Lot 176
Cn. Domitius Ahenobarbus. Silver Denarius (3.93 g), 41-40 BC. Uncertain mint in the region of the Adriatic or Ionian Sea. [AH]ENOBAR, head of L. Ahenobarbus right. Reverse: CN • DOMITIVS IMP, trophy set on prow of galley right. Crawford 519/2; HCRI 339; Sydenham 1177; Domitia 21. Scarce. Excellent portrait. Area of flatness on both sides not affecting the portrait or the reverse design. Choice Very Fine. Estimated Value $1,000 - UP
Originally a Pompeian loyalist, Ahenobarbus allied with Brutus and Cassius after the Ides of March. After Philippi he engaged the fleet of the triumvirs under the command of Domitius Calvinus, inflicting a resounding defeat for which he was hailed imperator by his troops, which the reverse of this coin commemorates. Subsequently, however, he joined Antony in opposing Octavian, but then deserted to Octavian before Actium, having become disgusted with Antony's alliance with Cleopatra. Aside from his involvement in the civil wars that racked Rome in the latter half of the first century BC, Ahenobarbus is also remembered for being the paternal great-grandfather of the future emperor Nero.
Peter Corcoran Collection, Ex Lanz 151 (30 June 2010), 664.
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| Realized $1,320 |
