Crawford 305/1, Roman Republic, moneyer Quintus Lutatius Cerco, Denarius

Roman Republic, moneyer Quintus Lutatius Cerco, Rome mint 109-108 BC..
AR Denarius (3,50 g, 17,5-18,5 mm), silver, axis about medal alignment ?? (ca. 20°),
Obv.: [ROMA] / CE[RCO] , Head of Roma (or young Mars) right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with stars (in reference to the Dioscuri) and an plume or ear of wheat; behind, mark of value XVI (=16 As) in monogram.
Rev.: Q LVTATI / Q , (VT in monogram), a galley sailing right with helmeted head of Roma on prow, its stern with an acrostolium resting on a shield; all within an oak wreath. (corona civica), small radiate head looking right at the rear of the galley.
Crawford 305/1 . Syd. 559 ; Bab. Lutatia 2 .

For this type Crawford estimated 135 obverse dies and 169 reverse dies.
On the reverse, at the rear of the galley, is a small radiate head which could well be that of Sol and which was used by another magistrate in 109/8 BC, Mn. Aquillius (Cr.303/1). As for the stars of Castor and Pollux adorning the helmet of Rome, they could be explained by the reverse of the third monetary magistrate, L. Memmius (RRC.304/1), which depicts the Dioscuri. The coinage of Q. Lutatius Cerco, Quaestor, would combine certain mint marks of his two colleagues in the monetary magistracy.
The Q on the reverse indicates Q. Lutatius Cerco struck this type as Questor. The reverse recalls the naval victory of his ancestor C. Lutatius Catulus at the Aegates Insulae in 241 BC. (first Punic war 264-241 BC.).