This type has been high on my wishlist for quite some time, slowly inching its way up each time members like @maridvnvm posted their excellent examples and now I've finally picked up the first of what I'm sure will be at least a handful of the type for my own collection. This moneyer's denarii used an interesting control-mark scheme where each obverse and reverse die had a unique symbol and were apparently made in pairs as the symbols generally relate to each other and there was no mixing of dies - each obverse die was used with one and only one reverse die and vice-versa. BMC RR Rome calls the symbol on the obverse of this coin a mace and the one on the reverse a club with a strap, and while I'm not yet convinced of the mace on the obverse, the reverse symbol makes sense. Even on die matched coins with a clearer obverse symbol it doesn't quite look like any mace I've ever seen but maybe someone here knows more about Roman maces. Roman republic, AR Serrate Denarius(4.10g) L Papius, moneyer. 79 BC, Rome mint. Head of Juno Sospita right; behind, mace. Bead-and-reel border / Gryphon leaping right; below, club with strap; in exergue, L PAPI. Bead-and-reel border. Crawford 384/1(symbols 73); BMCRR Rome 2977; Sydenham 773; RSC Papia 1. By the way, for anyone wondering what the control-marks were used for, this paper by Richard Witschonke discusses some of the theories around them. Please share any relevant coins!
my first thought on obverse control mark was toilet brush! well, that coin sure isn't a crapper....looks great, super toning...WIN.
That's a superb coin, congrats! I love the style... look at that gryphon! My example from the series, certainly one of my favorite pickups this year. ROMAN REPUBLIC L. Papius AR Serrate Denarius. 3.92g, 18.8mm. Rome mint, 79 BC. Crawford 384/1, pl. LXVII, symbols 122; Sydenham 773. O: Head of Juno Sospita right; behind, coiled snake. R: Gryphon leaping right; below, fox (or dog or crocodile); L PAPI in exergue. Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection
@red_spork I almost bought that very same coin. It was at Civitas Galleries, and I went as far as adding it to my cart when I happened to glance over to the aquarium. I noticed I had a fish emergency (my fish were dying) which necessitated me to get up and run to the pet store and spend $200 in new filter unit, bacteria additives, water testing kits, amonia removers, etc....my fish almost died due to an ammonia spike, but I managed to save them all. By the time I was done spending that money, and with the Parthian I had also purchased earlier, I was done. I got back in my computer and took the coin off the cart. I couldn't justify spending the money on that coin after all that, so I left it for you or whomever else got to it. Still, no regrets. I'm glad I spent $200 to save $120 worth of fish, even if it means one less cool coin. I don't think my son would have forgiven me if I hadn't.
I never considered a toilet brush but here was my first thought after reading the dealer's description of them being "uncertain symbols":
I think you made the right choice too and not just because it allowed me to get a cool coin. My pets always come first as well even if it means missing an auction I've been looking forward to or a coin I really want.
That's a beautiful example. I really like the creature control-mark on the reverse, whatever it actually was meant to be.
Oh, I was in a rush earlier and forgot to add - thanks for the link to the paper about control marks. Looks like it'll be an interesting read.
Sweet!! ... Wow redspork, that's an awesome new OP-addition (congrats) Oh and Z-Bro, that's certainly a cool L-Pap example you have there, eh? Wish I had one of those ... oh, wait a sec => I do Z-Bro, whatever you do, don't let Martin see your coin (the poor dude can't seem to find an example for himself) => all he has is 100 other examples!! Congrats again, redspork ... great OP score!!
Bad news. One died today. Even though things have stabilized in the aquarium ecosystem, I guess the stress he suffered was too much and he didn't fully recover. I'm so sad.
Lawyer => I am about to watch Finding Dory ... I will shed a tear for your fish I have owned several tanks during my life (brace yourself for more grief)
Wonderful posts guys!!! I absolutely LOVE those coins.... their devices and controls!!! Huge congrats @red_spork , @zumbly AND @stevex6 !!!!! Inexplicably, I'm still missing any examples from that moneyer Are you paying attention 'Secret Santa'???
