Roman Republic AR denarius 85 BC L. Julius Bursio, male deity/Victory in quadriga VF

L. Julius Bursio, AR denarius (3.50 g), 85 BC. Draped bust of a male deity right, with a trident, laurel wreath and wings/Victory drives a fast quadriga right, the horses almost out of control, rearing in different directions.

This coin has fascinating designs; the obverse shows a head sometimes assumed to be Apollo Vejovis but in fact likely a composite representation of several Roman deities, with the general apperance of Apollo but the wings of Mercury and the trident of Neptune. The reverse has a lively depiction of a quadriga, with clear influence from Hellenistic art, perhaps even from the coinage of Syracuse. It was struck in the last year of the First Mithradatic War, when Mithradates VI accepted defeat at the hands of Sulla and signed the Treaty of Dardanos, paying reparations and returning territory to Rome.

Very fine, residually lustrous, banker's marks.

Cr. 352/1a

From a German collection, bt. Giles Blancon in January 2001 (110 EUR).

 

 

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