715
Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio AR Denarius. Utica, 47/46 BC. P. Licinius Crassus Junianus,
In Auction XI
Beschreibung
Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio AR Denarius. Utica, 47/46 BC. P. Licinius Crassus Junianus, legatus pro praetore. Q•METEL•PIVS on right, SCIPIO•IMP on left, lion-headed figure of Genius of Africa (Sekhmet or leontocephalic Tanit?) standing facing, holding symbol of Tanit; above, G•T•A / Victory standing left, holding winged caduceus and small round shield; P•CRASSVS•IVN on right, LEG•PRO•P•R on left. Crawford 460/4; RSC Caecilia 51. 3.88g, 20mm, 8h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare - the rarest of Scipio's denarii, and exceptionally complete and well preserved for the issue. Arguably the best example on CoinArchives. From the Eucharius Collection. This coin is traditionally described as depicting the Genius Terrae Africae, or Sekhmet holding an ankh, however this remarkable statue is not Egyptian - the coin is struck in Africa and therefore an ankh symbol makes no sense in a Punic Carthaginian context. Actually, the symbol is quite obviously that of Tanit who was commonly represented by a simple linear female abstract. The identity of the figure must therefore also be called into question in light of statues recovered from Carthage and Tunis which some academics take to represent the Carthaginian deity herself in leontocephalic form. Either way, the coinage of Scipio shows a dramatic break with Republican tradition. No local or city goddess had previously been portrayed on the obverse of Roman coinage other than Roma herself, and certainly never a foreign one! In this case it was made all the more objectionable by either being or holding the symbol of Tanit - a god whose people had slain hundreds of thousands of Roman soldiers and nearly vanquished Rome entirely. Nor indeed was there any precedent for the depiction of a Genius other than the Genius Populi Romani. In no way does Scipio use his coinage to champion the cause of the Republic; though it might have been designed to curry favour with the populace of their last remaining territory, the effect is that it nonetheless appears utterly in the style of an Eastern ruler. Caesar must not have been able to believe his luck, as nothing could better demonstrate to the rank and file the justness of their cause than the thoroughly un-Roman depths to which Scipio had lowered himself. Needless to say then, Scipio’s coinage stands in stark contrast to the traditional republican types of his colleague Cato, whose types replicated those of his ancestor, another M. Porcius Cato, moneyer of 89 BC. Perhaps we should not be surprised. Classical scholar John H. Collins summed up the character and reputation of Metellus Scipio thusly: “From all that can be learned of this Scipio, he was as personally despicable and as politically reactionary as they come: a defender of C. Verres (In Ver. II. 4. 79–81), a debauchee of singular repulsiveness (Valerius Maximus, 9.1.8), an incompetent and bull-headed commander (Plutarch, Cato Min. 58), an undisciplined tyrant in the possession of authority (Bell. Afr. 44–46), an extortioner of the provinces (BC 3.31–33), a proscription-thirsty bankrupt (Att. 9.11), a worthy great grandson des hochmütigen, plebejerfeindlichen Junkers (Münzer, RE 4.1502) who had led the lynching of Tiberius Gracchus, and a most unworthy father of the gentle Cornelia. Only in the ‘Imperator se bene habet’ with which he met death is there any trace of the nobler character of his great forebears (Seneca Rhet., Suas. 7.8).
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Q. Caecilius Metellus Pius Scipio AR Denarius. Utica, 47/46 BC. P. Licinius Crassus Junianus, legatus pro praetore. Q•METEL•PIVS on right, SCIPIO•IMP on left, lion-headed figure of Genius of Africa (Sekhmet or leontocephalic Tanit?) standing facing, holding symbol of Tanit; above, G•T•A / Victory standing left, holding winged caduceus and small round shield; P•CRASSVS•IVN on right, LEG•PRO•P•R on left. Crawford 460/4; RSC Caecilia 51. 3.88g, 20mm, 8h. Good Extremely Fine. Extremely Rare - the rarest of Scipio's denarii, and exceptionally complete and well preserved for the issue. Arguably the best example on CoinArchives. From the Eucharius Collection. This coin is traditionally described as depicting the Genius Terrae Africae, or Sekhmet holding an ankh, however this remarkable statue is not Egyptian - the coin is struck in Africa and therefore an ankh symbol makes no sense in a Punic Carthaginian context. Actually, the symbol is quite obviously that of Tanit who was commonly represented by a simple linear female abstract. The identity of the figure must therefore also be called into question in light of statues recovered from Carthage and Tunis which some academics take to represent the Carthaginian deity herself in leontocephalic form. Either way, the coinage of Scipio shows a dramatic break with Republican tradition. No local or city goddess had previously been portrayed on the obverse of Roman coinage other than Roma herself, and certainly never a foreign one! In this case it was made all the more objectionable by either being or holding the symbol of Tanit - a god whose people had slain hundreds of thousands of Roman soldiers and nearly vanquished Rome entirely. Nor indeed was there any precedent for the depiction of a Genius other than the Genius Populi Romani. In no way does Scipio use his coinage to champion the cause of the Republic; though it might have been designed to curry favour with the populace of their last remaining territory, the effect is that it nonetheless appears utterly in the style of an Eastern ruler. Caesar must not have been able to believe his luck, as nothing could better demonstrate to the rank and file the justness of their cause than the thoroughly un-Roman depths to which Scipio had lowered himself. Needless to say then, Scipio’s coinage stands in stark contrast to the traditional republican types of his colleague Cato, whose types replicated those of his ancestor, another M. Porcius Cato, moneyer of 89 BC. Perhaps we should not be surprised. Classical scholar John H. Collins summed up the character and reputation of Metellus Scipio thusly: “From all that can be learned of this Scipio, he was as personally despicable and as politically reactionary as they come: a defender of C. Verres (In Ver. II. 4. 79–81), a debauchee of singular repulsiveness (Valerius Maximus, 9.1.8), an incompetent and bull-headed commander (Plutarch, Cato Min. 58), an undisciplined tyrant in the possession of authority (Bell. Afr. 44–46), an extortioner of the provinces (BC 3.31–33), a proscription-thirsty bankrupt (Att. 9.11), a worthy great grandson des hochmütigen, plebejerfeindlichen Junkers (Münzer, RE 4.1502) who had led the lynching of Tiberius Gracchus, and a most unworthy father of the gentle Cornelia. Only in the ‘Imperator se bene habet’ with which he met death is there any trace of the nobler character of his great forebears (Seneca Rhet., Suas. 7.8).
Auction XI
Auktionsdatum
Ort der Versteigerung
The Electra Room
The Cavendish Hotel London
81 Jermyn Street
London
SW1Y 6JF
United Kingdom
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Wichtige Informationen
AUCTION XI
7 April 2016
10:00 Greek Coins
14:00 Roman, Migration Period, Byzantine and World Coins
Location:
The Electra Room
The Cavendish Hotel London
81 Jermyn Street
London
SW1Y 6JF
United Kingdom
Viewing:
At the office of Roma Numismatics
20 Fitzroy Square
London, W1T 6EJ
United Kingdom
From February 29th – April 6th:
Monday – Friday, 09:30 – 17:30
Lots will not be available for viewing during the sale.
Lots purchased online with the-saleroom.com will attract an additional charge for this service in the sum of 3% of the hammer price plus VAT at the rate imposed.
AGB
CONDITIONS OF SALE
The following terms and conditions will apply to this auction:
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