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AR Denarius (Rome, 57 BC)
O/ Head of Saturn right, head of a harpoon and conical stone behind; S C upwards behind; SVFENAS downwards before.
R/ Roma seated left on a pile of trophies, holding sceptre and sword, crowned by Victory standing behind; PR L V P F around; SEX NONI in exergue.
3.90g; 19mm
Crawford 421/1 (56 obverse dies/62 reverse dies)
- Collection of Walter Friedrich Stoecklin, Amriswil, Switzerland, before 1975. W. F. Stoecklin was the second member of a dynasty of coin collectors based in Switzerland (read their story here).
- Obolos 9, lot 77.
Marcus Nonius Sex.f. Sufenas:
Sufenas belonged to the plebeian gens Nonia, a relatively new gens at this time. He was the son of Sextus Nonius Sufenas, who had played a crucial part in 86 BC by leading the defection to Sulla among Fimbria's troops during the Civil War (full story here). Sulla then rewarded him with a praetorship in 81 BC. In turn, Sextus organised the first Victory games celebrating his patron (the Ludi Victoriae Sullanae), as explained on the reverse (Sextus Nonius praetor ludos Victoriae primus fecit).
Marcus Sufenas' career relied on the patronage of Pompey, whom he devotedly served. In 56 he was Tribune of the Plebs, and with the famous Publius Clodius Pulcher, Gaius Porcius Cato, and Lucius Procilius, they sabotaged the consular elections in order to force the choice of Pompey and Crassus as Consuls for 55 (Cassius Dio, xxxix. 27-33; cf. full story here). Pompey then used his influence to acquit Sufenas (Cicero, Atticus, iv. 15).
Since he was governor of Macedonia or Cyrenaica in 51 (Atticus, vi. 1 & viii. 15), Broughton conjectured that he had been Praetor in 52. He was still in his province by 49, so he probably helped Pompey after his flight from Italy. Plutarch mentions him just before the Battle of Pharsalus (Cicero, 38). As he disappears from ancient sources after this, he could have died during the battle.
The date of the issue was initially dated from 59 by Crawford, but it was revised to 57 by Hersh and Walker after the discovery of the Mesagne Hoard.*
* Charles Hersh and Alan Walker, "The Mesagne Hoard", Museum Notes (American Numismatic Society), Vol. 29 (1984), pp. 103–134.
Referência : RRC 421/1
Coleção : Roman Republic