minted in Rome
This silver coin was minted in Rome by Caius Norbanus in 83 BC. It is a type called a denarius, the most common Roman silver coin. This picture shows the obverse of the coin.
The obverse depicts Venus, the goddess of beauty and fertility, wearing a diadem. Behind her are the letters 'CXVI', one of a number of mint control-marks found on these issues. Below is the legend 'C.NORBANVS' referring to the moneyer.
Later silver coins of the Roman Republic often have control-marks - letters or symbols which were probably used to record the number of dies supplied to the officials. This moneyer used Roman numerals, and no control-mark has more than one die.
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