A slim As

An interesting coin arrived today, the As of Q. TITI, Cr 341/4d. Does anyone have a guess on the control symbol in front of the prow on the reverse? I found several of the symbols mentioned in RRC and other places, but no horse or ass heads. I would guess a star with an extra punch mark, or one of the heads.
Q. Titius AE As, Rome, 90 BC.
Obv - Laureate head of Janus, this one looks thin.
Rev - Prow of galley right; Q TITI above, control symbol to right.
Crawford 341/4d;
Grueber Rome 2236
Sydenham 694b.
Sear 743
RBW 1279
9.26g, 26mm, 9h.
This one has a control mark in front of the prow that I can not identify. Crawford (and Grueber, Sear and others) list the following control marks:
caps of the Dioscuri
Crescent
palm branch
caduceus
Star
Ass's head
Cornucopiae
Horse's head
dolphin
I can find examples of all but the two heads and the dolphin.


http://rrdenarius.blogspot.com/

 

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no idea what that is.

interesting style on those long, thin heads...in addition to the low weight...neat.

I've posted this several times, but it's a big highlight of coin year 2015 for me...so here is my more typical one again.



Roman Republic, c. 169 - 158 BC, bronze as of A. CAE
Obverse: Laureate bust of Janus. Reverse: ROMA|I|A.CAE, prow r. Reference: Crawford 174/1. Ex. RBW, purchased from R. Schaefer 12/10/1993; 33 mm, 31.7g

 

It looks like a star to me, perhaps with a die break in the center. Or, a two-headed turtle

 

Cool Janus & Prow ...

Ummm, but I'm not quite sure what that control-mark is supposed to be? (maybe a star or a two headed turtle .... but I wouldn't toss-out jellyfish or barnacle either)

 

Sweet piece rr!

 

Love the new coin RR

 

I love it too !! It seems an exceptional example of the type.

I would guess that 'AL' or 'A-C-G' may be familiar with the control mark

My only 'Janiform' type (another is on bid at this moment) is an As of Pompey the Great---not quite the grade of yours or CHRS

 

@rrdenarius that is a fine coin with a very clear legend! I can narrow down your choices of the control mark.

Symbols above prow:

caps of the Dioscuri
crescent​

Symbols behind prow:

palm branch
caduceus​

Symbols before prow:

dolphin​

Symbols before prow:

star
ass's head
cornucopiae
horse's head
cresent​

I cannot find examples of the 2 heads either…but I do not believe the control mark is a horse’s head or an ass’s head. My best guess would be the same as yours…a star.

 

Here is an example of a dolphin control mark on another AS:

Safra 150 BC
AE As 26.9 gm - 30 mm
Obv: Laur. Hd. Of bearded Janus, I above
Rx: Prow of gallery r., SAFRA above prow, dolphin before, ROMA in ex.
Ref: RRC 206/2, Syd 389, SR722

 

Excellent OP coin. Unfortunately, even in grades as high as yours, the small symbols are sometimes obscured into amorphous blobs. I cast my vote for star, along with others, although it looks like Picasso's version of a star. The obverse also has a unique and interesting style - a rather gaunt Janus.

 

The previous owner, Andrew McCabe, said the mark is a helmet. (How's that for name dropping.) That symbol is not in the references I have, and I did not see one like it on line. But... it is a bit like the Macedonian helmets on other RR coins. I have one or two, but for now just borrowed pics from Wildwinds. See below:

JA - Yes the coin looks a bit like a pointy-headed As instead of a pointy headed intellectual. Per dictionary.com, the pointy headed quote is "said to have been coined by Governor George Wallace of Alabama."

 

Andrew's a great guy - invited me over for tea and perusal of ancient numismatic tomes. If I ever get back to the UK, I'll take him up on it. Maybe I could borrow one of Jack's VTOL's and land on the roof of his flat, you know...just to make a proper entrance.

 

Andrew McCabe is the expert, so if he says this is a control mark not listed in RRC, who am I to disagree with him? But I will note that he does not commit himself 100%...his website says: "This appears to be a helmet."

I did find a Corinthian helmet used as a control mark on the obverse of this Cato coin. Photo is from acsearch.com

 

Here's the coin from McCabe's Flickr page. The mark in question looks less like a star in his images. Does it look like a helmet? It does slightly resemble Darth Vader's helmet.

 

Ummm, apparently I'm supposed to know who Andrew McCabe is? (*awkward*)

He's obviously not as well known as chrsmat or Bing, so I'm probably okay, right?

... anyway ...

Hey rrdenarius, I happen to have an example of one of those sweet helmets ...

L. Marcius Philippus
113-112 BC
Philip V with Goat Horns & Horse-n-Rider




NOTE => ya gotta love the cool "ROMA" behind Phil's head, eh? (yup, that's good ancient stuff!!)

*edit*

Oh, I went and looked-up A-McCabe and found this thread ...

http://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/

Hey, he's no Bing, but he seems to know his stuff

 

^^^ Good one, Steve-O

I have a couple of ex-McCabes on their way but tracking shows that they took a detour to Canada .

Hey, wait. Did you divert them, Steve? Give 'em back!

 

stevex6 - I like the way RR coins run their letters together. It reminds me of branding irons from free range days in the 1800's. Your ROMA is one of the best of the series.

 

Hey, there can be only one.

 

=> thanks, rrd

Here is another cool example "PHLI" in exergue ...



oh, and Mn Fonteius Cf


... or Mn Cordius Rufus

 

I posted pictures of the control marks I found here:
http://rrdenarius.blogspot.com/
The list is missing: caduceus, Ass's head, Cornucopiae & Horse's head