Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XIV 21 Sep 2017
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Marc Antony Legionary AR Denarius. Military mint moving with Antony, autumn 32 - spring 31 BC. ANT•AVG III•VIR•R•P•C, praetorian galley to right / Aquila between two signa; LEG XXIII across fields. Crawford 544/39; CRI 383; RSC 60. 3.82g, 18mm, 1h.
Good Very Fine. Well centred. Rare.
XXIII was the highest number securely known to have been given to a legion within Marc Antony's order of battle. This legion appears to have been disbanded after Actium, as XXIII was never again employed as a legionary numeration following Augustus' reorganisation of the Roman army, in which he consolidated and decreased the total number of serving legions.
However, the following numerations of legions unknown to history have been noted on fleet denarii by Sydenham in Roman Republic Coinage, 1952. p. 196, nos. 1247-1253: XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX and XXX; A. Banti and L. Simonetti, in Corpus Nummorum Romanorum II, pp. 38-41, no. 102-8) record denarii for legions: LEG XXIV (= Turin, Fava 1964, pl. 19, 3); LEG XXV (= Hamburger sale 32, 1933, 547); LEG XXVI (= Babelon 104); LEG XXVII (Paris, BnF); LEG XXVIII (= Babelon 143); LEG XXIX (= Paris, BnF); LEG XXX (= BMCRR II, pl. 116, 12; Brunacci collection, Santamaria sale 1958, 797 [struck over a denarius of Julius Caesar with P. Sepullius Macer]; Ratto sale 1924, 1392).
Good Very Fine. Well centred. Rare.
XXIII was the highest number securely known to have been given to a legion within Marc Antony's order of battle. This legion appears to have been disbanded after Actium, as XXIII was never again employed as a legionary numeration following Augustus' reorganisation of the Roman army, in which he consolidated and decreased the total number of serving legions.
However, the following numerations of legions unknown to history have been noted on fleet denarii by Sydenham in Roman Republic Coinage, 1952. p. 196, nos. 1247-1253: XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, XXIX and XXX; A. Banti and L. Simonetti, in Corpus Nummorum Romanorum II, pp. 38-41, no. 102-8) record denarii for legions: LEG XXIV (= Turin, Fava 1964, pl. 19, 3); LEG XXV (= Hamburger sale 32, 1933, 547); LEG XXVI (= Babelon 104); LEG XXVII (Paris, BnF); LEG XXVIII (= Babelon 143); LEG XXIX (= Paris, BnF); LEG XXX (= BMCRR II, pl. 116, 12; Brunacci collection, Santamaria sale 1958, 797 [struck over a denarius of Julius Caesar with P. Sepullius Macer]; Ratto sale 1924, 1392).