Of the plebeian gens Fannia the first person to obtain the consulship was C. Fannius Strabo in 161 BC. Most members of the gens appear without cognomina. The moneyer M. Fannius was praetor in 80 BC.

In 86 BC Fannius and his colleague Critonius became aediles and they were responsible for the issue of the denarius above. The duties of aediles included care of the city; maintenance of public and private buildings and inspection of public stores and provisions (i.e. grain). Curule aediles were responsible for the exhibition of public games and when they administered justice were seated on curule chairs. Plebeian aediles kept the decrees of the senate in the temple of Ceres and the treasury - on coins they were usually depicted seated on subsellia. During Sulla's reign their status was assimilated to that of curule aediles. This denarius, a special issue indicated by PA on the reverse, was probably struck on occasion of a public largesse after the death of Marius.

Obv. Draped bust of Ceres right, wearing corn-wreath, earring, hair rolled back, knotted behind, falling down in neck, border of dots.

Rev. The two aediles Fannius and Critonius, togate, seated right on a subsellium - a low bench, left PA, corn-ear right, M. FAN. L. CRT in exergue, border of dots.