Crawford 473/1

Moneyer:  Lollius Palikanus

Denomination: Denarius

Obverse: Head of Libertas right, wearing pearl diadem, cruciform earring and pearl necklace, and with hair collected into a knot behind, one lock falling down her neck; LIBERTATIS downwards to left 

Reverse:  View of the Rostra in the Roman Forum surmounted by a subsellium (tribune's bench); the Rostra consists of a platform supported by an arcade, each column of which is ornamented with a rostrum; PALIKANVS above.

Reference: Crawford 473/1

Mint: Rome, 45 BC

Weight: Very rare and desirable, architectural reverse type!

Provenance: Auction Kurpfälzische Münzhandlung 46, Mannheim 1994, Nr. 177.

Note: This type, like the others issued by Lollius, may relate to the vigorous and successful exertions of the tribune M. Lollius Palikanus (possibly the moneyer's father), to obtain for the tribunes the restoration of those powers and privileges of which they had been deprived by Sulla.

Lollius Palikanus was a Roman politician who served as a tribune of the plebs in 45 BC, during the late Roman Republic. As tribune, Palikanus held a significant position, tasked with protecting the interests of the plebeians and possessing the power to veto actions by other magistrates. Not much detailed information survives about his actions or political career, but it is known that this period was marked by intense political turbulence, as Julius Caesar was consolidating his power after emerging victorious from the Roman Civil War.

Palikanus, like other tribunes of the time, operated within the context of Caesar's dictatorship, which had drastically shifted the political balance of Rome. The role of the tribunes had been curtailed somewhat under Caesar's regime, as he held supreme authority following his defeat of Pompey and the senatorial forces. Palikanus' tenure as tribune in 45 BC, the final year of Caesar's life, occurred just before the assassination of Caesar in AD 44, which led to further instability and the eventual collapse of the Roman Republic.

Rostra – mównica wzniesiona na Forum Romanum. Przeniesiona w nieco inne miejsce przez Juliusza Cezara podczas przebudowy Forum. Budowla została wzniesiona na planie prostokąta o wymiarach 29,0 × 30,0 m. Wysokość podstawy wynosiła 5,0 m. Wejście znajdowało się po stronie zachodniej. Część wschodnia ozdobiona była początkowo dziobami okrętów zdobytych w 338 p.n.e. w Antium w trakcie wojny latyńskiej. Później dodano dzioby zdobyte w trakcie bitwy pomiędzy Oktawianem Augustem, a Markiem Antoniuszem pod Akcjum. Dwie części podstaw łączyła platforma. Z budowli zachowały się tylko fragmenty podstawy, choć znane są jej rekonstrukcje.

Sammlung : 16 Roman Republic