Rome 4160-1; RBW 1677. Good VF, toned, two parallel scratches under tone on obverse. Very rare.

From the RAJ Collection, purchased from Fred Shore, 1998.

This famous reverse type depicts Sulla’s dream in 88 BC. According to Plutarch (Vit. Sull. 9.4), while Sulla was on his way to attack Marius in Rome, he dreamt that a goddess (here represented by Luna) appeared to him and, standing by his side, placed a thunderbolt in his hand, encouraging him to strike down his enemies. Doing so, they were immediately smitten. Here, Victory represents the fulfillment of the dream, for Sulla was able to defeat his enemies.