Roman Republic, Denarius

The obverse of this denarius from the year 103 BC depicts the head of Mars, the Roman god of war. On the reverse is a Roman legionnaire fighting a barbarian soldier over a fallen comrade.

The issue of this denarius fell into the time of decisive military encounters between the Romans and the Cimbri, a Germanic tribe. The coin design is mere propaganda: Mars as the protector of the Roman legions, and the fighting scene as commemoration of previous Roman victories and the bravery of Roman soldiers.