The quadrans (which literally means "one-quarter") was a Roman denomination worth 1/4 of an as and was the smallest denomination regularly issued by the empire. Its value was 1/64 of a denarius and was thus only useful for the purchase of items and services of low value. Ancient sources note that it was the cost of admission to the public baths. Did you know the quadrans (Greek κοδράντης) is mentioned twice in the Bible? The two verses are: Mark 12:42 καὶ ἐλθοῦσα μία χήρα πτωχὴ ἔβαλεν λεπτὰ δύο, ὅ ἐστιν κοδράντης. "And one poor widow came and threw two leptons, which is a quadrans." Matthew 5:26 ἀμὴν λέγω σοι, οὐ μὴ ἐξέλθῃς ἐκεῖθεν ἕως ἂν ἀποδῷς τὸν ἔσχατον κοδράντην. "Truly I tell you, you will not come out from there until you have paid back the last quadrans." The quadrans was produced most actively by the Julio-Claudians, and it was no longer produced after the reign of Marcus Aurelius (AD 161-180). Post your quadrantes! Here's one of mine: Claudius, AD 41-54 Roman Æ quadrans; 3.95 gm; 15.1 mm Rome mint, AD 41 Obv: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG, modius. Rev: PON M TR P IMP COS DES IT around large SC Refs: BMCRE 179; RIC 84; Cohen 70; RCV 1863
Thanks for the biblical quotes. I was unaware of them. AUGUSTUS AE Quadran OBVERSE: LAMIA SILIVS ANNIVS, clasped hands holding caduceus REVERSE: III VIR A A A F F around large S C Rome 9 BC 3.0g, 15mm RIC 420, BMC 200, S 1693 AUGUSTUS AE Quadran OBVERSE: SISENNA MESSALLA IIIVIR, altar REVERSE: APRONIVS GALLVS AAAFF around SC Rome 5 BC , Moneyers Apronius, Galus, Messalla, and Sisena 3.0g, 17mm RIC 463 or 200 in Old RIC ANONYMOUS Æ Quadrans OBVERSE: Winged petasus REVERSE: S-C, winged caduceus Struck at Rome, Late 1st-mid 2nd century AD 15mm, 2.36g RIC II 32 TRAJAN AE Quadran OBVERSE: IMP CAES TRAIAN AVG GERM, diademed bust of Hercules right with lion-skin on neck REVERSE: Boar walking right, SC in ex. Struck at Rome, 98-117 AD 2g, 14mm RIC 702 TRAJAN AE Quadrans OBVERSE: IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG, laureate head right, slight drapery on far shoulder REVERSE: She-wolf crouching left, SC in ex. Struck at Rome, 98-117 AD 2.6g, 16mm RIC 694, Cohen 340, BMC 1061
Great write up @Roman Collector ... and your Quarter is nice! My Quarters are a few years before Mark & Matt: Frentani - Larinum AE 18mm Quadrans 210-175 BCE Herakles - Centaur SNG COP 272 Roman Republic Anon AE 28mm 19.2g Quadrans - Sicily mint 214-212 BCE Hercules-Erymanthian boar headress - Bull ex RBW Craw 72/7 RR Aes Grave AE Quadrans 230 BCE Dog 3 pellets Six spoked wheel 59.8g Craw 26/6a Thurlogh-Vecchi 34
I have only ever owned one. Domitian Ae quadrans Obv:- IMP DOMIT AVG GERM, Bust of Ceres left Rev:- S-C, Bundle of three poppies and four corn ears Reference:– RIC II new 243 (R). Cohen 17
My favorite one is the Caligula with RCC (Remissa Ducentisima) which honored his remission of an unpopular 1/200 sales tax. Details are available to those who read long articles on small coins. The author spends a lot of time covering alternate theories by academics who do not accept the link of the coin to the tax. http://www.academia.edu/7653234/_Ta...aligula_Numismatic_Chronicle_174_2014_111-117 Yes, the author is a name you have heard leading the movement to outlaw private ownership of ancient coins.
@jamesicus reminded me of one I forgot CLAUDIUS AE Quadrans OBVERSE: T I CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG – Modius REVERSE: PON M TRP IMP P P COSII - Large S C Struck at Rome, 42AD 2.6g, 16mm RIC 90, BN 195, S 1865, C 72
I should get some more quadrantes... would like one like Doug's Caligula, also the Claudius with the hand holding scales. Wikipedia says the last quadrantes were issued by A. Pius. Is that right? Somewhere between Domitian and A. Pius, RIC II 32: Trajan, RIC 702:
There is some evidence some quadrantes were issued under Marcus. The "coins of the mines" are considered to be quadrantes and this one might be under Marcus: 17 mm. RIC III, page 313, 1255 "uncertain" [ruler] but "R2" under Marcus Aurelius. Head right. The portrait looks a lot like Antoninus Pius. No legend. METAL AVRELIA/NVS in wreath. The name of the mine suggests Marcus. He could be honoring his adoptive father with the portrait. BMC III --, but BMC IV page 687 has it not in the BM but cited from a sale.
Nice coins. I do not have an Imperial one of these. Romans used bronze as a medium of exchange before they minted coins. The top pic is my puppy quadrans and an aes rude piece that weighs about a quarter of a Roman pound. Initially the Roman As = 324 grams. Inflation dropped this weight and by the time these were struck, they were fiat money => worth a quarter of an As because the government said so! About 225 BC, the Romans started showing Hercules on the obverse of quadrans. This held until Imperial times. The coin below is a struck quadrans. It has 4 dots on the reverse, oops.
@dougsmit Yes, the author is a name you have heard leading the movement to outlaw private ownership of ancient coins. Doug, We have at least two university profs in Texas who feel that way. One is at Rice and the other Baylor. I had hoped that the folks elected recently who want the government out of private lives would have supported ancient coin collecting. I see no evidence that is the case. As ancient coin collectors, I think it is important to support the the ACCG as a voice for collectors. FYI - I follow Dr Elkins and others on Academia.edu. Gene
Yeah, I always wonder: How many coins, artifacts, antiquities, etc are in THEIR homes, or quietly in THEIR "collections".
claudius quadrans, i wonder if anyone used this coin to pay admission for a bath? Claudius, AE Quadrans , AD 42. O: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG, hand holding scales, PNR in field; R: PON M TR P IMP PP COS II around S C. RIC 91, Cohen 73. 17 mm, 3.2 g.
I have a few quadrantes but this Cr. 200/5 quadrans of the moneyer Pinarius Natta is probably my favorite:
