COIN (ROMAN)
An incomplete Roman silver denarius of Mark Anthony dating to the period c.32-31 BC (Reece period 1). Reverse depicting a legionary eagle between two standards. Probably struck in Patrae, circa 32-31 BC. The 'legionary' coinage of Mark Antony honoured twenty three legions. The legion is unclear.

These coins were struck by Mark Antony for the use of his fleet and legions when he was preparing for the struggle with Octavian, which culminated in the Battle of Actium on the 2nd of September, 31 BC (Grueber, 1970, 526). Some legionary denarii remained in circulation until the 3rd century AD.

Denarii of Mark Antony were slightly debased. Therefore, they survived the various debasements from the reign of Nero onwards. It is not unusual to find worn Mark Antony denarii in 3rd century hoards - for example, there were 260 such coins in the Shapwick hoard of 9,238 silver denarii found in Somerset in 1998. There is one example in the Knutsford Hoard, 2012 T406.
Ruler: Republic
Denomination: Denarius (Roman Republic)
Material: Silver
Obverse: Galley right
Obverse legend: [ANT AVG - III VIR R P C]
Reverse: Legionary eagle between two standards
Reverse legend: [LEG ...]
Dated: -32.0 to -31.0
Weight (g): 1.68
Diameter (mm): 17.1
Completeness: Incomplete
Parish: Ellesmere Urban
District: Shropshire
County: Shropshire
Region: West Midlands
Discovery method: Metal detector