Archaeological Museum of Bologna

This denarius issued in Rome by the monetary magistrate Q. Cassius Longinus in 55 BC, depicts on the obverse the veiled head of Libertas, the Roman personification of Liberty, and on the reverse there is a complex image, characterized by the Temple of Vesta, an urn and a table with the letters AC.

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The coin alludes to the Vestals process in the 113 BC, where Cassius Longinus Ravilla was the judge: the Vestals Aemilia, Larcia and Licinia were accused of breaking votes by a tribunus plebis. The first one was condemned to death, the others were absolved. Then L. Cassius Longinus, check out the process again and sentenced to death both Larcia and Licinia. The sella curulis, inside the temple, indicates judge's stool, while the urn should be inscripted with letters AC, of the words absolvo and condemno.

Provenance: Palagi Collection
Datation: 55 BC
Material: silver
Dimensions: diam mm 21; gr 4,12
Inventory #: 28521