Heritage World Coin Auctions
Monthly Auction 61175 25 Oct 2020
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Ancients
L. Papius Celsus (ca. 45 BC). AR denarius (17mm, 9h). NGC VF. Rome. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin headdress / CELSVS•III•VIR / L•PAPIVS, she-wolf crouching right, placing stick on fire; eagle standing left on right, fanning flames with its wings. Crawford 472/1. Sydenham 964. Papia 2.
From the Bacchus Collection
The curious scene depicted on the reverse of this type refers to a foundation myth for the city of Lanuvium, parent city of Rome. According to a legend related by Dionysius of Halicaranassus in Roman Antiquities, the hero Aeneas saw a fire burning in a nearby forest and went to investigate. As he drew closer he saw the fire was being fed by a she-wolf (Roman people), who was dropping sticks into the blaze, while an eagle (Roman army) standing nearby fanned it with his wings. A fox (Carthage) kept intruding, trying to snuff out the fire by wetting his tail in a nearby stream and beating the flames down with it, but was driven off by the eagle and wolf.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-republic/ancients-l-papius-celsus-ca-45-bc-ar-denarius-17mm-9h-ngc-vf/a/61175-97089.s?type=CoinArchives61175
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 200-300 USD
L. Papius Celsus (ca. 45 BC). AR denarius (17mm, 9h). NGC VF. Rome. Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin headdress / CELSVS•III•VIR / L•PAPIVS, she-wolf crouching right, placing stick on fire; eagle standing left on right, fanning flames with its wings. Crawford 472/1. Sydenham 964. Papia 2.
From the Bacchus Collection
The curious scene depicted on the reverse of this type refers to a foundation myth for the city of Lanuvium, parent city of Rome. According to a legend related by Dionysius of Halicaranassus in Roman Antiquities, the hero Aeneas saw a fire burning in a nearby forest and went to investigate. As he drew closer he saw the fire was being fed by a she-wolf (Roman people), who was dropping sticks into the blaze, while an eagle (Roman army) standing nearby fanned it with his wings. A fox (Carthage) kept intruding, trying to snuff out the fire by wetting his tail in a nearby stream and beating the flames down with it, but was driven off by the eagle and wolf.
https://coins.ha.com/itm/ancients/roman-republic/ancients-l-papius-celsus-ca-45-bc-ar-denarius-17mm-9h-ngc-vf/a/61175-97089.s?type=CoinArchives61175
HID02906262019
© 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved
Estimate: 200-300 USD