QUINARIUS: COIN OF ROME
Quinarius, 89 BC: Roman Republic
Although this denomination is quite rare in principle, this type is relatively common: in online catalogs and auctions you can easily find dozens of images of this quinarius. The reason for the high circulation: the coin was massively minted to pay legionaries during the Social War (also called the Italian War or the Marsic War).
VICTRIX (letters TR are combined in a ligature): seated and winged Victory as Romanised Greek goddess Nike with patera (shallow ceramic or metal libation bowl) and palm branch. In ancient Rome she was the personification of victory.
M CATO (letters AT are combined in a ligature): Marcus Porcius Cato.
In the history of the Roman Republic, there are at least 7-8 prominent figures, mostly consuls, with the name Marcus Porcius Cato... Why is this particular coin dated to 89 BC? It is difficult to say. Almost all catalogs attribute this quinarius to the historical period of the ruler Marcus Porcius Cato, but which one of them. Some mention Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis (Cato the Younger), who was about 6 years old at that date. Others (less often) indicate that the coin was issued during the tenure of his father's moneyer status — Marcus Porcius M. f. M. n. Cato Salonianus... or even another of their namesakes. It is too difficult to figure out...
So, it is likely that M. CATO is the symbol of a moneyer (private individual who is officially permitted to mint money; in Rome the position of Triumvir Monetalis, held by three people at a time, was a minor magistracy awarded by the Senate, often the first office held by young politicians). This symbol is also mentioned in the Wikipedia article "List of Roman moneyers during the Republic", but there is no answer to the question of who exactly is personally behind this abbreviated name.
There is no answer to the most interesting question for me regarding this coin: why 89 BC?..
Liber as a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom; he was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians. His cult and functions were associated with Romanised forms of the Greek Bacchus, whose mythology he came to share.
- Silver: 15 mm - 1.87 g
- Reference price: 72$
COIN QUINARIUS — WHERE & WHEN (coins catalog: by names & emitents)
- ANCIENT ROME (3rd century BC — 3rd century AD) — ROMAN REPUBLIC + ROMAN EMPIRE + ROMAN PROVINCES: quinarius = 1/2 denarius
- CELTS, GAULS, VANGIONES... — peoples close to Rome also issued coins known as quinarius
QUINARIUS as coin name.
Quinarius (plural: quinarii) — small silver coin of Ancient Rome (the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire), as well as territories that were in one way or another related or connected to Rome.
It was minted, albeit intermittently, for quite a long time: at least from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD. Quinarius was equal to half a denarius, which at different times had a value of either 10 or 16 asses (assarii). That is, a silver quinarius was equivalent to first 5, and later 8 bronze/copper coins of the denomination as.
On the obverse of the quinarii, the ruler (for example: the emperor of the Roman Empire) or deity of ancient Roman mythology was often depicted, and on the reverse — the goddess Victoria. This coin was often used to pay legionaries (small in size and weight, but, nevertheless, a valuable coin was convenient for soldiers to store their savings on campaigns). It was not widely used in civil circulation and is relatively rare in finds.
Interestingly, shortly after the introduction of the quinarius, its issuance temporarily ceased. Another silver Roman coin similar in essence and appearance was introduced — the victoriatus (known specimens from the period from about 221 BC to 170 BC). It is believed that after the resumption of the quinarius issue, victoriatus (i.e. competing coin) was temporarily minted in parallel, and then disappeared from the range of Roman denominations.
In addition to the ancient Roman ones themselves, Celtic quinarii are also particularly common — with much less refined, even naively primitive designs.
Also, in numismatics, such a coin as Quinarius aureus — gold quinarius is considered separately. Although there are doubts that this is the correct name of the denomination from a historical point of view. In essence, it was half of the aureus coin.
The name of the coin, the quinarius, reflects the original essence of the coin as the equivalent of 5 asses: in Latin, "quinarius" just indicates the equality of 5 ("quinque" — five).
