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Denarius - The Bellum Sociale Corfinium
| Issuer | Roman Republic (509 BC - 27 BC) |
|---|---|
| Year | 89 BC |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Reverse description | The personification of Italia, draped, seated left upon a pile of shields symbolic of the allied military alliance, holding a long spear in her right hand and a parazonium (short sword) in her left. Victory stands behind her to the right, extending a wreath to crown Italia in recognition of the confederate cause. The letter C appears in the left field, and the inscription ITALIA is placed in the exergue, asserting the identity of the nascent Italic confederate state. The composition is rendered in a vigorous, expressive style reflecting the political urgency of the Social War coinage. |
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| Mint | Corfinium (Italic confederate mint) |
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| Additional information |
Struck by the Italian rebels during the Social War — Rome's most existential internal conflict before the civil wars of the late Republic — this denarius was issued at Corfinium, the rebel capital the Italians briefly renamed "Italica" in a direct challenge to Roman supremacy. The Social War (91–87 BC) began when Rome's Italian allies, after generations of military service without citizenship, took up arms to force the issue. They came dangerously close to winning outright.
The rebel mint at Corfinium operated for a compressed window before Roman forces under Sulla and Pompeius Strabo pushed back decisively. Rome ultimately granted citizenship through the lex Julia and lex Plautia Papiria — concessions that effectively ended the war politically before it ended militarily.