Marcus Antonius and Lucius Antonius, Denarius

Marcus Antonius and Lucius Antonius, Denarius - Ephesus mint 41 BCE
M ANT IMP AVG III VIR RPCM NERVA PROQ P, Bare head of Marcus Antonius right
L ANTONIUS COS, Bare head of Lucius Antonius right
3.58 gr
Ref : Cr. # 517/5a, HCRI # 246, RCV #1509, Cohen #2, RSC (Lucius Antony & Marc Antony) # 2

Following description taken from NAC auction 40, #617, about an other example of the same coin :
"This denarius, depicting the bare heads of Marc Antony and his youngest brother Lucius Antony, is a rare dual-portrait issue of the Imperatorial period. The family resemblance is uncanny, and one wonders if they truly looked this much alike, or if it is another case of portrait fusion, much like we observe with the dual-portrait billon tetradrachms of Antioch on which the face of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra VII takes on the square dimensions of Marc Antony. When Antony fled Rome to separate himself from Octavian and to take up his governorship in Gaul, Lucius went with him, and suffered equally from the siege of Mutina. This coin, however, was struck in a later period, when Lucius had for a second time taken up arms against Octavian in the west. Marc Antony was already in the east, and that is the region from which this coinage emanates. Since Lucius lost the ‘Perusine War’ he waged against Octavian, and was subsequently appointed to an office in Spain, where he died, it is likely that he never even saw one of his portrait coins."

Referência : 1641

Coleção : Republique romaine