Ancient Spanish Coins

I bought a small bronze Semis in 2018. It took a while to attribute the coin and find a book with the coin. By the time the book arrived, I forgot this post.  

This is the 5th one from Spain and means I now I have a collection. Shown below are two denarii, one semis and two Scipio bronze coins.

top left - Spain, Bolskan (Osca) AR Denarius. Circa 150-100 BC. Bearded head right; Iberian bon behind / Warrior, holding spear, on horseback right. 

top right - Iberia, Ikalesken; Mid 2nd century BC AR denarius. Obv - Male head right; Rev - Horseman, holding shield, helmet and cloak (chlamys); riding left, second horse beside; in ex - Iberian legend IKALESKEN. The cloak and helmet of the rider are similar to the Dioscurii on RR coins. There are three small dots above the rider's helmet.  

center - this coin was incorrectly sold as: Ancient Roman Republican Coin - L. Sempronius Pitio - Galley Semis 148 BC. Obv: laureate head of Saturn right, S behind head. Rev: L dot SEMP above prow right, S to right, ROMA below. Craw. 216/3; Syd. 403a; Babelon Sempronia 5; Sear 858. the coin is really:
an official Spanish civic issue from Carteia - Saturn / prow bronze from Spain. Probably about 100 BC (Cited from: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/l-sempronius-pitio-semis-scarce-rr-or-spanish-imitative-issue.327841/)

bottom L & R - SPAIN, Carthago Nova. Roman Occupation. Æ Unit. Struck after 209 BC. Bare-head left (Scipio Africanus?) / Horse standing right; palm tree behind. 


This was my original post. You can compare the coin below with a similar RR coin.

I bought an interesting coin in a recent auction. It is not a common coin, but that is not unusual for small denomination RR bronzes. An added point of interest for this coin is that it might be Spanish imitation. Some pics of my coin (it is not here yet) and the best pic I noticed on line are below. Lettering on the coin is not like other coins of L.Semp.Pitio I have seen online. What do you think?

Nov 2018 auction

Dec 2015 auction, same coin

pics from http://www.lesdioscures.com/ch83a2-semis-sempronia/ 

Athena Steelyard Weight from Paul Bessey Collection

 

My Byzantine Empress steelyard weight was lonely, so I bought her a companion.

Roman, 3rd-4th century AD*., a very large and heavy, looped bronze figural steelyard weight in the form of Athena / Minerva**. She wears tall crested helmet and a gorgon head Aegis***, see notes below. Nice facial features show wear but are still easily discernible as are the detailed garments she wears which are evident all around the lower portion of this impressive weight. Rich dark brown and emerald green patina throughout. 

12.6 pounds

9-1/2 " tall, including 1" loop at top of weight

4-1/2 " wide at shoulders

3-1/2 " deep from Aegis to back

base dimensions are 4.5 X 3.5 ". 

Lot 71 of Michael Malter Auction Feb 13, 2011; Encino, CA, USA 

Notes:

* - 5th to 8th centuries AD. Anne McClanan in Representations of Early Byzantine Empresses gives a later date.

** - Minerva was the Roman name for the Greek goddess Athena. Most of their attributes (Powers, clothing, ets.) are the same. Weights from Western Roman Empire are called Minerva. Norbert Franken in AEQUIPOMDIA places statues like this in group CB. 

*** - The Aegis of Athena with the Gorgon Head

Athena's Aegis with the gorgon head in the middle from the west pediment of the archaic temple of Apollo at Eretria.

Parian Marble, circa 520-500 BCE.

https://ancient-greece.org/images/museums/eretria-mus/pages/eretria-021.html

 

Minerva Bull Aes Grave Fraction Crawford 37, 225 BC

Minerva Bull aes grave Asses are not common. I found only 3 in sales for the last 20 years on acsearch. Crawford lists lists three symbols above the bull on this coin in Roman Republican Coinage: #37/1a, b, c = L, I, Caduceus. Aes Grave by E. J. Haeberlin has 23 examples of which 2 are fragments.

Seller's (Numismatic Studio Tintinna of Campani Massimo) pics.

My pics plus some colorful knitting by my wife.

Pics of the coin from Garrucci.

Pics of the coin from Haeberlin. 

Roman Republic

Aes Grave fragment of an As from the Miverva Bull series 225 BC, mint uncertain

Obv – Head of Minerva, facing, wearing helmet with three crests, hair cascading to shoulders

Rev – Bull standing to right (only parts of the back two legs are showing); In Ex RO[MA]; this fragment does not show the marks above the bull: L, I or a caduceus. Grueber and earlier authors are not sure if the L stands for a town (Luceria) or one pound (Libra).   

37.1 X 29.2 X 10.2 mm

43.22 grams

BB +, Light Brown / Green patina

Crawford 37/1a, b or c Crawford lists three symbols above the bull.

Grueber Italy AG 1 or 2

Sydenham RRC – 138 & 139

Sydenham AG – 34 & 35

Haberline – pg 141 – 143, 23 examples including 2 fragments; plates 55 – 56

Garrucci - pg 17; plate XXXII # 4 & 5

Vecci ICC – 72 or 73

T&V – 43 or 43a

HNI – 331

	rrd data	Hab data
Weight	43.16	279
Weight - max	321.1	336.0
Weight - min	225.0	204.6
Weight - avg	275.7	276.8
Weight - st dev	34.3	36.6
Number	12	21
Diameter - max	37
Diameter - min	29
Diameter - max	75.8
Diameter - min	71.5
Diameter - avg	73.3

Centering	NA
Strike	ok
Flan flaws	broken flan
Style	typical
Patination	light greenish brown
Damage	broken flan