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-204 Roman Republic Liber and Ceres Serpent Chariot Denarius
$5.00
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. 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.
