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Bermondsey Coins

Roman Republican, Roman Republic, L. Titurius, L.f. Sabinus, AR denarius, 89 BC, Tatius/Tarpeia

Roman Republican, Roman Republic, L. Titurius, L.f. Sabinus, AR denarius, 89 BC, Tatius/Tarpeia

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Roman Republican, Roman Republic, L. Titurius, L.f. Sabinus, AR denarius, 89 BC, head of Tatius Sabinus right/Tarpeia is killed by the Sabines, crushed to death by their shields.. 19 mm, 3.82 g. 


This coin illustrates the earliest period of Roman history, whose historicity is unknown. Shortly after the foundation of the city by Romulus c. 753 BC, the Romans attacked the Sabines and commited an act of mass bride-kidnapping, the Rape of the Sabine women. The Sabines beseiged Rome in retaliation, until the kidnapped women begged them not to kill the Romans, and peace was established with the installation of Tatius Sabinus, King of the Sabines, as co-King of Rome alongside Romulus. During the seige, a vestal virgin named Tarpeia offered to betray the city of Rome to the Sabines in exchange for their gold jewellery ("that which they bore on their arms"); the Sabines were repulsed by her greed and treachery and decided to kill her by crushing her with their shields; her body was thrown from the Tarpeian rock, named after her. 

VF+, the reverse a little off-centre, old tone, residually lustrous. 

Crawford 344/2c 
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