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Marc Antony, of quaestor pro consul M. Junius Silanus, struck 32 BC, military mint moving with Mark Antony in Athens, ANTON•AVG•IMP•III•COS•DES•III•III•V•R•P•C, bare head r., small P behind ear (engraver’s signature), rev. M•SILANVS•AVG / Q•PRO•COS, wt. 3.85gms. (Cr.542/1; RBW 1830; Syd.1208). Flatly struck in areas, nevertheless a nice and rare exemplar with a great portrait.
Julius Silanus was undoubtedly one of the worst turncoats in the civil war years. He served first under Lepidus, before switching to support Mark Antony in 43 BC at the battle of Mutina. He went on to side with Sextus Pompey, but was pardoned in 39 BC and became pro consul at the time this coin was struck. On the eve of the battle of Actium, he backed Octavia, which turned out to be his most successful alliance.
Provenance from Baldwins; from the Private collection of a British author and collector, Mr. TR Hardaker.
The small P on the obverse represents the only known example of an artist engraving his initials on a Roman Republican coin. This fact went unnoticed for centuries, until it was first pointed out in a Santamaria sales catalog in 1920.
Reference : Cr.542/1; RBW 1830; Syd.1208
Collection : Roman Imperatorial collection