Watch List notes:

THE ROMAN REPUBLIC

Q. Cornufici. Denarius, Africa 42, AR 3.83 g. Head of Tanit l. Rev. Q·CORNV – FICI – AVGVR·IMP Q. Cornuficius standing l., wearing veil and holding lituus, crowned by Juno Sospita standing behind her, with crow perching on shoulder, holding spear and shield in l. hand. Babelon Cornuficia 3. Sydenham 1354. Sear Imperators 231. RBW –. Crawford 509/5.
Exceedingly rare and possibly the finest specimen in private hands of one of the
rarest issues of the whole Republican series. A wonderful portrait
struck on excellent metal, good extremely fine


This coin was presented and subsequently withdrawn from our auction 84 in May 2015. The reason being a denial of export from the Spanish authorities. Such denial has since been lifted and the coin is offered with an export licence issued by the Spanish State.
By the time he was appointed governor of Africa Vetus (the 'old' province) in 44 B.C., Quintus Cornuficius already had enjoyed a distinguished career in government and as a poet and orator. He counted among his friends Catullus and Cicero, and had been a loyal ally of Julius Caesar in his struggle against the Pompeians. After the murder of Caesar, Cornuficius voiced his opposition to the Triumvirs: he sided with the senate in the War of Mutina (43 B.C.), refused to allow Antony's nominee to replace him as governor, and thus was named in the Triumviral proscriptions. From his base in Africa, he aided Sextus Pompey and allowed many of those who also had been proscribed to take refuge in his territory. Cornuficius' vocal opposition to the Triumvirs, however, proved to be his undoing, for in 42 B.C. he was attacked by Titus Sextius, governor of neighbouring Africa Nova (the 'new' province). The fact that Cornuficius was hailed Imperator and was able to produce an intriguing coinage with his title suggests his defense was initially successful before, late in the year, he was defeated and killed near Utica. His coin designs are highly personal, and the few dies used to produce them were engraved in unusually fine style. He chose for the obverse of his coins the portraits of Ceres-Tanit, Africa and Jupiter Ammon, all of which celebrated his province. These were paired with a single reverse type that showed Cornuficius being crowned by Juno Sospita. The fact that he is veiled, holds a lituus and includes AVGVR in the inscription underscores the pride he held in the augurate to which he had been appointed by Julius Caesar in 47 B.C. Since he is crowned by Juno Sospita, we should assume that is a reference to his Lanuvine origin.