441/1. Neria (49 BC)

AR Denarius (Rome, 49 BC)

O/ Head of Saturn right with harpa over shoulder; NERI Q VRB downwards before.

R/ Legionary eagle; standard of maniple of hastati on left; standard of maniple of princeps on right; [L LENT] upwards on left; C MARC upwards on right; CO-S on either side of eagle below; radiate border.

3.81g; 19mm

Crawford 441/1 (19 obverse dies/21 reverse dies)

- Naville Numismatics Live Auction 38, lot 572.

Gnaeus Nerius:

Nerius is the only known magistrate of the plebeian gens Neria, and the first person of that name to appear in history.  He was probably the informant who attacked Publius Sestius for bribery, mentioned by Cicero in 56 BC (Epistulae ad Quintum fratrem, II, 3).

As stated on the obverse, he was Quaestor Urbanus in 49 BC.  This magistrate watched the aerarium, the public treasury, kept in the temple of Saturn, shown on the obverse, where the standards of the legions were also stored, hence the reverse.   It is obvious that, with the crossing of the Rubicon in January, this denarius was minted to enhance the fidelity of the legions, by showing them that the legitimacy of the Republic was on the side of the Consuls (who are named on the reverse).

Nerius then had to leave Rome with Pompey, and the other moneyer for 49 Quintus Sicinius.  He might have been the unnamed quaestor featured on the denarii of Lucius Cornelius Lentulus Crus (RRC 445/2; Babelon Cornelia 65).

Collezione : Roman Republic