A Small Janus Head and Prow Right Bronze Coin Roman Republican As Cr 97, 99, 100… Something Else? This coin is not easy for me to attribute. My best guess is the coin is a Cr 100/1b, or something close. The coin is low weight (3.37 grams), has a distinctive Janus head, a different (close to 90 degree) angle for the right facing prow and visible sprews on opposite sides. The coin has a well worn reverse, but it looks like ROMA was spelled backwards and the A is on the left side. Post your tiny bronze Janus head coins. Roman Republic - 206-195 BC. Anonymous As of reduced weight. Mint - Canosa ? Obv - Head of Janus Rev – Prow of Roman war ship right, letter below left end of prow could be R or A, I think it looks like A. Weight 3.37 gr. Size: 17.2 mm, sprew to sprew; 18.5 mm dia. & 2.0 mm thick Condition: · Obv – VF · Rev – aG · Brown patina (I am slightly color blind so might not see the green Massamo mentions.) · Strike - weak strike due to thin flan · Flan flaws - casting sprews visable, thin flan due to low weight · Style - good style on obv, but mint mark, if any, is missing · Damage - reverse design mostly missing due to corrosion or cleaning · Centering – good, but small size / low weight may have forced some features off flan Cr 100/1b (if Canusa is correct), R BMCRR Italy 265 (31 grams) You can see more about the coin here: http://rrdenarius.blogspot.com/2018/05/a-small-janus-head-and-prow-right.html Roman Prows from an old book I found on line.
I don't know a ton about these lightweight asses but Andrew McCabe has some discussion of them on FORVM here. If you think ROMA is retrograde I'd be tempted to call it an imitation on that alone as that is a fairly common engraver's error on imitations and not something I can ever recall seeing on an official bronze
Thanks for the link @red_spork . I saw notes about an article Andrew wrote, but could not find the article. I think my coin looks a lot like one from Sicily or Spain due to weight, the A and prow shape. A Spanish imitation Semis with left facing prow at a sharp angle and ROMA reversed. This Janus head coin from Sicily, Panormous coin has a similar weight and shape flan.
We'll here's mine from Spain, it's a bit heavier and larger than yours. Roman Republican, Hispania AE, semis, 8.6g, 23mm; 2h; Hispania, 1st century BC Obv.: Laureate head of Saturn right; S (mark of value) behind Rev.: Prow left, S (mark of value) above In Ex.: ROMA
Fun stuff @rrdenarius ! That is a wee-baby. I will toss a couple RR Janus coins: RR Atili Saran AE As 31mm 23.95g 148 BC Janus ROMA Prow Sear 399 Craw 214-2a RR Anon AE As 211-206 BC sextantal Janus Prow Anchor Sear 628 Craw 50-3 RR Anon AE As after 211 BC Janus I Prow Cr 56-2 Sear 627 Hey, and I cannot NOT show the Janus that was "sold" to me as a rare Januform tiny As: RR Anon AE Sextans-Hieron II Overstrike 214-212 BCE Sear 1211 Craw 69-6 Approx 19mm, 5.3g
Are you sure it is a prow on the reverse? My first thought was the Panormos type you posted- but you're obviously a better judge with the coin in hand.
The reverse is well worn, but I think it is a prow right. Pics of a well worn coin are tuff for me. I am not sure any of the following are any better.
