Sulla’s Dream

Triton XXI, Lot: 653. Estimate $15000. Sold for $15500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Moneyer issues of Imperatorial Rome. L. Aemilius Buca. January 44 BC. AR Denarius (17mm, 3.93 g, 6h). Rome mint. Head of Venus right, wearing stephane; L • BVCA downward to left / 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; RBW 1677. EF, lightly toned, die break on neck. Extremely rare. Struck on a large flan.

Ex Goldman Collection (Triton XVI, 7 January 2013), lot 831; Varesi 51 (23 April 2008), lot 98; Numismatica Ars Classica 29 (11 May 2005), lot 400.