Marcus Volteius struck a set of five denarii in 78 BC, each showing a god honoured at one of Rome’s annual games. This one is for the Ludi Ceriales, the games of Ceres, goddess of grain. Ceres searched the world for her stolen daughter Proserpina carrying torches, riding a chariot drawn by serpents. Liber, god of wine, shared her temple on the Aventine Hill.
Castings, Coins, KM
KM-204-Gold-SS Roman Republic Liber and Ceres Denarius in Silver Bezel
$13.25
Gold overlay casting pendant. Obverse: head of Liber, wearing an ivy wreath, facing right. Reverse: Ceres in a chariot drawn by two serpents, holding torches, with M VOLTEI M F below. The piece is pierced at the top. This version is a gold overlay casting set in a hand-formed sterling silver bezel. Inscriptions explained: M VOLTEI M F is short for ‘Marcus Volteius Marci Filius’, ‘Marcus Volteius, son of Marcus’, the official (moneyer) who issued the coin.
