Description
Like most Roman Republic coinage, the figures on the obverse are mythological; the twin Dioscuri appear conjoined at the back of the head. These brothers, one mortal and the other divine, were renowned for their horsemanship and thought to protect warriors in battle. It is then hardly a surprise that, on the reverse, Jupiter rides a horse-drawn chariot driven by the personification of Victory. He thrusts a scepter before him, raising a lightning bolt with which to strike down approaching adversaries. These images reflect a clear fixation on military prowess during the expanding and perpetual warring state of the Republic.