After rummaging through the boxes last night, and giving up, I was able to locate my other cast Roman Republic coin, a quadrans from 280-276 BC. I did have a Janus head cast aes, but I think I sold it back in 1992 when I was raising funds to make the down payment on our house. This coin, as with the cast aes grave that I posted yesterday, came by way of Harlan J Berk, in the late 1990s. It appears that a group of these coins hit the market around 1996-97, so I decided to buy one at $600, a lot of money to spend on a coin at that time since I was just newly hired following over two years of unemployment, but I think it was a good expenditure. Anonymous Aes Grave Rome, 280-276 BC Quadrans, 76.72 grams Cr-14/4, Syd-11, TV-4 Haeberlin pl. 40, 1 Obv. Exended right hand, three dots to the left. Rev. Two barley grains, between them three dots Ex Triton I, 12/97, 756 This example measures approximately 43 mm, and is approximately 5 mm thick.
Interesting thick coin, @robinjojo. Being unfamiliar with these heavy bronze coins, I wonder if there is certain symbolic meaning with the hand design. First thing that comes up to my mind are those votive pottery ears and foot found in Roman temples. However, I don't think these are really related.
That is a really cool coin @robinjojo. I'm sure it is a really impressive piece in hand at 43mm and 76g. There is something attractive about large bronze coins, regardless the culture they come from.
I found this explanation of the open right hand online: "The open hand itself also carried meaning, as it represented the oath taken by soldiers declaring their unflagging loyalty to the Republic and upholding its ideals. In addition, the ancient Roman (pre-Christian) Manus Deior or Manus Domini, the Hand of God in Latin, also referred to a Dextera Dei or Dextera Domini, the Right Hand of God. It is very likely the Romans also considered an iconographic gesture of blessing symbol by the Gods, well before it became a Christian symbol. Unlike the open hand depicted in Christian art, the Roman Artist/Engraver had no trouble terminating the open hand just before the forearm. The open hand was a common icon, especially when viewed atop the Manus standard with legionary emblems providing the base or termination to visually conceal the appearance of an appendage as amputated." Here's a link to the source (the font is very small): http://ancientnomosart.org/exhibits/roman-republic-240-bc/
That is the Quadrans that I have on my target list. Nice! Thanks for posting @robinjojo Here are a few other of my Aes Grave: We are Number ONE! RR Aes Grave Uncia 269-266 BCE 10.1g Astragalus knuckle-bone - knuckle-bone Thurlow- Vecchi 21 Craw 21-6 Rare Luceria AES Grave Anonymous 217-215 BCE Uncia 7.35g Frog-Corn Ear pellet retrograde L T-V 285 Etruria or Umbria Aes Grave 3rd C BCE Sextans 23mm 25.15g Club-2 Dots HN 54 Vecchi-Th 172
Hah, nice! Thank you for the explanation of the open hand. I just watched an Octavian denarius sold with the same symbol. Ironically.
