Crawford 413/1, Roman Republic, 60 BC., moneyer Lucius Cassius Longinus, Denarius
Roman Republic (Rome mint 60 BC.), moneyer Lucius Cassius Longinus.
AR Denarius (19-21 mm, 3,77 g), silver, axis about coin alignment ?? (ca. 160°),
Obv.: Veiled and diademed head of Vesta left, control-letter “C” before, kylix (two-handled cup) behind).
Rev.: LONGIN III V downwards to right , “Longinus triumvir”, (Longinus triumvir monetalis). Roman citizen wearing toga, standing l., casting a vote by dropping tablet marked V (abbreviation for "Vti rogas" = Uti rogas, a vote in favor of ...) into voting urn.
Crawford 413/1 ; Sydenham 935 ; Babelon (Cassia) 10 .
Old dark collection patina
Dated 60 BC by M. Harlan instead of 63 by M. Crawford and D. Sear.
Lucius Cassius Longinus chosed the most famous to put his family and ancestors into the spotlight. - L. Cassius Longinus Ravilla, who had served as consul and censor about half a century earlier. In his time, Ravilla proposed a new method of jury voting that established a form of 'secret ballot', known as the Lex Cassia Tabellaria. Jurors could mark their verdict on a small tablet and drop it into a basket to be counted by a court official. The V written on the ballot indicated that we were voting yes 'Vti rogas' (vote in favor of ...). If the vote was negative, we deposited a tablet inscribed A for 'antiquo' (I vote against).
Combined with the obverse, this reverse alludes to the Trial of the Vestal Virgins of 113 BC conducted by a special commission, presided over by Ravilla. Three Vestals were accused of unchastity and condemned.
Another interesting observation about this coin are the control marks in front of Vesta. There are only the letters L, C, A, S, S (upside down) and I.
So all six different letters together on these coins show the first name and surname of the moneyer: L. CASSI. But why might a moneyer hide his name like this?
In the case of L. Cassius Longinus it appears to relate to the recent exposure and suppression of the Catiline conspiracy of 63 BC. One of the most notorious members of the conspiracy whose task it was to burn down the city of Rome was another Lucius Cassius Longinus, but not the same person as this moneyer.
The Catilinarian conspiracy was an attempted coup d'état by Lucius Sergius Catilina (Catiline) to overthrow the Roman consuls of 63 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero and Gaius Antonius Hybrida – and forcibly assume control of the state in their stead.