Picked up another Second Punic War era overstruck RR bronze

The coin that I'm sharing today is a relatively scarce type which is virtually always overstruck and very rarely seen in a condition this nice. Like the triens I recently shared here, this coin shows evidence of overstriking, likely on a Sardinian, Sicilian or Punic bronze, and is struck at roughly half the weight standard of Rome mint issues at the time. This issue is signed "AVR" as well, which along with find spot and hoard evidence seems to suggest that it was minted in Sardinia near the end of the Second Punic War, likely under Caius Aurunculeius Cotta, Praetor of Sardinia in 209 BC. Unfortunately I have not yet been able to identify the undertype of this coin but if anyone has any ideas, please let me know.


Another cool thing about this coin I thought I'd share is that it came with the previous collector's envelope(No information about who that collector was though, unfortunately). I really like old tags and provenance info so I've attached it below as well:


Full ID: Roman Republic Æ Sextans(4.58 grams, 20.67 mm). Caius Aurunculeius Cotta, Praetor of Sardinia, 209 BC. Sardinian mint. Head of Mercury right. above, two pellets / Prow right; above, ROMA; before AVR monogram; two pellets below. Crawford 65/6, Sydenham 162d. Ex. FJ Rath, List 5, 1970, Lot 69.

 

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One more thing, the seller's photo for anyone interested. In some ways this captures the details better, but the color is way off. This one has one of those shiny patinas that really made it hard for me to photograph, and apparently the seller as well.

 

'red', That's truly a magnificent coin!!! One of the best I've seen anywhere! I almost purchased one a while ago but it was so badly worn, I could barely make out either Mercury or the prow.

I think Vcoins has a few that are identified as to what coin they were restruck over...perhaps Carthaginian from Sicily as you noted?? It's late and I have a flight to catch, otherwise I'd take another look.

 

Thanks MZ. Worn, ugly coins are par for the course with RR bronze it seems, but every once in a while you can get lucky and find something really nice.

As far as overstrikes, I've seen quite a few different ones in Andrew McCabe's posts on FORVM and on some of the other ones I've seen on various auction sites. The Romans seemed to ovestrike anything they could get their hands on, so you see everything from Punic bronzes to Sicilian Hieron II bronzes to coins of the Bretti. I think at least one or two have been noted overstruck on bronzes from something like a hundred years earlier.

 

A very nice find! I'm glad you posted the seller's pic as well - sometimes a coin needs two very different images to represent it adequately. I had a difficult time discerning the AVR until I realized that the letters were ligatured.

 

i like it

 

Red: Do you see very many silver overstrikes? I know that the Romans / Central Italy used mainly bronze coinage as the backbone of their currency. So, understood with what you state about over-striking bronze. However, I wonder about the higher end coinage in Silver whether it was overstruck or just melted down and reworked into denarii, etc.? I notice that AR Shekels / coinage from Carthage seem harder to find...

 

I have noticed that a lot in Republican coinage...they love to get creative with monograms to shorten words / names. Kind of like a shorthand...actually, very creative!

 

This is an amazing coin. Man, I'm sold.

I have a Punic Coin of Sardinia..

Dominion of Carthage
Uncertain mint on Sardinia (c. BC 300-264)
AE Shekel 19.6 mm x 5.56 grams
Obverse: Bust of Kore (Tanit) Left
Reverse: Bust of Horse right No pellets.
Ref: Sassari 275-531 4.81 g Holleman munten, list 106 (1996), 27
Note: Gorgeous Deep Brown Patina. Scarce to Rare.

 

Gorgeous Carthage out of Sardinia... Like this one!

 

Though red_spork’s sextans is much nicer condition than mine, here is another sample of Crawford 65/6 (photo courtesy of Agora Auctions)

 

@ancientcoinguru, you have some fantastic coins . I wish your images were larger.

 

cool sextans RS, it has some great details.

i like to see stuff like that from the previous owners, especially if it has the date on in they got the coin. i always put the date i picked up my coin on my flip inserts now, i case the next owner is interested.

is this any closer on the sellers pic?

 

Here's a larger image, just a little fuzzy!

 

It's a little lighter near the high points of the obverse & reverse in-hand but that's pretty close.

 

I have a bronze Spanish coin minted during the 2nd Punic War that you might find interesting.

Carthago Nova was captured in 228 BC by Hasdrubal Barca (brother of Hannibal) during the Carthaginian conquest of Spain, and Hannibal made Carthago Nova the base of his operations. In the later stages of the Second Punic War between Carthage and Rome (210-209 BC), the Roman general Scipio Africanus captured the city, making it an imperial stronghold.


HISPANIA, Carthago Nova
minted during time of Hannibal 228 - 209 BC
AE 12 - 1.99 gm - 11.6 mm
Obv: Wreathed head of Tanit left.
Rx: Crested helmet left, with cheek guards
Ref: Burgos 405.

 

Scipio was just a young WHIPPER-SNAPPER when he went over to Spain and messed up the Carthaginians! He was in his mid-20's... and brash enough to be the FIRST Roman to have his LIVING likeness (purported) on Roman Coinage!



Roman Republic
Carthago Nova (Carthaginian city of Qart Hadasht) Roman Occupation by Scipio (later Africanus)
ca. 209-206 BCE
Bronze Unit
22.8mm, 9.1g
Carthago Nova mint
OBV: Bare head l, Roman style (Scipio?)
REV: Horse standing r
Rare
Sear/Seaby Vol 2 6575; SNG BM Spain 127-128; Burgos 552
ex FORVM

 

Ni

nice tie in with my post!

 

Extraordinary!!! Good thing I am seated!