Catalog
Denarius - Juba II Caesarea
| Issuer | Juba II, King of Mauretania |
|---|---|
| Year | 25 BC - 24 AD |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse lettering | REX IVBA |
| Reverse description | Central design featuring the crocodile of the Nile rendered in profile, surrounded by a laurel wreath, with two crossed lances or spears above and below, all enclosed within a decorative border of olive or laurel branches. The legend LVCV AVGVSTI is divided around the central device, referencing the Lucus Augusti (sacred grove of Augustus) and reflecting the close political alliance between Juba II and the Roman imperial court. A small ornamental motif appears in the lower exergue. The composition is typical of Juba II's reverse types celebrating his Roman connections. |
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| Additional information |
Juba II was no ordinary client king. Captured as an infant during his father's defeat at Thapsus in 46 BC, he was paraded through Caesar's triumph in Rome and then raised within the imperial household — educated alongside Roman aristocrats, fluent in multiple languages, and eventually installed by Augustus over Mauretania in 25 BC partly because he was, in every meaningful sense, a Roman in a Berber king's role. His coinage reflects that duality with unusual consistency across a reign spanning five decades.
The MAA#83 variety designation signals minor but catalogued differences in die execution — likely the result of Caesarea's mint operating with multiple engravers over so long a reign.