| Numismatica Ars Classica > Auction 143 | Auction date: 7 May 2024 |
| Lot number: 120 Price realized: This lot is for sale in an upcoming auction - Bid on this lot  | Show similar lots on CoinArchives Find similar lots in upcoming auctions on  |
| Lot description: The Dioscuri Collection. The Roman Republic. Cn. Cornelius L.f. Sisenna. Denarius 118-107, AR 21 mm, 3.96 g. Helmeted head of Roma r.; behind, SISENA; before, ROMA; below, X. Rev. Jupiter in quadriga r., holding sceptre, reins and thunderbolt; on either side, star; in upper field, head of Sol and crescent; below horses, anguipede giant with thunderbolt; in exergue, CN CORNEL L F. Babelon Cornelia 17. Sydenham 542. FFC 616 (this coin). RBW 1153. Crawford 310/1. Very rare and in exceptional condition for the issue, possibly the finest specimen in private hands. Struck on a very broad flan and with lovely light iridescent tone. Virtually as struck and almost Fdc Ex NAC 9 April 1997, 485 and Aureo & Calicó 319, 2018, Alba Longa, 279 sales. Although this rare denarius generally conforms to the traditional typology of the head of Roma on the obverse and the quadriga of Jupiter on the reverse, it features a number of remarkable additions. The anguipede giant trampled under the hooves of Jupiter's horses is sometimes interpreted as the monstrous Typhon, who seems to have already been struck by one of Jupiter's thunderbolts. Meanwhile, in the sky above, the head of Sol, a lunar crescent and a star can be seen. These celestial elements seem to refer to the mythological tradition that Gaia, the mother of the giants, attempted to save them by seeking out a magic herb that would make them invulnerable, but Jupiter forbade the sun and moon to shine and the dawn to break until he had harvested all of the herb himself. In this case, the star on this coin must represent Venus, the morning star. This unusual reverse type has sometimes been interpreted as an allegory for the victory of L. Cornelius Scipio-a famous ancestor of the moneyer Cn. Cornelius Sisena-over the Seleucid king Antiochus III at the Battle of Magnesia in 190 BC. In this interpretation, Scipio is represented by Jupiter and the defeated king by the anguipede giant. Estimate: 7500 CHF |  |
