Tools of the Trade

I won this Roman Republic Denarius on a CNG auction recently. It's not in the best of condition, but I wanted to add it to my collection just because the reverse depicts the tools used in making coins.

T Carisius AR Denarius
OBV: Head of Juno Moneta right, slight drapery
REV: Implements for coining money: anvil die with garlanded punch die above; tongs and hammer on either side; all within wreath
Struck at Rome, 46 BC
19mm, 3.49 g
Crawford 464/2


This particular type refers directly to the office of moneyer: the obverse alludes to the location of the mint, which was adjacent to the temple of Juno Moneta, and the reverse depicts the implements used by the mint workers to create the coins. This issue was struck to meet the extreme demands for coinage to pay the veterans of Caesar's quadruple triumph.

I also found this interesting discussion about the obverse of this coin:

Not much on the GEN CARISIA

 

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Rough or not its a cool addition.

 

Are these usually on poor metal (like mine below as well) or is it just such a popular type that dealers like CNG will sell a poor one of these while they would not handle a less high demand type in similar condition?

 

Good question Doug. But in looking around on the internet, I found some very nice examples of this coin. Of course, the price was "very nice" as well.

 

Cool lookin' coins, fellas ...

 

Hmmm, I'm kinda feelin' down today, so I thought I'd give us all a boost and post my favourite avatar ... there is just something special about this one that always makes me feel good ...

=> cheers brothers ... I'm gonna sign-off for a while (have a great night!!)

 

cool reverse indeed!

 

Awesome Coin!

I can't correctly comment on the goddess until I have the legends...

 

jw, great info, tools of the trade on a coin, it must of made there day...:thumb:

 

So I'm assuming the rectangle at the bottom is an anvil which would hold the reverse die, and the blob over it is the obverse die holder. The object on the left is obviously a pair of tongs for holding the hot flan. Is the object on the right a striking hammer?

 

yes.

 

What troubles me about the image is the domed top of the reverse die. I assume the hammer is shown proportionally smaller than in life but the technical advantage of the domed top escapes me.

 

Then you'd have a better chance of hittin' the "sweet-spot" if the target is domed ... otherwise, you'd have to make sure that you hit the target flat and dead-on => but with the domed hit-target, you would merely have to come "close" and the force would be dispersed more evenly (ummm, that's my "guess")

 

I read somewhere while researching this coin, that the domed top was representing the cap of Vulcan. Don't know for sure, but Steve's explanation sounds good too.

 

It would make sense to have Vulcan overseeing the process of minting.

 

Vulcan makes sense...

Minting and forging are similar...



Also, can you post the legends?!?

 

Obverse only reads

behind bust and the reverse only reads

 

Huh, you guys are ridiculous ... why would you ever question an engineer? (has an engineer ever made a mistake?!!)

... oh, never-mind?

 

I know you are kidding, right?

 

I would record the bust as Moneta, not as Juno Moneta (one of her earlier titles)...


IMHO, It's too late for Juno Moneta...

This is after Moneta had become a minor goddess in her own right.