Coin (obverse), Denarius, of Cnaeus Lentulus

This silver denarius was minted by Cnaeus Lentulus in either 76 or 75 BC, perhaps in Spain. It was a special issue, authorised by the Senate and struck by him in his position as a quaestor (financial official). This picture shows the obverse of the coin.

The obverse depicts a male figure, identified as Genius Populi Romani by the letters above him, carrying a sceptre over a shoulder. He is 'The Genius of the people of Rome', worshipped as the spiritual representation of the place and nation.

This issue was struck during the war against Sertorius, who had built up a power base in Spain, increasingly independent of Rome. Rome's attempts to stop him, under Metellus and then also Pompey, escalated into a large and expensive conflict.

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