Lucius Lucretius
Encyclopedia
Lucius Lucretius Trio was a Roman
moneyer
, who minted two denarii in c. 76 BCE.
His coin showing the laureate
head of Neptune
is in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
.
The other has a radiate Sol (sun) on obverse and a crescent moon and seven stars on reverse. The stars are the Septem Triones (Ursa major
), a pun of the moneyer cognomen.
Roman Republican coinage
Coinage came late to the Roman Republic compared with the rest of the Mediterranean, especially Greece and Asia Minor where coins were invented in the 7th century BC. The currency of central Italy was influenced by its natural resources, with bronze being abundant and silver ore being scarce...
moneyer
Moneyer
A moneyer is someone who physically creates money. Moneyers have a long tradition, dating back at least to ancient Greece. They became most prominent in the Roman Republic, continuing into the empire.-Roman Republican moneyers:...
, who minted two denarii in c. 76 BCE.
His coin showing the laureate
Laurel wreath
A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the bay laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head...
head of Neptune
Neptune (mythology)
Neptune was the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology and religion. He is analogous with, but not identical to, the Greek god Poseidon. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe,...
is in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of the largest museums in the United States, attracting over one million visitors a year. It contains over 450,000 works of art, making it one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas...
.
The other has a radiate Sol (sun) on obverse and a crescent moon and seven stars on reverse. The stars are the Septem Triones (Ursa major
Ursa Major
Ursa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
), a pun of the moneyer cognomen.