Denarius, Roman Republic - M. Lucilius Rufus (101 BC)

This denarius was struck in 101 BC, the year Gaius Marius crushed the Cimbri at Vercellae, ending the Germanic invasions that had terrified Rome for over a decade - making the Victory in biga especially fitting. The laurel-wreath border on the obverse is an unusual feature that sets this issue apart from the typical dotted borders of Republican denarii. The PV on the obverse (publice) marks an issue struck from public funds, a rare feature and suggestive of the strain on the treasury while dealing with the wars with the Cimbri and in Sicily