Marc Antony, as Imperator and Triumvir (43-30 BC). AR legionary denarius (18mm, 3.71 gm, 7h). NGC AU 5/5 - 4/5. Mint in Greece (Patrae or Aegae) moving with M. Antony 32-31 BC. ANT AVG - III•VIR•R•P•C, war galley under oar right with triple ram prow and scepter tied with fillet / LEG-V across field, legionary eagle (aquila) between two signa (standards). Crawford 544/18. RSC 32. CRI 354. Raised by Julius Caesar in 52 BC from enfranchised Gauls, the Fifth Legion soon won the nickname Alaudae, or "Larks," probably due to the distinctive Gallic feather crests worn on the soldier's helmets. They fought on Caesar's side in nearly all the important battles of the Civil Wars, including Pharsalus, Thapsus, and Munda, and backed Marc Antony and Octavian against Caesar's assassins at Philippi. Stationed at Xanten, Germania during the early Empire, the Larks were destroyed by the Dacians at the Battle of Tapae in AD 86.

HID09801242017

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