★ Ex M&M Basel 66, 1984 ★

Julius Caesar AR Denarius. Military mint travelling with Caesar, 48-47 BC. Diademed female head to right, wearing oak-wreath; LII (Caesar's age) behind / Trophy of Gallic arms, wearing horned helmet, holding oval shield ornamented with thunderbolt and carnyx; securis to right, CAE-SAR across lower fields. Crawford 452/2; CRI 11; BMCRR Rome 3955; RSC 18. 4.00g, 20mm, 1h.

Good Extremely Fine; beautiful old cabinet tone.

This coin published in Richard Schaefer's Roman Republican Die Project (RRDP), Binder 9, p. 174:
http://numismatics.org/archives/ark:/53695/schaefer.rrdp.b09#schaefer.rrdp.b09_0231;
Acquired from Jean Elsen & ses Fils S.A.;
Ex Münzen & Medaillen AG Basel, Auction 66, 22-23 October 1984, lot 456.

Since the numerals behind the obverse head have long been recognized to represent Caesar's age at the time, this denarius was struck shortly after the battle of Pharsalus, where Pompey met his ultimate defeat, and Caesar became master of Rome. The reverse deliberately references Caesar's Gallic victories, rather than his recent victory over fellow Romans, the celebration of which would have been distasteful; Caesar's conduct after the battle was similarly conciliatory - he forgave the large part of Pompey's officers and army. The depiction of this female portrait wearing the corona civica, or oak wreath, however, may be a subtle allusion to his Pompeian victory. This award was granted to any citizen who had personally saved the life of another citizen; in this case, Caesar had saved the citizen-body of Rome and the Republic from further civil war.