Anonymous Didrachm / Quadrigatus

Although I rarely add coins from the Republic, this one caught my attention and I'm very glad it ended up in my collection. It really is a beautiful work of art. I hope you enjoy it.



Anonymous Didrachm / Quadrigatus
Anonymous. Silver Didrachm (6.80g, 22.5mm), ca. 225-214 BC. Uncertain mint.

O: Laureate head of Janus (Dioscuri?), two annulets atop head.
R: ROMA incuse on solid tablet in exergue, Jupiter, hurling thunderbolt and holding scepter, in galloping quadriga right driven by Victory.

- ex Dr. Busso Peus Nachf. Described by auction house as Crawford 29/3 Sydenham 65

David Vagi gave a nice write up of this type -"Silver Quadrigatus Roman coinage was fortified during the Second Punic War. In addition to gold coins, the Romans issued copper and silver coins, sometimes in enormous quantities. The principal silver coin of the war was a reduced-weight didrachm called a "quadrigatus" after its reverse design, a four-horse chariot (quadriga) bearing Victory and Jupiter. There are many varieties of quadrigati, as revealed by differences in die engraving, metal purity and production standards, not to mention subtle variations of the main design. This suggests that several mints issued quadrigati at different times, and under quite different circumstances. The double-head on the obverse usually is described as the god Janus because of its distinctive form, but the faces are of young men, and it more likely represents the Dioscuri, the gods Castor and Pollux, who were credited with saving Rome at the Battle of Lake Regillus nearly three centuries before."

 

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Beautiful, Nemo. The details on the reverse are pretty stunning. I love that incise ROMA.

 

Awesome detail!

 

That is a gorgeous example of the type, congratulations!!

 

Wow, that's awesome => I love the face-details on Jupiter and Victory!!

Yup, I am very jealous of that cool addition (congrats)

 

What more cane be said? It is beautiful.

 

beau T ful! the quadriga is fantastic, i really like the incuse roma as well.

 

That's awesome, its on my i want list!!

 

I'm with Steve on this one. Great faces!

 

I love it in the first second my eyes hit it.

Thank you for posting.

Best regards,

Eric

 

Thanks for the kind words everyone. It's amazing to have a coin that was likely lost by a soldier defeated at the hands the great Hannibal of Carthage. (Or the feet of his elephants?)
I do love the details, including the clear evidence that stallions are driving this quadriga, not mares.
I'm glad the obverse is off center as well, it allowed my budget to stretch far enough to get this one!

 

Funny you say that. The obverse is so slightly off-center that I didn't even think of it as being off-center.

 

That's stupendous : exactly the kind of style, patina and preservation I would like for myself when I will be able to get one

Fantastic example

Q

 

Thanks Q.

Yeah John, I can certainly live with it!

 

I don't have the references nor the experience to confirm or deny the references of
Crawford 29/3 Sydenham 65. Does anyone have the experience to confirm or correct the auction house description?

Thanks in advance

 

I don't know if Crawford can be found online, but you can search Andrew McCabe's coins by Crawford number as well as coins of the British Museum and compare your coin. Scroll down this page on his website for the search boxes:

http://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/

 

Crawford 29/3 looks correct.

 

Thanks Bing.

 

Thanks for the resources TIF

 

A wonderful coin for its beautiful obverse style and well-executed reverse. I can understand why you've added it to your collection!