A Roman aureus of the family (gens) of Cestius-Norbana is valued at $19,259 ahead of an auction at Aureo & Calico in Barcelona on March 20.
Gens Cestius were members of the plebeian class, which included shopkeepers and craftsmen, and first attained a seat in the senate in AD 35.
Norbana is thought to refer to a division of the family.
 Gens Cestius were an important Roman family |
In the centuries leading up to that point the family had grown in power, with various generations taking on high profile roles in Roman society, including tribune of the plebs.
In 12 BC, the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome was built in honour of the magistrate Gaius Cestius and stands today as one of the best preserved monuments of the era.
The aureus was used as a denomination up until the 4th century BC, when Constanine introduced the solidus as a replacement.
The example offered shows a chariot on the reverse with the initials SC, while the front displays a figure in profile, sandwiched between the names Norbana and Cestius. It dates to 43 BC.
Another gold aureus of the gens Cestius-Norbana, this time displaying a helmet standing on a table, is valued at $20,000 and dates to the same time.
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