Roman Imperatorial Coinage, The Caesarians, Julius Caesar, Denarius, Military mint moving...

Roman Imperatorial Coinage, The Caesarians, Julius Caesar, Denarius, Military mint moving with Caesar in Africa, 47-6 BC, diademed head of Venus right, her hair rolled back and tied into a knot, rev. caesar downwards right of Aeneas nude walking left, holding the Palladium in right hand, carrying his father Anchises on left shoulder, 3.63g/6h (Ghey 272.2, this coin; Craw. 458/1; BMCRR East 31-5; RSC 12; Sear 55). Bankers marks, and struck slightly off-centre, otherwise good fine £150-£200 --- Provenance: SF 112 Similar to Caesar’s ‘elephant’ coinage, this type was minted in a vast quantity, representing again his conquests over the Pompeians. However this type, rather than focusing on the battle between ‘good’ and ‘evil’, represents Caesar’s ancestry and the gens Julia. Caesar claimed to be a descendant of Julus, the son of Aeneas and founder of Alba Longa. He henceforth elected to have depicted on this type Aeneas carrying his aged father, Anchises, on his shoulders after the sacking and capture of Troy by the Greeks. In addition, Aeneas and Dido, the princess of Tyre and foundress of the Phoenician colony of Carthage, had a relationship, thus making this artistic choice even more appropriate by drawing focus back onto the African campaign.