Hercules / Prow Quadrans, do you see a staff (Cr106/7a) or not (Cr56/5)?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by rrdenarius, Dec 9, 2019.

  1. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio Supporter

    I bought an overstrike coin early this year. Spoiler alert, it may be in my top 10.
    The top coin is a quadrans with Hercules on the obverse and a ship's prow, right, on the reverse. The seller called the coin Cr 106/7a - Staff and Club series from Eturia. The a means the reverse has a staff, and there is no club on the obverse. I am not sure what qualifies as a staff on the reverse. If the line is not a staff, the attribution would be: Cr 56/5, Anonymous series from Rome. Crawford notes both Cr 56/5 and Cr 106/7 are known to have been struck over Cr 38/6. What do you think?
    staff quadrans over uncia art ast 1.27.19.jpg staff quadrans over uncia rev art ast 1.27.19.jpg
    The undertype is a Roma left / prow right semilibral uncia, Cr 38/6 from Rome. The back of Roma's helmet and neck and the mark of value are visible below Hercules head. On the reverse a curved back of a ship;s prow and two soldiers is visable. There are many variations of style of uncia. The best fit for what I see was from the Vecchi sale in Sept 1996, lot 30.
    20191208_234022.jpg

    I bought a similar overstrike a few years ago. That seller did not give Crawford numbers for the top of bottom coin dies.
    Quadrans over Uncia tintinna e51L1008 12.19.15 obv rot.jpg Quadrans over Uncia tintinna e51L1008 12.19.15 obv.jpg Quadrans over Uncia tintinna e51L1008 12.19.15 rev.jpg
     
    Last edited: Dec 10, 2019
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  3. Andrew McCabe

    Andrew McCabe Well-Known Member

    Overtype is RRC 56/5 probably McCabe group G1. Style isn't right for RRC 106 staff. Great overstrike. Heavy for a quadrans.
     
  4. Orielensis

    Orielensis Well-Known Member

    [Better wait for the Roman Republican experts to chime in, but to me it looks like the variant with the horizontal staff (the line you mentioned).]

    (edit: I didn't see that @Andrew McCabe already posted above. His answer solved this question, I guess.)

    I have a semis with a horizontal staff:
    Römische Republik – Semis (kleines Foto).png
    Roman Republic, anonymous issue ("staff and club series"), AE semis, 208 BC, mint in Etruria (?). Obv: laureate head of Saturn r.; behind, S. Rev: prow r., above, S and horizontal staff; in exergue, ROMA. 28mm, 19.86g. Ref: RRC 106/5 var (position of staff). Ex André Cichos.

    Here is an obverse die match sold by Bertolami a while ago (but sadly not to me). The staff is more visible on this one. Also note the hollow on Saturn's cheek that both coins have. I wonder what has caused it. Maybe scooping?

    Die Match – Crawford_106-5var.jpg
     
    Last edited: Dec 9, 2019
  5. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio Supporter

    Thanks for your reply. The pic of G1.Qd.1 is a dead ringer (but not a die match).
    20191210_074200.jpg
    G1.Qd.1, from A. McCabe "The Anonymous Struck Bronze Coinage of the Roman Republic".
     
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