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Denarius Serratus of Lucius Pomponius
Obverse: Head of Roma, helmeted, right; beaded border; denomination mark Ӿ. Reverse: Gaulish warrior, standing right in biga (2-horse chariot), nude, holding shield, reins, and carnyx (Gaulish war-trumpet) in left hand, brandishing spear in right; horses run right; beaded border.
This coin is unusual for a number of reasons, especially for its serrated flange. First, the “denarius serratus” was only minted for a few years at the Roman colony of Narbo Martius (Narbonne) around its founding in 118 BCE. Second, the coin was unusually minted under the authority of a junior official (L. Pomponius) who answered to Crassus and Ahenobarbus, the officials tasked with founding the colony. Finally, while the type is well attested in sliver, the Walters example clearly shows silver plate over a bronze core. It is unclear whether this represents an intentional debasement by the issuing authority, an ancient counterfeit issue, or a modern fake.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Anne, Jeannette, and Rebecca Dobbin, Baltimore, [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1946, by gift.
Geographies
France, Narbonne (Narbo) (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Max diam: 3/4 in. (1.92 cm); axis: 7:00
Credit Line
Gift of the Misses Dobbin, 1946
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
59.692