A Roman Republican
Collector’s Year in Review, or
Who collects that stuff, 2019?
rrdenarius
I collect Roman Republican coins1, cast bronze from Central Italy2 and Roman scales and scale weights3. I have been collecting old stuff for about a decade and have posted some of my collection in a blog4. My top 10 list of acquisitions is below.
This year has been interesting. I joined the International Society of Antique Scale Collectors: ISASC5 and attended their annual meeting in Austin TX. I met lots of interesting people from around the US and world. I did not find a Roman scale weight expert I was hoping to find. I found several books and web sites on Roman scale weights. The best is: Pondera, An Online Database of Ancient and Byzantine Weights6. Two scale weights are on my top 10 list.
My wife and I traveled to London and the Shetland Islands in the fall. I became a friend of the British Museum and was able to visit their coin room. The BM has an excellent collection of cast bronze that is interesting to see online7, but much better to see in hand. While in London, I visited Roma’s office to see the cast bronze in auction XVIII on September 29, 20198. I won lot 776 and it made #1 on my list below.
1 Cast Æ Semis Pegasus / Pegasus
This coin is #1 because it is a great coin and it reminds me of how much fun we had on our trip. Below you can see the two denarii I bought at the COINEX coin show in London and the Wool Week hats my wife made for our trip to the Shetland Islands.
Anonymous Cast Æ Semis. Rome, circa 270 BC.
Obv - Pegasus flying right; below, S in retrograde
Rev - Pegasus flying left; below, S
VF; well centered, high profile casting, small casting flaw
near top sprew, good style, dark brown patina on obv & a bit lighter on rev
140.7 grams
52.7 X 49.7 X 16.6 mm This is a thick coin!
12 h – Note - All of the Cr 18.2 coins I have seen on line
& in books (about 50) are medal turn. The top of the obverse and top of the
reverse are at 12 on a clock dial.
Crawford 18/2
T&V 9
2 In 2019 I dived deep into Roman scale weights. The highlight was a barrel weight with silver inlayed AA. The one pound Roman weight (= Libra or As) was part of the 10 piece lot shown below.
One As = 12 VNCIA
half As = 6 VNCIA
Two cast coins next to scale weights of same denomination.
3 ΟΥΝΓΓΙΑ (UNCIA or
ounce)
2 OYNITTIA
1 OYNITTIA / 1 VNCIA
half, quarter and eighth ounce
Roman and Byzantine weights:
According to Bendall, two of the weights are Roman and 8 of
the weights are late Roman to early Byzantine. The earlier weights indicate
denominations in VNCIA (ounces). The later weights use Greek letters and
monograms.
Lot of 10 bronze barrel weights, 8 inlaid with silver, denominations:
1/8th uncia (ounce) to one Libra (Roman pound). See dimensions
below.
૪ = OY in monogram, OY is an abbreviation for
ΟΥΝΓΓΙΑ (UNCIA or ounce).
|
#
|
Denomination
|
Wt Gr
Eq Ass
|
Dimension
H X D, mm
|
On
Weight
|
Bendall
|
|
1
|
As or Libra,
12 ounce
|
327.7
|
32.8 X 43.2
|
A A
|
23, 27
|
|
2
|
Semis,
6 ounce
|
155.4
(311)
|
26.7 X 34.5
|
VNC
VNV
|
|
|
3
|
Semis,
6 ounce
|
163.0
(326)
|
28.5 X 33.9
|
૪ C
|
23, 28
૪ = OY
|
|
4
|
Quadrans,
3 ounce
|
82.6
(330)
|
20.5 X 26.5
|
૪ Γ
|
23
|
|
5
|
Sextans,
2 ounce
|
46.9
(281)
|
18.9 X 22.5
|
૪ Β
|
31
|
|
6
|
Uncia,
1 ounce
|
25.1
(301)
|
14.5 X 18.3
|
૪ A
|
23, 33
|
|
7
|
Uncia,
1 ounce
|
26.5
(318)
|
13.0 X 18.7
|
VNI
VNV
|
|
|
8
|
Semiuncia
½ ounce
|
12.5
(300)
|
11.3 X 15.1
|
I B
|
|
|
9
|
Sicilius,
¼ ounce
|
6.6
(317)
|
9.7 X 11.6
|
C
|
1.5 Solidus
|
|
10
|
Drachma,
1/8 ounce
|
3.3
(317)
|
7.2 X 9.4
|
Γ
|
3 Scripula
3 Grammata
|
3 Roma Wheel Aes
Grave As
In most years, this would be my top coin. It is has high
relief and is well preserved.
Obv - Head of Roma right, wearing Phrygian helmet with
pinnate crest; behind, mark of value I, set horizontally.
Rev - Six-spoked wheel; between two spokes, I.
Cr, RRC 24/3;
wt std = 270 grams
204.48 grams
66.0 mm
12 H
A light example. Very rare. Lovely earthen emerald green
patina. Good VF/About EF.
4 I have had a RR
denarius with voting on the reverse for several years. In 2019, I added three
more. The two coins on the left are 4a & 4b.
Clockwise from top left:
C. Cassius Longinus, 126BC, Cr 266/1;
P. Licinius Nerva, 113BC, Cr 292/1;
Lucius Cassius Longinus, 63 BC, Cr 413/1;
C. Cassius Longinus, 55 BC, Cr 428/1
5 Romano - Byzantine One Pound Weight
This weight is a few centuries older than the Libra above. The cross was probably not used on official weights when the AA barrel weight was made.
Romano - Byzantine One Pound Commercial Weight, 4th-6th
centuries. Æ
Obv - Cross flanked by ÎA (some say Î is LI in ligature = one Roman pound or Libra = 12 ΟΥΝΓΓΙΑ (UNCIA or ounces); all within wreath.
Rev - Blank.
Cf. Bendall 51.
VF, green-brown surfaces, a few scrapes.
56x56mm,
323.8 g
The one Libra weight fits in the following series.
Clockwise from upper left: 12, 3, 2, 1 & 1 ounces.
I do not know when the Romans switched from lower case gamma to upper case for ounce.
6 Hercules / Prow Quadrans that was struck
over a Roma, left Prow, right Semilibral Uncia.
- understrike - Crawford 38/6, 217 – 215 BC, Rome mint.
- overstrike - Crawford 56/5 (variety G1.Qd.110), after 211 BC, Rome mint.
- #43 in Crawford's list of overstruck coins
The Roman Republic, AE Quadrans, (the seller said Staff series Cr 106/7, but I think it probably Cr 56/6), after 211 BC, Rome.
Obv – The top coin: Head of Hercules right, wearing lion's skin; behind, three pellets. The bottom coin: Head of Roma left, behind 1 pellet.
Rev - Prow of galley right, ROMA above, 3 pellets below.
11.17 grams
25.5 mm
Very rare. Dark patina. About VF.
This coin is #43 in Crawford's list of overstruck coins – Cr 56/6 over Cr 38/6. Also in Crawford's list, #99, is Cr 106/7 over Cr 38/6.
The following coin is a similar overstrike and was purchased earlier. You can see a different side of Roma in this coin but only one ship of the reverse.
7 L.ROSCI.FABAIT with
scale and modius. Last year the coin on the left made my top 10. It had a
standing scale on the obverse and a weight box on the reverse. This year’s coin
has a hand scale on the obverse and a modius on the reverse. A modius was used
to measure by volume.
Roman Republic AR Denarius
(Serratus); L. Roscius Fabatus; 64 BC,
Rome
Obv - Head of Juno Sospita r.
in the goatskin cap that is tied in front, behind balance / scale, below:
L.ROSCI; border of dots
Rev - Girl stands r. feeding
snake that is raised in front of her, behind box for weights / modius, In Ex:
FABATI; border dots
Crawf. 412/1
8 Capis Pedium Aes Grave Uncia
Denomination - AE Cast Uncia
Mint date - 280-260 BC
Obv – Pitcher (also called Jug, Jug with handle, Capis,
Oinochoe, Oenochoe, kanne mit Henkel11); pellet (mark of value) to
left.
Rev – Shepherds crook (also called Pedum, Sistrum, curved
club); pellet (mark of value) to left.
Vecchi ICC 308
31.32 grams, this is the heaviest coin I found in web
searches. This weight corresponds to an As of 375 grams (vs 327 standard). Only
two of 44 coins in Haeberline were heavier.
30.5 X 31.2 X 8.1 mm
A superb cast in high relief. Dark green patina. Good VF.
the picture above shows scale weights and corresponding aes grave coins (except for 3 oz which has a cast bronze shell)
9 Hybrid Denarius
A hybrid coin has an obverse from one coin series and a reverse from another. The coin looks like a fourree. It is likely that the coin was minted by ancient forgers.
Roman Republican AR / AE Denarius, mint uncertain, after 100 BC. M. Servilius/L. Sentius.
3.28 grams, 21.0 mm
A very rare and interesting example. Broad flan. Brilliant and lightly toned, with golden hues. VF.
Obv. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, Φ (M. Servilius C.f., 100 BC).
Rev. Jupiter in prancing biga right; below horses, uncertain
letter (partially off flan); in exergue, L SENTI [C F] (L. Sentius C.f., 101
BC).
10 Two Ship’s Prow Coins - This pair of coins were purchased
together and show Roman (coin of Luceria) and Macedonian (coin of Perseus)
ship’s prows. The cover of a book by Christa Steinby14 shows the
prow (ramming end) of an ancient war ship. These coins are pictured on the
book.
Left Coin
Macedon, time of Philip V – Perseus (187-168 BC). AR
Tetrobol; Pella or Amphipolis.
Obv - Head of maenad R
Rev - Prow of galley R.; above – MAKE; to right – Π; below –
[D]ONON Macedon in Greek!
2.52 grams
12.5mm
Right Coin
Roman Republican Uncia, L series, Luceria (214-212 BC). Æ
Obv - Helmeted head of Roma r
Rev - Prow right; L and pellet below
Crawford 43/5;
19 mm
6.55 grams
3h
Notes & References:
1.
If
an item is in Michael H. Crawford’s book: Roman
Republican Coinage, I consider it worth collecting. Rome did not mint coins
until about 300 BC. Some Greek colonies in Italy issued coins much earlier.
Roman Republican money includes coins (cast and struck) and cast bronze bars
and pieces.
2.
I
collect cast bronze that is in: Italian
Cast Coinage: Italian Aes Grave, Aes Rude, Signatum and the Aes Grave of Sicily
by Bradbury K. Thurlow and Italo Vecchi.
3.
Byzantine
Weights an Introduction by Simon Bendall is the best book I have found on
scale weights. I go by table on page 8 to determine if a weight would fit my
collection. Other scale books are -
a.
Scales &
Weights A Historical Outline by Bruno Kisch
b.
Ancient Scale
Weights and Pre Coinage Currency of the Near East by David
Hendin
8.
A
link to Roma Numismatics Auction XVIII on September 29, 2019: https://www.sixbid.com/en/roma-numismatics-ltd/6443/page/1/perPage/100?term&orderCol=lot_number&orderDirection=asc&priceFrom&displayMode=large&auctionSessions=6767%7C218525
9. Picture
from Savoca 23rd silver auction lot 331.
10. G1.Qd.1, from A. McCabe "The Anonymous
Struck Bronze Coinage of the Roman Republic".
11.
kanne
mit Henkel = pot with handle – English translation of German text
12.
picture
from Artemide Asta auction 19.1E, lot 185
13.
picture
from Artemide Asta auction 36E, lot 427
14. Rome Versus Carthage: The War at
Sea
by Christa Steinby
