No problem! That’s Roma, the divine personification of the city! The reverse shows the dioscuri (sons of Zeus) the twins Castor and Pollux, one divine and one human. They were said to have saved Rome during the Battle of Lake Regillus in 496 BC against the Latin League. The great Temple of Castor and Pollux in the Roman Forum was said to have been built on the spot where they watered their horses.

So, prior to the minting of denarii like this the Roman monetary system used different bronze and silver coinage, mostly modeled off of Greek standards. This is the first type of Denarius though, which would dominate roman silver currency until the 3rd century AD. These coins, while more rare than most later denarii, aren’t extremely uncommon. Just search for “anonymous Denarius c. 211 BC”. After this time period, young and upcoming roman politicians would start advertising themselves on the coins, hence why this early type is called the “anonymous” series.

Compare this with one from the following century, in 138 BC. Notice the name of the moneyer, P. PAETVS, beneath the horses. This was seen as a way to advertise yourself for election purposes and the like. https://www.instagram.com/p/CgCyvrDOhgu/?igshid=Y2I2MzMwZWM3ZA==

Another little tidbit, the “X” behind Roma’s head represents the value of the coin. A denarius was originally worth 10 Ases, the standard bronze coin.

No problem! It’s a love of mine