★ Mint-State condition. Fine and full details at both sides. Fantastic Libertas head and splendid reverse Emblems presentation. High relief mint. Well centered. Full diameter and full weight. Beautiful dark silver golden toning colour. A fantastic handsome Roman Republic denarius from Cassius Longinus and Iunius Brutus at the Civil War against Caesarians Marcus Antonius and Octavianus! ★

Gaius Cassius Longinus, Imperator
Moneyer: Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, Legatus
Reign: Roman Republic, Civil War
Mint: Military mint travelling with Brutus, possibly Smyrna
Date: 42 BC
Nominal: Denarius
Material: Silver
Diameter: 21mm
Weight: 4.00g

Reference: Sydenham 1307
Reference: Babelon Cassia 18
Reference: Crawford RRC 500/3
CRRO Online: [ Ссылка ]

Obverse: Head of Libertas right, diademed, necklace around neck; before and behind, inscriptions. Border of Dots
Inscription: C CASSI IMP LEIBERTAS
Translation: Gaius Cassius Imperator Leibertas
Translation: Emperor Gaius Cassius [Longinus], Libertas

Reverse: Emblems of the augurate: jug and lituus; below, moneyer mark. Border of dots
Inscription: LENTVLVS SPINT
Translation: [Cornelius] Lentulus Spinther

Comment: The Cassian family, with its main branch the Longini, was a very old plebeian family that provided numerous consuls and other officials, including several mint masters. Gaius Cassius Longinus was perhaps the son of the consul of the same name from the year 73 BC. Cassius was married to Iunia Tertia, a half-sister of M. Iunius Brutus. He was therefore related to Brutus by marriage and is considered one of the leaders of the conspiracy against Caesar. Cassius was initially a supporter of Pompey. After Pharsalus, however, he was pardoned by Caesar, who even made Cassius one of his legates. In 44 BC, Cassius received the praetorship and was then appointed governor of Syria. After the assassination of the dictator, Cassius and Brutus left the capital Rome and expanded their positions in the east of the empire. A meeting between the two in Smyrna at the beginning of 42 BC was followed by military activities in Asia Minor: Brutus invaded Lycia and Cassius subjugated the rich island of Rhodes. Both were probably primarily measures to acquire funds for further armament. In the summer of the same year, the two armies united in the Lydian Sardeis before both crossed over to Europe and faced their fateful battle at Philippi.

The legate responsible for this coin issue, Publius Cornelius Lentulus Spinther, came from one of the largest and oldest patrician families in Rome. With their numerous branches of the family, such as the Scipiones and the Lentuli, the Cornelians probably provided more important politicians and office-holders than any other family, including a number of mint masters. The father of P. Lentulus Spinther of the same name was master of the mint in 74 BC and attained the consulship in 57 BC. As governor of Asia Minor he had cistophores minted, later he was killed in the civil war on the side of Pompey. However, the still young son was not prosecuted by Caesar and was able to obtain the quaestorship in 44 BC. Nevertheless, Spinther joined the conspirators after Caesar's assassination and was then responsible for a large part of Cassius' coinage. The obverse shows the head of Libertas with the archaising spelling LEIBERTAS, both emblematic of the aims of Caesar's murderers: the restoration of freedom on the basis of ancient Roman values. The reverse with the priestly devices refers to the augurate that Spinther attained in his father's year of consulship.

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