A Distinguished Collection of Roman Bronze Coins, the Property of a Gentleman

Roman Imperial Coinage, Trebonianus Gallus, Sestertius, struck on a medallion flan, Rome, 251-3, laureate and draped bust right, imp caes c vibivs trebonianvs gallvs avg, rev. ivnoni martiali, Juno seated facing, holding corn-ears, in garlanded distyle temple, s c in field, 17.53g (cf. RIC 110; cf. C 50; Sear 9671). On a spread flan with several striking splits, some slight smoothing in fields, otherwise good very fine, dark green patina, very rare £400-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Distinguished Collection of Roman Bronze Coins, the Property of a Gentleman.

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Provenance: Otto Helbing Auction 38 (Munich), 14 April 1913, lot 1520; Sir Arthur Evans Collection, Ars Classica Auction XVII (Lucerne), 3 October 1934, lot 1698; bt Spink December 1935.

The reverse type of Juno Martialis (mother of Mars) appears briefly on the coinage of Hostilian, Trebonianus Gallus and Volusian then vanishes again from the Roman imperial series. Its meaning is by no means certain. It is even unclear what the goddess is holding – RIC suggests perhaps corn-ears, shears or scissors. On the current specimen, it looks like none of these. “All that can be said for certain is that the type must be closely related to the events of 251 and, probably, to the family history of Gallus” (RIC IV, iii, p.156). One suggestion is that it was struck in honour of the emperor’s wife who, out of regard for Etruscilla, was not made Augusta