Featured Ancient Fantasy Coin from the RBW Collection

I don't usually purchase fake ancient coins, at least not intentionally, but as a collector of Roman Republican coins I found this one attractive.


This Italian "medalet", 20mm, 11h, 3.7g, by an unknown artist is from the 18th to early 19th century, apparently issued for the Grand Tour trade. Although it reads "P. LEPIDVS" on the obverse, the portrait looks a lot like Mark Antony. The initial image of this post is from Babelon illustrating a denarius of Antony in 31 BC. The reverse draws from one of my favorite Roman republican denarii of L. Aemilius Paullus from 63-62 BC.


L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, 62 BC, AR Denarius, Rome mint
Obv: Veiled and diademed head of Concordia right
Rev: Trophy; to left, three captives (King Perseus of Macedon and his two sons) standing right; to right, Paullus standing left
Ref: Crawford 415/1; Sydenham 926; Aemilia 10

The Provenance of this medalet was also appealing: ex CNG 428 Lot 665 ex Rick B. Witschonke "RBW" collection. The collector was Rick Witschonke (1945–2015), whose collection of 1,860 coins was auctioned off in three sales:
- Triton III Sale, December 1999 the majority of the RBW Republican gold coins were offered in lots 808 to 851
- Numismatica Ars Classica Sale 61, October 2011
- Numismatica Ars Classica Sale 63, May 2012

In the introduction to the NAC 61 sale, RBW describes his first experience with Roman republican coins:

"At the tender age of ten, I first discovered an interest in collecting coins (I am convinced that the propensity to collect is a genetically inherited condition). After a few years of dabbling with Whitman “penny boards”, US type coins, and foreign crowns, I bought my first Roman Republican denarius in a Lu Riggs auction in 1960, and was amazed that a coin of such antiquity, beauty, and historical interest could be purchased for such a modest price."​

The full RBW collection was published in 2013:

R. Russo, The RBW Collection of Roman Republican Coins, with the collaboration of A. De Falco; with historical notes by D. Vagi; edited by A. McCabe, A. Russo, G. Russo and C. Hallgarth. Zürich and London: Numismatica Ars Classica, 2013. Pp. xxvii+407, illus. ISBN 9788877948359
​

As always corrections, additions, and comments are appreciated. Post your coins from the RBW collection, fantasy coins, or anything else you find interesting or entertaining.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Very interesting Grand Tour piece! Excellent Paullus as well... that was a type on my want list for some time, and I finally managed to acquire one I liked late last year. I was mostly attracted to the style and detail on the reverse, but a bonus was the rare PAVLLS legend variant/error that was went overlooked by the auction cataloger.


ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius. 3.96g, 18.9mm. Rome mint, 62 BC. L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, moneyer. Crawford 415/1. O: PAVLLS (sic) LEPIDVS CONCORDIA, diademed and veiled bust of Concordia right. R: TER / PAVLLVS, Trophy; to right, L. Aemilius Paullus in toga standing left; to left, three captives (King Perseus of Macedon and his two sons).
Notes: Rare variant, with Paullus’s name on the obverse spelled PAVLLS instead of PAVLLVS. Crawford notes this error on only 1 obverse die out of 240 he recorded for the issue. The reverse die is notable for the unusually detailed rendering of the type's scene, with even the ties of the bindings around Perseus's wrists clearly visible.

Here's an ex RBW that was unsold in NAC 63. I picked it up in a CNG sale a few years later.

ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius. 3.75g, 18.3mm, Rome mint, 89 BC. Crawford 344/2c; Sydenham 699a; RBW 1302 (this coin); Tituria 5. O: SABIN behind, head of King Tatius right, A PV before; palm frond below chin. R: L TITVRI, Tarpeia buried to her waist in shields, fending off two soldiers about to throw their shields on her; star-in-crescent above.
Ex RBW Collection (unsold in Numismatica Ars Classica 63, 17 May 2012, lot 78), purchased from CNG, April 1994

 

This one is a tad embarrassing. I bought it from a local dealer as a "denarius." I knew enough about ancients that I really doubted that, but I thought it might be a provincial something-or-other - how cool to have Julia Domna and Geta on one coin. So I thought, knowing absolutely nothing about provincial Roman coins, as I unlimbered my wallet.

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/ju...ded-bronze-identification-help-please.292057/

Note my wild speculation and general ignorance in the original post...

And so in one of my first CT posts, I revealed my ignorance. Everybody let me down gently. Looking it over, however, I am surprised Doug did not respond - I bet he doesn't have one of these!



It is very thick:


Julia Domna and Geta
Æ Fakey Weird Non-Ancient Thing
c. 1975 A.D.
Draped bust of Julia Domna right JVLIA PIA FELIX AVG / Draped childhood bust of Geta right P SEPT GETA CAES PONT
(8 grams / 19mm. dia, 3mm thick)

 

A large group of Rick's medals, tokens and plaquettes relating to Roman Republican history, antiquity and numismatics was included in the special CNG eSale 364 (11 Nov 2015) Selections from the RBW Collection, for which a catalogue was ultimately published and sent to the winners of lots (I was a fortunate recipient).

 

I don't know what this thing is -- very modern "tourist" fake, 19th century "grand tour" souvenir, or what -- but I do know what it isn't: an actual bronze coin of Philip II from antiquity. It's not even cast from a genuine coin, I don't think. The "earthen" patina is fake. Anybody know what it is?


Fake Philip of Macedon bronze, 10.00 g, 26.3 mm, 11 h.

 

It’s a modern, and very recent tourist fake of Philip II.

 

Thanks for pointing this out. Although it is somewhat poorly presented on issuu - here's the catalog with links to the coins in CNG's archive.

Nice RBW and great catch on the PAVLLS!

Looks like a die match or at least similar style to this one.

 

I do not recall the post but it would depend on my mood at the time whether I posted or not. You realize that the coin is an impossible combination of a Domna from the Caracalla years and a young Geta from a decade earlier. maridvnvm posted everything that needed to be said.

 

Whatever it is, I can see why you unlimbered your wallet. It is an intriguing 8g mystery coin.

 

Wow, @Sulla80 , I like your L Aemilius Lepidus Pallus!

Here are mine:



RR Aemilius Lepidus Paullus 62 BCE Concordia Perseus Macedon captive Sear 366 Craw 415-1

 

One of my two coins from the RBW Collection. Ar Denarius "Bigati" 179-170 B.C.Obv Helmeted head of Roma. Rv Luna driving biga right below fly. Crawford 1592 RBW 694 This coin. 3.80 grams 18 mm Actually this coin is a bit unusual. It was part of the NAC 61 Auction Lot 689. However it did not sell. So I bought it as a remainder. Just a few hours after I had called Rick had given instructions that all of the remaindered coins were to be sent back to him. So this and one other that I had purchased at the time were the only remainders sold.

 

Thanks for sharing the fantastic coin and story!

 

Ex: RBW Collection:


Roman Republic
Anonymous. ca. 211-210 BCE
AR quinarius (16.34 mm, 2.14 g, 2 h).
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. Good VF, toned. Scarce.
Ex RBW Collection (not in previous sales);
Ex Claude Ansellem 12/86.

 

Ex: RBW Collection


Roman Republic
Anonymous
Æ Quadrans, 18mm, 3.6g, 6h;
Rome, 206-195 BC
Obv.: Head of Hercules right wearing lions skin, pellet behind.
Rev.: ROMA, Prow of galley right, three pellets below.
Reference: Crawford 339/4a; Sydenham679c
ex Ken Dorney,
ex RBW Collection with his envelope,
ex Jean Elsen 1994

 

Ex: RBW Collection


Roman Republic
AE Quincunx
Luceria mint, 210 BCE,
6.96g
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right "Pi" behind
Rev: The Dioscuri galloping right, five pellets below.
Ref: CR 99/4; Syd 309; S 912
Luceria mint,
Ex CNG 42, lot 760 (part of) 5/29/97,
Ex RBW collection with envelope
Comment: Rare denomination that was only made for a few years.

 

Ex: RBW Collection


Roman Republic,
c. 211-208 BCE,
AE Sextans 19.3mm, 6.71gObv: 2 pellets above Mercury head r.Rev: Corn ear above ROMA, 2 pellets above and below prow r.
Ref: Crawford 69/6a.Ex. RBW, purchased 15 years ago from Peus (Frankfurt) 355, 4/27/1998, 197, Includes envelope with RBW's notations.

 

That is handful of RBWs! the unusual AE Quincunx especially fun to see.

 

Ex: RBW Collection


Roman Republic
Anonymous. 214-212 BCE
AE Quadrans (28.1 mm, 19.28 g, 1 h).
Sicilian mint.
Head of Hercules right, wearing boar's-skin headdress; three pellets behind /
ROMA, bull charging right; grain ear and three pellets above, snake below.
Crawford 72/7; Sydenham 94. aVF, black patina, lightly porous.
Ex RBW collection (not in previous sales).

 

Ex: RBW Collection


Roman Republic
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.

 

Ex: RBW Collection


Roman Republic
Manlius Vulso
AE Sextans 210 BCE
Mercury
Prow Cr 64-6b
Ex: RBW Collection