Triumvirate. Mark Antony Legionary Issue, Legio III Cyrenaica AR Imperatorial Denarius 32-31 BC Silver Coin Museum Reproduction CSRD0158

Issued before the Battle of Actium in 32 BC and likely minted at Antony’s winter headquarters in Patrae (Greece), it was silver denarii such as this that Mark Antony used to pay his legions and fleet. Seeking to associate himself with Julius Caesar, who had held the augurate, Antony too identified himself as augur; so one reads ANT AVG (abbreviating Antonius augurus); III VIR R P C abbreviates Triumvir rei publicae constituendae (“One of Three Men for the Restoration of the Republic”), which was adopted in 43 BC by Mark Antony, Octavian, and Lepidus when they formed the Second Triumvirate.

Twenty-three legions were honoured on Antony’s ‘legionary’ coinage, and of these, most are named strictly with Roman numerals. There are, however, special titled legions for which there were special issues: Legios XII Antiqvae, XVII Classicae, XVIII Lybicae, and the special units of the cohortes speculatorum (COHORTIS SPECVLATORVM) and the cohortes praetoriarum (CHORTIVM PRAETORIARVM).
Legio III Cyrenaica had its origins among the forces of Mark Antony during the civil wars of late first century BC. In the Imperial period it was stationed in Egypt, where it played a key role in campaigns against the Nubians and Jews. In the first century AD, it was usually located in Arabia Petraea. There are still records of the legion in Syria at the beginning of the 5th century. The legion symbol is unknown.
DESIGN:
Obverse side
Praetorian galley to the right
Legend:
ANT AVG III VIR R P C

Reverse side
Legionary Aquila between two signa
Legend:
LEG III

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