Rome, 31.3.2020
Dear Reader,
the significant elements concerning the coin of the
figure are shown below:
As (bronze)1,
mint of Rome, 169÷158 B.C., Crawford
186/1 (page 237)2, Sydenham
373 (page 42).
Summary
description (worn or otherwise unreadable legends are
indicated in red):
D. Laureate head of Janus. Sign of the value I, above.
R. Prow of a Roman ship, right. 3, above. Sign of
the value I, before; ROMA,
below.
The search on the web for coins of the type of
figure gave rise to the following results:
- https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2830476
Agora Auctions http://agoraauctions.com/ Sale 47
78 22.12.2015 Description: L. Licinius Murena. Ca.
169-158 B.C. AE as (34.9mm, 23.98g, 8h). Rome
mint. Laurete head of Janus, I above / MVRENA /
ROMA, prow of galley right, I to right. Crawford
186/1; Sydenham 373. aVF, porous, olive patina.
- vcoins
US$ 150.00US$ 136.65€ Rates for: 03/30/20 Æ As,
approx. 33mm, 24.21g. Rome mint, (169 – 158 B.C.)
L. Licinius Murena, moneyer. Obv: laureate head of
bearded Janus, I (mark of value) above. Rev:
MVRENA above prow of galley right, I (mark of
value) before, ROMA [in exergue]. F-VF, pleasing
brown patina. cf: Crawford 186/1, Sydenham 373.
- https://www.deamoneta.com/auctions/view/260/350
Лот 350 L. Licinius Murena, Asse, Roma, 169-158
a.C.; AE (17,89g; 30mm; 12h); Laureate head of
Janus r.; above, I, Rv. Prow r.; above, MVRENA;
before, I; in ex. [ROMA]. Crawford 201/2; Licinia
1; Sydenham 373. Dark patina, good very fine.
Prezzo di partenza: 16€.
- Ebay
69,00EUR Gens LICINIA (169-158 a.C.). Asse
<Ae> Rome - legend: (MVRENA). flan: 33,1mm.
ca./ 21,2g. SPESSORE CORPO: 3mm. ca. *testa di
Giano bifronte / *prua di nave verso
dx. PRUA DI NAVE A DX..jpg sopra:
(MVRENA). Parere di conservazione: MB+(/)MB. (D/.:
Piu' di Molto Bella - R/.: Molto Bella) F+(/)F
(leather coloring) Crawford 186/1.
- Ebay
Price: US $70.00 Roman Republic, c. 169-158 BC,
bronze as of MVRENA, 33.3mm, 28.47g.
Obverse: Laureate bust of Janus. Reverse: MVRNA
monogram above and below prow r. Reference:
Crawford 186/1.
- https://www.colleconline.com/es/items/99656/monnaie-antique-av-jc-ap-romaine-186-1-licinia-as-169-158-bc
AE As (Rome, 169-158 BC). O/ Laureate head of
Janus; I above. R/ Prow right; MVRENA above; I
before; ROMA below. 25.39g; 32mm. Crawford 186/1
(22 specimens in Paris). - Naville Numismatics
Live Auction 52 (22/09/2019), lot 377.
- https://www.ma-shops.com/stollhoff/item.php?id=13785
Conservazione: F Materiale: bronzo Peso: 21.56g
MVRENA (L. Licinius Murena?), 169-158 v. Chr. As.
Januskopf. Rv. Prora, darüber MVRENA, darunter
ROMA. 21,56g. Crawford 186/1, Albert 712. Schön
EUR 100,- Aus Slg. M. Weder.
- davy.potdevin
L. Licinius Murena. 169-158 BC. Æ As (21.99g).
Laureate head of Janus; I above. Rev. Prow of
galley right; MVRENA above. Crawford 186/1;
Sydenham 373; BMCRR 808. Near VF for type. Dr.
Busso Peus Nachfolger Auction 374 - 23 April 2003.
No.: 298 120$.
- http://www.arsclassicacoins.com/pdf/NAC61-2.pdf
L. Licinius Murena 788 As circa 169-158, Æ 22.32g.
Laureate head of Janus; above, mark of value. Rev.
Prow r.; above, MVRENA. and before, mark of value.
Below, [R]OMA. Babelon Licinia 1. Sydenham 373.
Crawford 186/1. Brown tone and about very fine
100. Privately purchased from CNG in November
1992.
- lucernae
45.00€. Roman Republic. L. Licinius Murena Janus
bronze as (25,20g. 33mm.). Minted in Rome, 169-158
B.C. Janus head / prow of galley. MVRENA. Obv.:
Laureate head of Janus; above mark of value, Ieft.
Rev.: Prow of galley to right; above, MVRENA and
before, mark of value. Below, ROMA. Babelon
Licinia 1. Sydenham 373. Crawford 186/1. Very fine
condition! Nice original patina. Very scarce coin!
Coming to conclusions, I observe that the general and
style characteristics of the coin under exam do not
differ from those of authentic coins found in the web.
The coin physical characteristics are available, which
is why a comparative examination with the authentic
coins of the period is not possible. In the present
state of conservation, in my opinion, the market value
of the coin, if authentic, is about 100€.
Best regards.
Giulio De Florio
------------
(1) As (Æ). I
report in the table below the physical
characteristics of the coins of the type of figure
found on the web:
Riferimenti |
Peso(g.) |
Asse di conio(ore) |
Diametro(mm) |
link 1 |
23,98 |
8 |
34,9 |
link 2 |
24,21 |
- |
33 |
link 3 |
17,89 |
12 |
30 |
link 4 |
21,2 |
- |
33,1 |
link 5 |
28,47 |
- |
33,3 |
link 6 |
25,39 |
- |
32 |
link 7 |
21,56 |
- |
- |
link 8 |
21,99 |
- |
- |
link 9 |
22,32 |
- |
- |
link10
|
25,20 |
- |
33 |
In the absence of elements on the physical
characteristics of the coin in the figure, it will
not be possible to compare them with the data in the
table.
(2) The coin in the figure is
the highest nominal of a series which included the
following fractions:
- semis (laureate head of Saturn r., behind
S/similar, before "S") - Cr. 186/2 (e.g. link);
- triens (helmeted head of Minerva r., above 4 horizontal circlets/similar,
before 4 vertical circlets) - Cr. 186/3 (e.g. link);
- quadrans (head of Hercules r., behind 3
vertical circlets/similar, before 3 vertical
circlets - Cr. 186/4 (e.g. link);
- sextans (head of Mercury r., above 2
horizontal circlets/similar, before 2 vertical
circlets) - Cr. 186/5 (e.g. link).
The standard weight of the series, according to
Crawford, was based on an as of 31,5g but the
average of the samples taken by the same author is
of 27,57g.
(3) . (MVR in ligature).
Murena was a plebeian family, originally from
Lanuvio, belonging to the gens Licinia, whose name
was said to derive from a progenitor's passion for
moray eels. Main members of the family were Lucius
Licinius Murena, defeated by Mithridates in Asia in
81 BC. and his son, namesake, legate of Lucius
Licinius Lucullus in the third mithridatic war,
praetor in 65, popular because of the magnificent
games he organized at his own expense. The latter
gained sympathy and consensus as administrator of
Transalpine Gaul where he had been sent at the end
of his praetor office. In 62 he was elected consul
(for the chronology of the consuls, see wikipedia)
but, before taking office, he was accused of
corruption and electoral fraud by Servius Sulpicius,
his political opponent in the campaign for the
consulate. In the judgment that followed Lucius
Licinius Murena was successfully defended by a
college formed by the lawyers Marcus Licinius
Crassus (later to become triumvir), Quintus
Hortensius and by Cicero who published the defensive
oration (Cic. Pro Murena) of which I transcribe a
significant step:
"Summam video esse in te, Ser. Sulpici,
dignitatem generis, integritatis, industriae
ceterorumque ornamentorum omnium quibus fretum ad
consulatus petitionem adgredi par est. Paria
cognosco esse ista in L. Murena, atque ita paria
ut neque ipse dignitate vinci <a te>
potuerit neque te dignitate superarit.
Contempsisti L. Murenae genus, extulisti tuum. Quo
loco si tibi hoc sumis, nisi qui patricius sit,
neminem bono esse genere natum, facis ut rursus
plebes in Aventinum sevocanda esse videatur. Sin
autem sunt amplae et honestae familiae plebeiae,
et proavus L. Murenae et avus praetor fuit, et
pater, cum amplissime atque honestissime ex
praetura triumphasset, hoc faciliorem huic gradum
consulatus adipiscendi reliquit quod is iam patri
debitus a filio petebatur." (I very well
know, Servius Sulpicius, that you are possessed of
that eminent dignity of birth, probity, industry,
and all other accomplishments, which gives you an
undisputed title to aspire to the consulship. I know
too that Murena is your equal in all those points;
and so truly your equal, that neither do you surpass
him in dignity, nor has he the advantage of
surpassing you. You affect, indeed, to depreciate
the family of Murena, and exalt your own. In this
case, if you assume it as a principle that none but
a patrician is of an honourable race, you seem again
to summon the commons of Rome to the Aventine mount.
But if there are noble and illustrious families of
plebeian rank, then Murena's great-grandfather, and
grandfather, were both praetors ; and his father
having from the same dignity obtained the honour of
a splendid triumph, the accession to the consulship
became in this the more easy to the son, that he
only demanded tor himself, what was before due to
his father).
Which brings us back to our moneyer of 169 ÷ 158 BC
who, at the beginning of his political career,
before becoming a magistrate, held the post of
monetary magistrate and, in this capacity, struck
the figure coin. It is also known that in the
prosecution of his political career, Lucius Licinius
Murena took part with Lucius Mummius, consul in 146,
in the senatorial commission charged with the
reorganization of Greece following the Roman
conquest after the Achean war. |