The quinarius denomination

There is a book on the Roman coins of the quinarius denomination
"Roman Quinarii From the Republic to Diocletian and the Tetrarchy" by Cathy King. It is thick at 436 pages with 37 plates of life-sized coins plus 17 plates of enlargements.
It has everything, including hoards, weight standards, the role in circulation, each for each time period, plus a complete list of types.
She gives a table of finds with location of the find, the number of coins in the find, and the number of quinarii. Archaeological site after site with at least one quinarius usually has just one, even if it is 80 or 200 or 1000 coins in total . She lists maybe 200 recorded sites with at least one Republican quinarius and the great majority have only one and most of the exceptions have only two quinarii.
Nevertheless, some Republican quinarii are deemed very common in Crawford. That is because hoards sometimes have big numbers. King discusses some big hoards (Cosa, etc.) and one had 446 specimens of the C. Egnatuleius type Alegandron posted, another had 87, etc.:

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/alegandron-had-a-slam-dance.268286/

Here is my example of the same type:


15 mm. 1.85 grams. Sear 213. Crawford 333/1 (97 BC). King 36, page 255.

 

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Interesting coin and interesting information. Sounds like a book I might like to peruse.

 

I have two quinarii in my collection. The first is a coin that is so ratty that even though it's cool, it will probably be sold soon:

Extremely worn quinarius of Octavian/Augustus. Virtually orn flat on the reverse. Bought uncleaned, heavily crystallized and covered in ugly grime from a metal detectorist for ~$25

The second one I am currently waiting on. Unfortunately the tracking hasn't updated in a week and so far USPS has been unable to locate it, but I've raised a bit of a stink and I am supposed to receive a call from a district manager tomorrow regarding the status of the package containing this coin and 3 others, so fingers crossed:

Roman Republic AR quinarius(16.3 mm, 1.94 g, 11 h). Anonymous. 211-210 B.C. Southeast Italian mint. Helmeted head of Roma right, V behind / ROMA, the Dioscuri riding right, each holds a spear; H below. Crawford 85/1a; Sydenham 174; RSC 33b. Ex. RBW

 

Thank you @Valentinian. I am starting to expand my collection of Quinarii and Sestertii in the Republican Era... The book sounds very interesting. I posted my Quinarii in that very thread, and am committed to finding more.

 

Here is (a poor example of), one of mine. Allectus London RIC V Pt2 55.

 

M. PORCIUS CATO; GENS PORCIA
AR Quinarius
OBVERSE: M • CATO • PRO • PR, wreathed head of Liber right
REVERSE: Victory seated right, holding palm branch over her left shoulder and patera in her right hand, VICTRIX in ex
Utica, Africa 47-46 BC
1.4 g, 13 mm
Cr462/2, Porcia 11


AUGUSTUS
AR Quinarius
OBVERSE: IMP VII CAESAR - Bare head right
REVERSE: ASIA RECEPTA - Victory standing left on cippus, holding wreath and palm, snake on either side
Uncertain Italian Mint 29-27 BC
1.7g, 13mm
RIC 276, S 1568

 

Hey Topcat => we're coin bros!! ... yah, I absolutely love our coin-type!! (congrats)

Allectus. Romano-British Emperor, AE Quinarius
“C” mint
AD 293-296
Diameter: 19 mm
Weight: 2.72 grams
Obverse: Radiate and cuirassed bust right
Reverse: Galley left, with mast; waves below; QC
Reference: RIC V 124; Rogiet 1027; Burnett, Coinage 1027

 

WOW!!! Steve, That is fantastic.
Looking at my coin, it reminds me, of me.
"You too can look like this after a few years of 'hard' living."

 

Topcat => some things stay popular no matter how old they get!!

 

I'll pay that one!

 

I've got the Cathy King book which is a great resource, even though it's a bit expensive on purchase

Q

 

Thanks for alerting us to the existence of this book, which I will add to my long, and growing, reading list!

 

@Bing = Oh! You reminded me. I have a couple of Quinarii from the Cato family, too. I haven't attributed them, so if anyone wants to have a go, please, be my guest.

 

Here is another one.

 

I just found another.

 

I have had a go at attributing these, and I think . . . . . . .

Coin # 1.
M.Portius Cato, 89 B.C. AR Quinarius
Obv: Head of Libertus right, crowned with ivy wreath. M.CATO E behind.
Rev: Victory seated right, holding palm frond. VICTRIX in exergue
Syd.597b., Cr.343/2b

Coin # 2.
Lentulus Clodianus, 88 B.C. AR Quinarius
Obv: Laureate head of Jupiter right,
Rev: Victory crowning trophy
Syd.703., Cr.345/2

Coin # 3.
M.Portius Cato, 47-46 B.C. AR Quinarius Africa
Obv: Head of Libertas right, wearing ivy wreath, below M.CATO.PRO.PR
Rev: Victory seated right, holding palm frond. VICTRIX in exergue
Mint: Utica
Syd.1054a., Cr.462/2

Does anyone agree/disagree?

 

Topcat7, I just looked at the 1st coin on the list, but I agree with your attribution. You caught the control mark under the head of Liber which makes this 343/2b, nice catch! Here is my Cato quinarius without the control mark, 343/2a

AR quinarius 2.16gm - 14 mm

 

A great example. Here is my only one.

 

Thanks Warren, I FINALLY found a copy!


(Yeah, and those are Blue's hairs on the book... she approves...)

 

I have been searching for this book for a long time, and still haven't found it online. If by chance any of our community has encountered it for sale, or have finished with it and would like to sell it (fat chance) I would appreciate your private message.