278 | Roman Republic

Automatically generated translation

JULIUS CAESAR. Denarius. (Ar. 3.74g/19mm). 46-45 BC Gaul. (Crawford 468/1; FFC 11). Obv: Head of Venus right, Cupid behind. Rev: Trophy of arms between two Gallic captives, in exergue: CAESAR. Very Fine/ Good Very Fine. Scarce.

Along with the elephant types, Pieta and Ceres, the goddess Venus Genitrix, titular goddess of the gens Iulia, is the main motif of Julius Caesar's coinage. The reverse stands out for a clearly propagandistic scene: a trophy of Gallic weapons and two captives sitting at the foot of the trophy (one of them could well be Vercingetorix, due to his long beard). Another theory, more symbolic, wants to see the captives as the representation of Gaul and Hispania making reference, in the case of Hispania, to the victory in Munda over the armies of Pompey.