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Description:

The silver denarius coin was first introduced as currency by the Romans in the 3rd century BC. It became the principal denomination in the Roman World for the next 5 centuries and one denarius was around two days pay for a legionary soldier. This Roman denarius coin was minted by moneyer Q. Minucius Thermus in 103 BC. The obverse side features Mars wearing a crested helmet ornamented with a plume and annulet.
In ancient Roman mythology, Mars was the god of war, an agricultural guardian and a father of the Roman people. He was second in importance only to the king of the gods Jupiter. Mars was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions. He was also believed to be the father of the twins Romulus and Remus whom were the original founders of Rome. The festivals for Mars were held in March, the month named for him (Latin Martius) and in October. These months began and ended the season for military campaigning and farming. Although Mars was the god of war, he was not viewed as a destructive force. Instead, Mars represented military power as a way to secure peace.
The reverse side of this coin shows 2 warriors fighting, each is armed with a sword and shield. The warrior on the left is protecting a fallen comrade, while the enemy warrior on the right wears a horned helmet.