A PLAUTIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS PLANCIA AR Fouree Denarius

A PLAUTIUS ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS PLANCIA
AR Fouree Denarius
OBVERSE: Turreted hd of Cybele right, A PLAVTIVS before, AED CVR SC behind
REVERSE: supplicant offerng palm-branch, camel behind; IVDAEVS before, BACCHIVS below
Rome 55 BC
18mm, 3.2g
Cr431/1, Syd 932, Hendin 741, Plautia 13

Bacchius may be the Aristobulus, the Jewish king of Judaea who submitted himself and Judaea to Pompey in 63 B.C., bringing a train of camels loaded with gold as part of his "peace offering."   This offering included, according to Josephus, the gigantic golden vine that had been set up in front of the temple doors, which was called "Terpole" (The Delight); it was to be seen on display in Rome in the Augustan era (Strabo mentions it). The replacement vine, set up under Herod Archelaus, (between 4. B.C. and A.D. 6) likely inspired the famous grape and vine coin types of the First and Second Revolts.  This is the earliest Roman coin with an explicit reference to Rome's intervention in Jewish/Judaean affairs!

Sammlung : Roman Republic thru Imperatorial