[ 67 ] 



VII. 



Who P. Cofinius, whofe name feems to have been 

 handed down to us by the Denarius I have been at- 

 tempting here to explain, was, or what was the par- 

 ticular mode of his connection with M. Plaetorius, by 

 whom the piece was flruck, I cannot at prefent, for 

 want of fufficient light from antient hiftory, and 

 authentic Roman monuments, take upon me to 

 decide. But this I may be allowed to fay, that the 

 piece before me is the only coin of the Cofinian 

 family that has hitherto efcaped the ravages of time. 

 That the Cofinian family was of fome note in Rome, 

 we may infer, not only from the very curious dena- 

 rius that is the object of my attention here, but like- 

 wife from two or three antient (18) Roman infcrip- 

 tions, which have preferved to us the name of that 

 family. As for M. Plaetorius, mentioned on the 

 denarius before me, (19) and other fimilar coins, he 

 was, according to M. Havercamp, (20) queftor to 

 Brutus, one of Casfar's murderers 5 and the piece I 

 am endeavouring to explain firft appeared, as already 

 obferved, a little (21) after that emperor's death. 

 The Etrufcan letters were not then intirely out of 

 ufe : nay, they were not totally difufed in fome parts 

 of Italy, and particularly at (22) Falerii, a confiderable 



(i3) Jan. Gruter. Corp. Infcript. ex recenf. jfo. Georg. Grav. 

 p. CMLXXI. 9. DCLVIII. 1. Amftelaedami, 1707. Ludovic. 

 Anton. Murator. Nov. Thefaur.Vet. Infcript. p. DCCXCIV. 7. 

 Mediolani, 1740. 



(19) Vid. I. Vaill. & Sig. Haverc. in Fam. Viator. 



(20) Sig. Haverc. ubi fup. p. 325. 



(21) Id. Ibid. 



(22) Strab. Geogr. Lib. V. 



K 2 number 



