The Ghastly Priest Doth Reign: Diana Nemorensis and the King of the Wood
The most recent Roman denarius added to my collection allows us to travel in time to the sacred grove of the goddess Diana on the...
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Mar 25, 20234 min read
Guardian Gods and Monsters - The Denarii of Lucius Papius
Little is known about the moneyer Lucius Papius but during his tenure running the Roman mint in 79 BC, he issued one of the most...
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Sep 17, 20225 min read
No Fortunate Son - Commodus as Heir to the Throne
'Our history now descends from a kingdom of gold to one of iron and rust.' - Cassius Dio (72.35) Two denarii recently added to my...
1,332 views1 comment
Jul 2, 20226 min read
Jupiter Resurgent - A Denarius showing the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus
The flames would have taken hold quickly, climbing up to play amongst the ancient rafters. The temple was, after all, as old as the...
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Jun 27, 20227 min read
The Genius of the Roman People - A Denarius from the Sertorian War
In 76 BC a 'dark cloud' was hanging over Rome. For five years, the Republic had been repeatedly humiliated by one of its own – a general...
696 views1 comment
Oct 17, 20213 min read
Another Publius Satrienus Denarius - Insights into the Roman Mint
Though I was recently lucky enough to add an excellent example of Publius Satrienus’ famous she-wolf denarius minted around 77 BC (see...
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Jul 26, 20216 min read
Publius Satrienus and the She-Wolf Mother of Rome
"..a thirsty she-wolf coming down from the surrounding hills, attracted by the crying of the children, came to Romulus and Remus, gave...
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Jul 21, 20214 min read
Founded in Blood: A Revealing Denarius from the Dictatorship of Sulla (81 BC)
I am very pleased to add to my collection this equally historical and handsome Roman Republican denarius serratus, minted by the moneyer...
1,198 views3 comments
Feb 18, 20216 min read
A Denarius of Claudius - ‘for having saved the citizens'
"Having spent the greater part of his life as a figure of ridicule, he became emperor in his fiftieth year by a remarkable freak of...
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Jun 9, 20202 min read
Numismatic Odyssey: the reunion of Odysseus with his faithful dog Argos
I was recently lucky enough to add to my collection this beautiful Republican denarius serratus minted in 82 BC by the moneyer Gaius...
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Mar 29, 20206 min read
“The Rape of the Sabine Women” – A Founding Myth of Rome on my Latest Roman Denarius
My latest Roman coin acquisition offers a spectacular look at one of the most famous foundational myths of Rome: the Rape of the Sabine...
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May 29, 20163 min read
Adoptio – The Controversial Accession of Hadrian
My latest acquisition highlights not only the insight Roman coins can provide into murky historical events around which contemporary...
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May 6, 20163 min read
“From the collection of…” – A denarius with a fascinating provenance
Collectors of ancient coins soon learn to see themselves, not as owners, but temporary custodians of their beloved miniature works of...
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Aug 30, 20153 min read
The Curious Case of Claudius’ Missing Denarii
The silver denarius was the workhorse of the Roman numismatic system. The most common denomination minted for many successive centuries...
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May 11, 20152 min read
The Didcot Hoard
The Didcot Hoard on display at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford This incredible Roman hoard was found by metal detectorist Bill Darley in...
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Dec 30, 20135 min read
Aelius Caesar – Forgotten Prince
“He was a man of joyous life and well versed in letters. In the palace his stay was but a short one but he was considerate of his family,...
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Sep 15, 20138 min read
Apollodorus of Damascus: Architect of Empire
“But when he came to the Forum of Trajan, a creation which in my view has no like under the cope of heaven and which even the gods...
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