Preview Auction 30 Vol. I

Table of contents

We start a series where we´ll present you some highlighted lots of our next Floor Auction 30, which will be held on May 29th, 2019 in Madrid. Today we show you this nice and rare denarius of L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus.

Denario de Cornelia
Auction 30. Lot 85. L. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Claudius Marcellus. Denarius. 56 BC. Sicily. (Ffc-645). (Craw-445/1b). (Cal-502). Obv.: Facing head of Medusa in centre of triskeles with grain ear between each leg. Rev.: Jupiter standing facing, head right, holding thunderbolt in right hand and eagle in left; LENT MAR ligate upwards to left, COS upwards to right. Ag. 3,88 g. Magnificent piece. Very rare, even more in this grade. EBC+/SC-.

The Mediterranean Barn

The triskel or triskelion is a symbol consisting in three bent human legs. The word comes from the greek triskeles (τρισκελής), which means “three legs”. It is one of the oldest symbols of the humankind. According to some cultures, the triskelion represents the evolution and the growth, the balance between body, mind and spirit; it reveals the beggining and the end, the eternal evolution and constant learning. For other cultures it symbolizes the apprenticeship and the trinity: Past, Present and Future. When the Medusa´s head appears in the middle, it becomes the symbol of Sicily. Plinius The Old affirmed, that it represented the triangular form of the island and its three bays. The wheat spikes are the symbol of fertility of Sicily, named as “the Mediterranean barn”. Reverse shows us a victorious God Jupiter, beside the spread winged eagle and the lightning, confirms the Olympic symbolism: “the strength of Jupiter joins with the consecrated animal and the lighting, with that the god fights and exterminates the Titans.”

Did you like the post? Share it!