8/11/2019 Ancient NEWSmismatics: "Sulla's 'Lucky Strike' Silver Denarius of Faustus Cornelius Sulla by L.A. Hambly

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8/11/2019 Ancient NEWSmismatics: "Sulla's 'Lucky Strike' Silver Denarius of Faustus Cornelius Sulla by L.A. Hambly

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Ancient NEWSmismatics: "Sulla's 'Lucky Strike' Silver

Denarius of Faustus Cornelius Sulla by L.A. Hambly

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Sullas only son, Faustus Cornelius Sulla, became an officer of Pompey the Great and

launched his own political career after returning from the eastern wars in 60 BC. In 56

BC he was elected Moneyer, with the responsibility of selecting the designs of Roman

coinage and supervising the minting. His most famous coin, shown here, depicts a bust ofDiana on the obverse, while the reverse replicates his fathers signet ring showing

Bocchus and Jugurtha kneeling below the triumphant Sulla Felix. Sulla sits to left on araised dais, with his adoptive nickname Felix inscribed behind; Bocchus presents Sulla

with a victorious laurel, while Jugurtha kneels behind with his hands bound behind him,

his face downcast. Faustus Sullas own career was fairly colorful and successful, but hechose the wrong side in the Civil War if 49-48 BC and was executed by supporters of

Caesar in 46 BC.