63, Lot: 52. Estimate $150. Sold for $205. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

MARK ANTONY. 32-31 BC. AR Legionary Denarius (17mm, 3.57 gm). Patrae (?) mint. Praetorian galley right / LEG X, legionary eagle between two standards. Crawford 544/24; CRI 361; Sydenham 1228; RSC 38. VF, light banker's marks.

Mark Antony minted these coins from silver he received in Cleopatra's dowry, but there wasn't enough to pay his troops for the huge battle that was soon to come, for control of the empire. So Antony allowed these coins to be minted at a slightly lower standard than other Roman issues of the time. This sent Greek bankers into a frenzy, and for a time they tested all Roman silver. Antony's denarii nearly always have a shallow "banker's mark", while Octavian's and other issues of Antony's that were tested often show a deeper punch. The reason? Pure silver is softer. And why are these legionary denarii so hard to find in high grade? Bad money replaces good; these legionary denarii circulated at least into the reign of Septimius Severus! Thank you, Harvey Hofer, for this (true) story. (Remembered from circa 1961 AD). See also CRI, pp. 229-230. This was the famous 10th legion of Caesar, reconstituted by Lepidus in 44 BC, and acquired by Antony the following year.