Juba I, king of Numidia. AR 'Denarius', c. 48-46 BC. Utica mint. REX IVBA. Diademed and cuirassed bust of Juba I right; sceptre on the shoulder. / IOBAI HMMLKT in neo-Punic. Octastyle temple on podium; in the middle, a globule (the 'compass dot'). RPC I 717; SNG Cop. 523. AR. 3.98 g. 17.00 mm. An outstanding example, sharply struck and exceptionally well centred on a flan of sound metal and full weight. Lovely brilliant and lightly iridescent tone. EF. Juba I (born c. 85 BC-died 46 BC, near Thapsus) king of Numidia, sided with the followers of Pompey and the Roman Senate in their war against Julius Caesar in North Africa (49–45 BC). 'During the civil war [...] Utica was perhaps operating for Juba. His silver coinage was struck at Roman weight standards in three denominations: denarii, quinarii and sestertii whose interchangeability with Romans coins can be seen from their widespread circulation in hoards of late Republican and early imperial times. This coinage seems to have been minted at the very end of his reign on the basis of the stylistic similarity of his denarii with those of Cato and Metellus Pius.' (RPC I, p.190).