A LARGE piece of Roman history/The RR coin Hannibal Barca didn't want you to know about

The close of the first Punic war (264-241 BCE), though a Roman victory, was in fact a stalemate so stale you could eat it with some farva beans and a nice Chianti. It was just a matter of time for this guy to show up on the scene:

(Barca savoring the Italian wines over the 15 years he occupied the joint)

I mean this guy to show up on the scene:

(Hannibal brought 38 elephants to rampage along with him in Rome on his hunt for Clarice)

We all know the harrowing stories of the Carthagenians crossing the Alps, Cannae and later Scipio Africanus. So, I'll save those stories for another coin.
This thread is about BIG Romans

(Not that type of ((shudders)) big Roman)

With an on rushing Carthagenian genius putting the pressure on, the method of Roman coinage production changed from being cast, where molten metal is poured into moulds, to being struck.


My new coin (feels weird calling it that) is one such coin. The second Punic war started in 218 BCE and the last issue of this coin type was 217. Just one year after the Carthage empire struck back:

(Darth Vader is so clearly Hannibal in disguise)

I have older Roman coins:

Anonymous. Circa 260 BC
Æ (22mm, 7.25 g, 4h). Mint in southern Italy. Female head right, with ribbon in hair / Lion right, holding broken spear in jaws; ROMANO in exergue. Crawford 16/1a; BdC 19; Sydenham 5; RBW 10; HN Italy 276. nearly very fine

I have prettier Republican coins:

L.Valerius,Flacci
Denarius 108 or 107, AR 3.97 g. Draped bust of Victory r.; below chin, Ú. Rev. L•VALERI / FLACCI Mars walking l., holding spear and trophy over l. shoulder; before, apex and behind, corn ear. BabelonValeria 11. Sydenham 565. Crawford 306/1.

But, without further woopitywoo, please enjoy all the massive historical importance, big time colorful patination (so brilliant in the sun!) of my largest coin (by a lot):


ROMAN REPUBLIC. Anonymous. AE Aes Grave Triens (92.37 gms), Rome Mint, ca. 225-217 B.C. VERY FINE.
Cr-35/3a; TV-53. Obverse: Helmeted head of Minerva left; four pellets (mark of value) below; all set upon raised disk; Reverse: Prow right; four pellets (mark of value) below; all set upon raised disk. A pleasing specimen despite its crudeness, with charming green surfaces. A test cut across Minerva's face is noted for completeness.
Ex Stacks & Bowers

The triens (plural trientes) was a Roman Republican coin valued at one-third of an, as (4 uncia).

Please share your heavy duty coins with massive historical impact, Graves, triens, RRs, largest coins and anything else that encircles your army.

 

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Ryro's coin of course, is a CAST Aes Grave Triens. To continue his story, within a year or so of Hannibal's invasion, circa 217 BCE, the Romans were forced to reduce the weight standard of their bronze coinage by half. The cost of defense and the war's impact on flow of materials were to blame for this "semilibral reduction" under which the As weighed half a Roman pound. The weight reduction made striking of lower denomination bronze coins more practical. The following Triens was STRUCK, not cast, during this semilibral reduction period:



Rome. The Republic.
Semilibral Reduction, 217-215 BCE
Æ Triens (54 grams; 37 mm).
Uncertain Italian Mint.

Obverse: Head of Juno (?) right, wearing double-crested diadem, her hair tied in three ringlets down neck; scepter or sword over left shoulder; ●●●● (mark of value) behind.

Reverse: Hercules, naked but for lion skin, grasping centaur by hair and preparing to strike him with club; ●●●● (mark of value) before; ROMA in exergue.

References: Crawford 39/1; Sydenham 93 (R6); BMCRR (Romano-Campanian) 113-115.

Provenance: Ex Munzen und Medaillen 47 (1972), Lot 74.

 

NICE, @Ryro ! Welcome to this cool part of Republican Rome collecting!

I have a Triens to toss in... >THUD<



RR Aes Grave Anon 280-276 BCE Triens 46mm 90.3g 9.3mm thick Tbolt-Dolphin Rome Crawford 14-3 T Vecchi 3

 

Like @Carausius laid out, here is another STAMPED Triens...



Roman Republic
Anonymous, 211-206 BC
AE Triens
Obv: Head of Minerva r. in crested Corinthian helmet, 4 pellets above
Rx: prow of galley right, 4 pellets below, ROMA above
Ref: Crawford 56/4

 

Hannibal. Now there’s a character. He sure whipped the Bretti into producing some decent coinage too.

 

TRIENS

Lot 52-137. Anonymous. 157-156 B.C. AE triens. Rome mint. Very Rare. Ex RBW collection (not in previous sales); Elsen 37 (December 17 1994) lot 214.
Anonymous. 157-156 B.C. AE triens (21.7 mm, 6.72 g, 1 h). Rome mint. Helmeted head of Minerva right; four pellets above / ROMA, prow of galley right; four pellets below. Crawford 198B/3; Sydenham 302b. VF, cleaned. Very Rare.
Ex RBW collection (not in previous sales); Elsen 37 (December 17 1994) lot 214.
Very rare, only two specimens in Paris.

 

I’ve nothing to contribute, but congrats on scoring that awesome Triens. Who doesn’t like em hefty!

 

10,000 Years ago, 2,000 Years Ago, or 10,000 Years hence... It is the same...

 

Goodness gracious @Carausius! That is one of the SaWeetest AE RRs I have ever seen. And thanks for continuing the story (sorry if I wasn't clear that mine was Cast vs struck, I added the images so folks could see the what came next). That reverse image is hilarious! Herakles looking like bobby


Poor centaur. Is that from a myth that I am not aware of? Must be I suppose.

 

Yes, the mythical story is that the centaur graciously offered to help Hercules' wife across a river. Centaur proceeded to rape Herc's wife on the other side. Hercules didn't like that and proceeded to pummel the Centaur once he caught him.

I think the type selection is an allegorical reference to what Rome was going to do to Carthage for "raping" the Italian countryside. The position of the Centaur is not unlike the horse with turned head seen on some Carthaginian coins; and the obverse, with the goddess's inexplicably-odd headgear seems like a misinterpretation of the head of Tanit seen on Carthaginian coins (which itself is a stylized copy of Demeter as seen on Sicilian coins). The side-crest looks similar to the stylized wheat ears on the numismatic representations of Tanit/Demeter.

 

That is cool to know!

 

Holy dog, @Alegandron! I guess I never realized what a sweet collection of RR bronzes you have. Though I think @rrdenarius takes the Cake for most cast Republican Coinage for the forum. I seem to remember you also having a knockout Knucklebone as well as that opulent red dolphin!

 

I have a few cast coins and pieces. One of my favorite sub-groups includes shells and knucklebones. The coin is a biunex (2 out of 10 for a full weight coin vs the normal 12 uncia per As)