Aulus Hirtius was a legate in Julius Caesar’s army in 54 BCE and Caesar’s ambassador to Pompeius Magnus in 50 BCE. In 46 BCE, the year this coin was minted, Hirtius was a praetor, and Cicero tells us that he was the staunchest Caesarian in Rome. The dating of this particular coin is also made possible by the obverse legend referring to Caesar’s third consulship. By this point in his career, Caesar was already in open rebellion against Rome, had just settled the riots in Alexandria, and was on his way to Asia Minor to subdue the King of Pontus. Aulus Hirtius was responsible for minting Caesar’s coins, as a way of maintaining influence in Rome during Caesar’s absence in the East. The reverse depicts a lituus, or augural staff, used to mark out the boundaries of a templum, where the auguries would be taken. The jug is a reference to the Pontifex Maximus specifically and the pouring of libations more generally. Finally the axe suggests images of religious sacrifices. The obverse bust is often interpreted as an anonymous priestess, but there is some debate that it is Caesar as the Pontifex Maximus, an office he held in 63 BCE. Andrew Moore 2011.