Thirteen Known to Crawford

Sale: Triton X, Lot: 546. Estimate $7500.  Closing Date: Monday, 8 January 2007.  Sold For $9000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

C. Cassius Longinus and P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther. 42 BC. AV Aureus (7.98 g, 6h). Military mint, probably at Smyrna. C. CASSI. IMP, diademed, veiled and draped bust of Libertas right, wearing earring and necklace; LEIBERTAS to right / LENTVLVS/SPINT, capis (jug) and lituus. Crawford 500/4; CRI 222; Sydenham 1304; Kestner -; BMCRR East 73; Bahrfeldt 59; Calicó 66. VF, a few marks, traces of deposits. Very rare, only 13 specimens known to Crawford.

Ex Münzen und Medaillen A.G. Basel (16 December 2003), lot 54; Hamburger, Frankfurt (19 October 1925), lot 408; Egger 39, Vienna (15 January 1912), lot 609.

P. Cornelius Lentulus Spinther and M. Servilius were joint legates to Cassius and Brutus, and both issued coins in the names of both generals. Lentulus Spinther was born in 74 BC and assumed the toga virilis in 57 BC, and in the same year was elected to the college of augurs. After the murder of Caesar, he joined the parties of Cassius and Brutus and was probably killed at Philippi. The reverse type of this coin refers to Lentulus' appointment to the college of augurs and is one of the few instances in imperatorial coinage in which a moneyer used a reverse type that was personal to himself.