Rights Holder: Royal Institution of Cornwall
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Unique ID: CORN-9A4F89
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A silver Roman Republican denarius of the moneyer Caius Coelius Caldus, minted in Rome in 51 BC. The moneyer has taken the opportunity to celebrate the career successes of his family. On the obverse the coin has the portrait of C. Coelius Caldus, the moneyer's grandfather, who was also called Caius Coelius Caldus, and was Consul in 94 BC. Behind his head there is a standard with the letters H S, with the pole dividing the letters, which stands for Hispania or Spain. The design on the reverse shows a figure seated at a banquet (epulum) on a table with a trophy with the Macedonian shield on the left and a trophy with a carnyx (war trumpet used by Celtic warriors) and oval shield on the right, referencing a successful campaign against the Celts. The inscription reads L Caldus VII VR EPVL, which stands for Lucius Caldus (the moneyer's father) who was one of the Septemviri (seven men) appointed to organise the epulum (banquet) in honour of the gods, and Jove in particular. The table shown is called the Lectisternum, around which statues of the gods would have been arranged on couches as if they were feasting. The coin is described in BMC Republic Vol.I, p.475, no.3838.
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: ROMAN
Subperiod from: Early
Period from: ROMAN
Subperiod to: Early
Period to: ROMAN
Date from: Exactly 51 BC
Date to: Exactly 51 BC
Quantity: 1
Thickness: 2 mm
Weight: 3.4 g
Diameter: 18 mm
Date(s) of discovery: Monday 1st October 2018 - Wednesday 31st October 2018
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Other reference: Loan 500
Primary material: Silver
Manufacture method: Struck or hammered
Completeness: Complete
Denomination: Denarius (Roman Republic)
Denomination qualifier: Certain
Ruler/issuer: Republic
Primary ruler qualifier: Certain
Reece period: Period 1 [Pre AD 41]
Mint or issue place: Rome
Mint qualifier: Probably
Obverse description: Head of Coelius Caldus facing right with a standard behind his head bearing the letters HIS
Obverse inscription: C COEL.CALDVS
Reverse description: Figure preparing a banquest on a high lectisternum between a trophy on the left with a Macedonian shield and a trophy on the right with an oval Celtic shield and carnyx. The moneyer's name is below.
Reverse inscription: L.CALDVS / VII.VR.EPVL below lectisternum and C CALDVS reading downwards on the left and IMP A X (imperator, augur, decemvir) downwards on the right // CALDVS III VIR
Die axis measurement: 9 o'clock
Degree of wear: Slightly worn: very fine
Republican moneyer: Coelius Caldus, C.
Status: Regular
Status qualifier: Certain
4 Figure: SW9239
Four figure Latitude: 50.21436244
Four figure longitude: -4.91678144
1:25K map: SW9239
1:10K map: SW99NW
Grid reference source: GPS (from the finder)
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
Author | Publication Year | Title | Publication Place | Publisher | Pages | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grueber, H.A. | 1910 | Coins of the Roman Republic in the British Museum | Oxford | University Press | Vol.I, p.475 | no.3838 |