Roman Republic, C. Claudius Pulcher, AR Denarius

Roman Republic silver denarii reflect the sophisticated political messaging of the late Roman Republic. Long before Emperors placed their own portraits on currency, the Romans designed coins by annually elected officials rather than a single supreme authority.

This coin was issued under the authority of C Claudius Pulcher. He was a moneyer from one of Romes most prestigious patrician families and later climbed the political ladder and become a Roman Consul in 92 BC.

As a member of the tresviri monetales (elite three man minting committee), Pulcher used his year in office to strike money that projected civic identity and institutional power. By studying these multi-use issues, we gain valuable insight into how competitive Republican politicians used traditional imagery to advertise their family prestige to the wider Roman public.