Crawford 412/1, Roman Republic, L. Roscius Fabatus, Denarius serratus

Roman Republic (Rome mint 64 BC.), L. Roscius Fabatus.
AR Denarius (3.82 g, 18-19 mm).
Obv.: L.ROSCI , below head of Juno Sospita to right, wearing goat skin headdress; behind symbol: fountain basin.
Rev.: FABATI (in ex.), maiden standing right, feeding snake coiled erect before her; to left, well-head.
Crawford 412/1 (Symbol pair 102) ; Sydenham 915 ; Babelon Roscia 3 .

Juno Sospita was one of the names of the goddess Juno, emphasizing her role as protector of women, marriage, and childbirth ('Sospita' = 'she who saves'). The cult of Juno Sospita (or 'Sispes') was important in Lanuvium. She wore a goat-skin headdress and carried a spear and a shield.
At Lanuvium, Juno Sospita had a temple which was guarded by a serpent. Every year a maiden would offer cakes to the serpent. If it accepted, this was a sign that the girl was a virgin. Its refusal was an evil omen and a year of sterility was to be feared.
L.Roscius Fabatus was born at Lanuvium and was a "new man" (the first to ennoble his family by entering the Senate). In 55, he held the tribuneship. Roscius was co-author of a measure to further Caesar's plans for agrarian and municipal reform. He was a Caesarian legate in Gaul after 54, where he commanded the 13th legion. In 49, he held the praetorship and was involved as a messenger in the events of that year, which led to the fatal rupture between Caesar and Pompey. In one of his letters, Cicero reported Roscius was killed at the Forum Gallorum in 43 during the war of Mutina.
The coins of this moneyer are the last to exhibit edge serrations as a regular practice. He also utilized a large number of paired die control symbols, one for each side, which represented almost 250 everyday objects. In this, he appears to have taken an earlier moneyer, L.Papius, c. 78, as a model. Curiously, the moneyer's name on the coin is in the genitive, " . . . of Roscius Fabatus", perhaps implying "coinage of Roscius Fabatus."