Æ25 - Gaius Sosius[?]

Weight

14.28 g

Diameter

25.47 mm

Thickness

NA

Material

Bronze

Shape

Round (irregular)

Edge Type

NA

Technique

Hammered

Front design

NA

Back design

Fiscus, sella quaestor and hasta

Year of Minting

NA

Ruling authority

Republic (509 BC - 27 BC)

Mint location

NA

Mint mark

NA

Orientation

Medal alignment ↑↑

Inscriptions

Reverse: Q

Context

This enigmatic bronze dates to the late Republic. We're not entirely sure where it was minted or for whom, leaving us to speculate on its origins. Scholars have suggested that this is either Brutus, Julius Caesar, Octavian or the Syrian governor Gaius Sosius. Julius Caesar and Brutus were two early candidates, both having struck a variety of bronze issues in the east. The reverse showing political items highly resembles that of the questor Aesillas, who struck silver tetradrachms in Macedon during the late 90's to early 70's BC (HGC 3, 1110). The similarities between the two have led some scholars to speculate that the series is Macedonian in origin. M. Grant, in his work 'From Imperium To Auctoritas, A Historical Study of Aes Coinage In The Roman Empire, 49 BC-AD 14', proposed that M. Acillus served as governor of Macedonia in 45/44 and struck coins with Caesar's portrait. This is only speculation however and no coins of these types have ever been found in Macedonia. Our third candidate is Gaius Sosius, a quaestor under Mark Antony in 39. He issued coins on the island of Zacynthus bearing the legend 'C SOSIVS Q'. These coins coincide with the dating of the series in question, to around 39 BC. Both issues including a Q to denote that the issuer was a questor. And finally, Octavian, who is the final candidate. The find data available to us supports the mint being somewhere in Asia Minor. There are coins attributed to the region of Cilicia that show remarkable stylistic similiarities to this type. These issues depict a bust of a man looking right, with the legend “PRINCEPS FELIX”, suggesting the person is Augustus. The reverse legend of these types, “VE TER/ COLONIA / IVLIA II VIR“ and “COLONIA/IVLIA, II VIR VE TER” respectively, provides us with the name of a possible mint location (See RPC I 4082, 4083). RPC I 4082 (Cited from: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/a-mysterious-provincial-of-the-late-republic.383999/)

Rarity

Ultra rare

Coin type

Standard circulation

In circulation

No

Demonetized

Yes

Marketplace listings

0