Indice Dietro Avanti
Rome, as, Murena, Janus, prow of ship
27.3.2020
..da Ancient Roman Coins.
Looking for an expert on Republican bronze for just a little help on this one.
plate 1
click the images to enlarge
Rome, 31.3.2020
Dear Reader,
the significant elements concerning the coin of the figure are shown below:

As (bronze)1, mint of Rome, 169÷158 B.C., Crawford 186/1 (page 237)2, Sydenham 373 (page 42).

Summary description (worn or otherwise unreadable legends are indicated in red):
D. Laureate head of Janus. Sign of the value I, above.
R. Prow of a Roman ship, right. 3, above. Sign of the value I, before; ROMA, below.

The search on the web for coins of the type of figure gave rise to the following results:

  1. https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2830476 Agora Auctions http://agoraauctions.com/ Sale 47 78 22.12.2015 Description: L. Licinius Murena. Ca. 169-158 B.C. AE as (34.9mm, 23.98g, 8h). Rome mint. Laurete head of Janus, I above / MVRENA / ROMA, prow of galley right, I to right. Crawford 186/1; Sydenham 373. aVF, porous, olive patina.
  2. vcoins US$ 150.00US$ 136.65€ Rates for: 03/30/20 Æ As, approx. 33mm, 24.21g. Rome mint, (169 – 158 B.C.) L. Licinius Murena, moneyer. Obv: laureate head of bearded Janus, I (mark of value) above. Rev: MVRENA above prow of galley right, I (mark of value) before, ROMA [in exergue]. F-VF, pleasing brown patina. cf: Crawford 186/1, Sydenham 373.
  3. https://www.deamoneta.com/auctions/view/260/350 Лот 350 L. Licinius Murena, Asse, Roma, 169-158 a.C.; AE (17,89g; 30mm; 12h); Laureate head of Janus r.; above, I, Rv. Prow r.; above, MVRENA; before, I; in ex. [ROMA]. Crawford 201/2; Licinia 1; Sydenham 373. Dark patina, good very fine. Prezzo di partenza: 16€.
  4. Ebay 69,00EUR Gens LICINIA (169-158 a.C.). Asse <Ae> Rome - legend: (MVRENA). flan: 33,1mm. ca./ 21,2g. SPESSORE CORPO: 3mm. ca. *testa di Giano bifronte  /  *prua di nave verso dx.  PRUA DI NAVE A DX..jpg  sopra: (MVRENA). Parere di conservazione: MB+(/)MB. (D/.: Piu' di Molto Bella - R/.: Molto Bella) F+(/)F (leather coloring) Crawford 186/1.
  5. Ebay Price: US $70.00 Roman Republic, c. 169-158 BC, bronze as of  MVRENA, 33.3mm, 28.47g. Obverse: Laureate bust of Janus. Reverse: MVRNA monogram above and below prow r. Reference: Crawford 186/1.
  6. https://www.colleconline.com/es/items/99656/monnaie-antique-av-jc-ap-romaine-186-1-licinia-as-169-158-bc AE As (Rome, 169-158 BC). O/ Laureate head of Janus; I above. R/ Prow right; MVRENA above; I before; ROMA below. 25.39g; 32mm. Crawford 186/1 (22 specimens in Paris). - Naville Numismatics Live Auction 52 (22/09/2019), lot 377.
  7. https://www.ma-shops.com/stollhoff/item.php?id=13785 Conservazione: F Materiale: bronzo Peso: 21.56g MVRENA (L. Licinius Murena?), 169-158 v. Chr. As. Januskopf. Rv. Prora, darüber MVRENA, darunter ROMA. 21,56g. Crawford 186/1, Albert 712. Schön EUR 100,- Aus Slg. M. Weder.
  8. davy.potdevin L. Licinius Murena. 169-158 BC. Æ As (21.99g). Laureate head of Janus; I above. Rev. Prow of galley right; MVRENA above. Crawford 186/1; Sydenham 373; BMCRR 808. Near VF for type. Dr. Busso Peus Nachfolger Auction 374 - 23 April 2003. No.: 298 120$.
  9. http://www.arsclassicacoins.com/pdf/NAC61-2.pdf L. Licinius Murena 788 As circa 169-158, Æ 22.32g. Laureate head of Janus; above, mark of value. Rev. Prow r.; above, MVRENA. and before, mark of value. Below, [R]OMA. Babelon Licinia 1. Sydenham 373. Crawford 186/1. Brown tone and about very fine 100. Privately purchased from CNG in November 1992.
  10. lucernae 45.00€. Roman Republic. L. Licinius Murena Janus bronze as (25,20g. 33mm.). Minted in Rome, 169-158 B.C. Janus head / prow of galley. MVRENA. Obv.: Laureate head of Janus; above mark of value, Ieft. Rev.: Prow of galley to right; above, MVRENA and before, mark of value. Below, ROMA. Babelon Licinia 1. Sydenham 373. Crawford 186/1. Very fine condition! Nice original patina. Very scarce coin!
Coming to conclusions, I observe that the general and style characteristics of the coin under exam do not differ from those of authentic coins found in the web. The coin physical characteristics are available, which is why a comparative examination with the authentic coins of the period is not possible. In the present state of conservation, in my opinion, the market value of the coin, if authentic, is about 100€.

Best regards.
Giulio De Florio

------------
(1) As (Æ). I report in the table below the physical characteristics of the coins of the type of figure found on the web:

Riferimenti Peso(g.) Asse di conio(ore) Diametro(mm)
link 1 23,98 8 34,9
link 2 24,21 - 33
link 3 17,89 12 30
link 4 21,2 - 33,1
link 5 28,47 - 33,3
link 6 25,39 - 32
link 7 21,56 - -
link 8 21,99 - -
link 9 22,32 - -
link10
25,20 - 33
In the absence of elements on the physical characteristics of the coin in the figure, it will not be possible to compare them with the data in the table.
(2) The coin in the figure is the highest nominal of a series which included the following fractions:
  • semis (laureate head of Saturn r., behind S/similar, before "S") - Cr. 186/2 (e.g. link);
  • triens (helmeted head of Minerva r., above 4 horizontal circlets/similar, before 4 vertical circlets) - Cr. 186/3 (e.g. link);
  • quadrans (head of Hercules r., behind 3 vertical circlets/similar, before 3 vertical circlets - Cr. 186/4 (e.g. link);
  • sextans (head of Mercury r., above 2 horizontal circlets/similar, before 2 vertical circlets) - Cr. 186/5 (e.g. link).
The standard weight of the series, according to Crawford, was based on an as of 31,5g but the average of the samples taken by the same author is of 27,57g.
(3) . (MVR in ligature). Murena was a plebeian family, originally from Lanuvio, belonging to the gens Licinia, whose name was said to derive from a progenitor's passion for moray eels. Main members of the family were Lucius Licinius Murena, defeated by Mithridates in Asia in 81 BC. and his son, namesake, legate of Lucius Licinius Lucullus in the third mithridatic war, praetor in 65, popular because of the magnificent games he organized at his own expense. The latter gained sympathy and consensus as administrator of Transalpine Gaul where he had been sent at the end of his praetor office. In 62 he was elected consul (for the chronology of the consuls, see wikipedia) but, before taking office, he was accused of corruption and electoral fraud by Servius Sulpicius, his political opponent in the campaign for the consulate. In the judgment that followed Lucius Licinius Murena was successfully defended by a college formed by the lawyers Marcus Licinius Crassus (later to become triumvir), Quintus Hortensius and by Cicero who published the defensive oration (Cic. Pro Murena) of which I transcribe a significant step:

"Summam video esse in te, Ser. Sulpici, dignitatem generis, integritatis, industriae ceterorumque ornamentorum omnium quibus fretum ad consulatus petitionem adgredi par est. Paria cognosco esse ista in L. Murena, atque ita paria ut neque ipse dignitate vinci <a te> potuerit neque te dignitate superarit. Contempsisti L. Murenae genus, extulisti tuum. Quo loco si tibi hoc sumis, nisi qui patricius sit, neminem bono esse genere natum, facis ut rursus plebes in Aventinum sevocanda esse videatur. Sin autem sunt amplae et honestae familiae plebeiae, et proavus L. Murenae et avus praetor fuit, et pater, cum amplissime atque honestissime ex praetura triumphasset, hoc faciliorem huic gradum consulatus adipiscendi reliquit quod is iam patri debitus a filio petebatur." (I very well know, Servius Sulpicius, that you are possessed of that eminent dignity of birth, probity, industry, and all other accomplishments, which gives you an undisputed title to aspire to the consulship. I know too that Murena is your equal in all those points; and so truly your equal, that neither do you surpass him in dignity, nor has he the advantage of surpassing you. You affect, indeed, to depreciate the family of Murena, and exalt your own. In this case, if you assume it as a principle that none but a patrician is of an honourable race, you seem again to summon the commons of Rome to the Aventine mount. But if there are noble and illustrious families of plebeian rank, then Murena's great-grandfather, and grandfather, were both praetors ; and his father having from the same dignity obtained the honour of a splendid triumph, the accession to the consulship became in this the more easy to the son, that he only demanded tor himself, what was before due to his father).

Which brings us back to our moneyer of 169 ÷ 158 BC who, at the beginning of his political career, before becoming a magistrate, held the post of monetary magistrate and, in this capacity, struck the figure coin. It is also known that in the prosecution of his political career, Lucius Licinius Murena took part with Lucius Mummius, consul in 146, in the senatorial commission charged with the reorganization of Greece following the Roman conquest after the Achean war.
Indice Dietro Avanti