Crawford 437/4b

Moneyer: C. Coelius Caldus, 53 BC

Denomination: Denarius

Obverse: C•COEL•CALDVS / COS Bare head of C. Coelius Caldus (consul in 94 BC, the moneyer's ancestor) to right; to left, carnyx and spear; to right, signum inscribed HIS.

Reverse: Table inscribed L·CALDVS / VII VIR·EP, behind the moneyer's ancestor - Lucius Coelius Caldus, VIIvir (septemvir)  is preparing epulum; on either side of table, a trophy. On outer r. field, CALDVS downwards and on outer field r., IMP·A·X donwards. In exergue, CALDVS·IIIVIR

Mint:  Rome

Reference: Crawford 437/4b

Weight:

Comment: Very rare and desirable reverse type with epulum scene. A beautiful specimen in wonderful cabinet tone. A true rarity in such a condition!  

Notes: C. Coelius Caldus issued two coin types during his tenure as moneyer, and both depict on the obverse the head of his namesake ancestor who was the first of his family to attain the consulship. Toynbee noted the extremely realistic rendering of the portrait and thought it must have been based on an original portrait (J. M. C. Toynbee, Roman Historical Portraits, p. 21). In Rome, nobles were entitled to display images (imagines) of ancestors in the atrium of the family house, and these were either sculptures, or more often, death masks molded directly from the face of the deceased. The superb lifelike rendering of the portrait of the consul C. Coelius Caldus on this coin indicates that perhaps his death mask served as the model used by the die engravers for this issue.

The epulum (sumptuous ritual feast) presents us with an otherwise unknown Lucius Coelius Caldus, VIIvir (septemvir) epulo.

Collezione : 16 Roman Republic