Portrait Denarius

Sale: Triton X, Lot: 586. Estimate $40000.  Closing Date: Monday, 8 January 2007.  Sold For $34000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Clodius Macer. Usurper, April-October AD 68. AR Denarius (2.98 g, 6h). Carthage mint. L CLO[DI]-VS MACER, S C below, bare head right / PRO PRAE AFRICAE, quinquereme right, with 12 oars and 10 oarsmen. RIC I 35-6 var. (number of oarsmen); Hewitt group G/5, variety 2 (unlisted dies); RSC 13; BMCRE 1; BN 8 var. (obv. legend break). Good VF, toned, die break on obverse, hairline flan crack. Extremely rare, fewer than 20 portrait denarii known.

Clodius Macer was propraetor in Africa. As opposition to Nero grew and the power of the central government dwindled, Macer acted as little more than a pirate, sweeping the north African coast hoping to increase his power by cutting into the grain supplies of Rome. By April of 68, Macer had decided not to support Galba, and in June when Nero committed suicide, Macer began striking coins in his own name. All of Macer’s coins are of rather crude style, an indication of the lack of skilled die engravers and the haste at which they were produced. By October, Galba had solidified his power in Rome and ordered Macer’s execution. All of Macer’s coins are extremely rare, with fewer than 85 coins of all types known.