Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3044 3-4 January 2016
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Livineius Regulus (42 BC). AR denarius (17mm, 4.00 gm, 5h). Rome. Bare head of L. Livineius Regulus (Praetor, ca. mid 50s-early 40s BC) right / Beast-hunting scene in the arena: In foreground, a lion charges right toward a bestiarius (beast-fighter) who spears it through the mouth; in background on left, a wounded bear sits right; on right, another bestiarius defends himself against a tiger leaping at him to left; L • REGVLVS in exergue. Crawford 494/30. CRI 179. RSC Livineia 12. Rare! One of the most interesting late Republican types. Obverse a bit off-center, but a near-perfect reverse. Beautiful toning. NGC Choice AU 4/5 - 5/5. The identity of the obverse portrait is something of a mystery, but the most likely candidate is a Praetor Lucius Livineius Regulus, probably the moneyer's father, who was one of Caesar's backers and partners in the 50s and 40s BC. The scene on the back is one type of popular entertainment that praetors (an office just below that of Consul) were supposed to present -- a beast-fighting scene in the arena. While gladiators fought other men, bestiarii were a special class of combatant who fought and killed wild animals such as lions, bears and tigers for the public' enjoyment. Some were criminals sentenced to the arena to die damnatio ad bestia (as were many Christians a century or more later), while others were free men (and occasionally women) who fought voluntarily for glory and money.
Estimate: 2200-3000 USD
Livineius Regulus (42 BC). AR denarius (17mm, 4.00 gm, 5h). Rome. Bare head of L. Livineius Regulus (Praetor, ca. mid 50s-early 40s BC) right / Beast-hunting scene in the arena: In foreground, a lion charges right toward a bestiarius (beast-fighter) who spears it through the mouth; in background on left, a wounded bear sits right; on right, another bestiarius defends himself against a tiger leaping at him to left; L • REGVLVS in exergue. Crawford 494/30. CRI 179. RSC Livineia 12. Rare! One of the most interesting late Republican types. Obverse a bit off-center, but a near-perfect reverse. Beautiful toning. NGC Choice AU 4/5 - 5/5. The identity of the obverse portrait is something of a mystery, but the most likely candidate is a Praetor Lucius Livineius Regulus, probably the moneyer's father, who was one of Caesar's backers and partners in the 50s and 40s BC. The scene on the back is one type of popular entertainment that praetors (an office just below that of Consul) were supposed to present -- a beast-fighting scene in the arena. While gladiators fought other men, bestiarii were a special class of combatant who fought and killed wild animals such as lions, bears and tigers for the public' enjoyment. Some were criminals sentenced to the arena to die damnatio ad bestia (as were many Christians a century or more later), while others were free men (and occasionally women) who fought voluntarily for glory and money.
Estimate: 2200-3000 USD