Roman Republic, Denarius

This denarius from the year 45 BC commemorates the father of the moneyer Marcus Lollius Palicanus. In 71 BC, the senior had as a tribune of the people opposed the constriction to plebeian tribunes enforced by dictator Sulla.

The obverse shows Libertas, the goddess of freedom. On this coin she stands for the freedom of speech, as the depiction on the reverse suggests. It features the rostra, the speaker's platform on the Forum in Rome. The platform was mounted of a row of arcades decorated with the naval rams (rostra) of captured ships. On top stood the bench of the tribunes.