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Lot 3040
M. Plaetorius M.f. Cestianus. Silver Denarius (3.91 g), 67 BC. Uncertain mint. Draped female bust right, with hair in bag or net; behind, dagger. Reverse : M PLAETORI CEST EX S C, winged caduceus. Crawford 405/3b; Sydenham 805; Plaetoria 6. Well struck and nicely centered, lustrous. Nearly Mint State.
This moneyer's coinage of seven distinct types falls into two groups, the first group with two types having the legend AED CVR EX S C showing that Cestianus struck those coins while curule aedile in either 68 or 67 BC, and five types that are special issues authorized by the Senate and employ the legend EX S C (ex senatus consulto). This latter group, from which this coin comes, was dated by Crawford and others to 67 BC, but Hersh and Walker reassigned them to 57 BC based on the fact that the Mesagne hoard contained no examples. However, the five types in question show marked stylistic differences, which indicates that each was either struck at a separate officinae with different workmen involved in engraving the dies, or, a more reasonable assumption, that they were struck at different mints altogether. Additionally, all employ control marks, a feature that saw its heyday in the 70s and early 60s.
In the early 60s BC, there was a significant pirate menace in the Mediterranean. Rome was at special risk as it imported most of its food from outside of Italy, and the pirates were causing prices to skyrocket. After previous attempts to confront the problem had proved ineffectual, legislation was passed assigning command to combat the pirates to Pompey, giving him extraordinary command over the entire Mediterranean Sea. He was allowed to recruit as many troops as he thought necessary, and he did so, raising 120,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and a sizable fleet of 500 ships. The money to pay for this massive buildup - according to Appian 6000 Attic talents (24,000,000 denarii) - was authorized by senatorial decree.
Pompey divided his command into thirteen districts, assigning each a fleet under the command of a legate. He kept for himself a fleet of sixty ships, with which he toured the various districts. His first efforts were concentrated in the western Mediterranean, and in a mere forty days he eliminated the pirate menace there. He then went on to the eastern Mediterranean and quickly subdued the remaining pirates, many of whom had settled in southern Asia Minor at a distance from the coast.
It is in light of these events that Cestianu's non-AED CVR types should be seen. Pompey needed someone familiar with minting operations to coin the 6000 talents decreed by the Senate to pay for extraordinary command, and Cestianus, who had just served as curule aedile with authority to strike coins, fit the mold perfectly. Additionally, it is logical to assume that he would have traveled throughout the thirteen districts seeing to the monetary needs of each fleet, which would explain not only the divergent styles of his five EX S C types, but their complete absence from the Mesagne hoard. Finally, this resolves the question of symbols reappearing on coins in the 50s. For these reasons Cestianus' non-AED CVR denarii should be assigned a date of 67 BC, not 57 BC as proposed by Hersh and Walker.
Estimated Value $1,000 - 1,400.
Gemini V (6 January 2009), 235.
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| Realized $1,175 |
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