This is without a doubt the smallest radiate coin I've ever seen. This is a barbarous imitation of either Tetricus 1 or 2, with Pax on the reverse. This is just 14mm, which is a small AE4 size. Can't imagine any situation where nominal value would have been "two denarii." Here it is on top of my largest radiate of Postumus.
Cool coin @hotwheelsearl I have a Radiate that is about 11mm RASENNA, Fufluna (Etruria, Populonia ) 2 ½ asses 3rd century BCE, AR 0.85 g. 11mm Radiate female head r.; behind, CII. Rev. Blank. EC 104 (misdescribed, Female head with an Attic helmet). Historia Numorum Italy 179. Of the highest rarity, apparently only the second specimen known. Dark patina and about very fine From the collection of E.E. Clain-Stefanelli. Ex: Numismatica Ars Classica NAC
I have something similar: Imitation Roman AE antoninianus 0.86 g, 13.2 mm Obv: Nonsensical inscription, radiate bust, right Rev: Nonsensical inscription, female figure standing left, holding uncertain object in right hand and cornucopiae and scepter in left hand.
That first Tetricus minimi would have been a great candidate for the ugliest Roman coin portrait ever thread!
It's a contender, but I have some real beasts. I have 400- 500 uofficial Siscian VLPP issues for Constantine I and some of them look like they were engraved by madmen or children. Here are a few --
I guess it was still worthwhile to strike forgeries of low value coins, suggesting that the small bronzes had a higher nominal than intrinsic value.
Here is an authentic government issue of Tetricus II - the reverse is almost barbaric in nature. Weighs in at 2.8 grams and 20 mm. GALLIC EMPIRE Tetricus II, A.D. 273-274 AE antoninianus, 20mm, 2.8 grams, 12h Cologne mint Obverse: C PIV ESV TETRICVS CAES Radiate, draped bust right Reverse: PRINC IV-VENT Tetricus II standing left holding branch and vertical sceptre Reference: RIC Vb 260, p. 423 ex: JAZ Numismatics
they have irregular flans, but average about 14mm in size from Wildwinds Alexander Jannaeus, 103-76 BCE, AE Prutah for comparison, I have some minimi that are half this size...around 7mm
As @Victor_Clark showed, Widow's Mites are a HUGE 14mm. Greek Tetartemorions and Hemitetartemorions can be small, as are the Fanams from India. Tetartemorion Iona Kolophon AR Tetartemorion 530-520 BCE Archaic Apollo Incuse Punch 0.15g 4.5mm- SNG Kayhan 343 Ionia AR Tetartemorion 4mm 0.13g 530-500 BCE Rosette - Incuse sq punch 5 pellets SNG von Aulock 1807 ASIA MINOR Uncertain mint AR Tetartemorion Lion - Incuse 5mm 0.13g CILICIA Uncertn Early-mid 4th C BCE AR Tetartemorion 5mm 0.17g Persian king running dagger and bow - Crowned hd Achaemenid king CNG E239 Troxell Kagan 4
The word appears in the King James and some other versions in Mark 12:42 and Luke 21:2. The Greek in both places is lepton (two lepta), and Mark adds that the two lepta make a Roman quadrans, which would be about equal to a Jewish prutah. Here is my lepton. Alexander Jannaeus, 103-76BC, Jerusalem mint, 10.5mm, .56 g. This is the same design as an Alexander Jannaeus prutah, but about half the size. These are thought to have been still widely circulated in Jesus' time.
I collected barbarous radiates for many years and I spent some time in England in the 1980s and 1990s where they were common at coin shows. (Maybe they still are, but I have not been back for a long time.) Baldwin's, when it was still owned by the Baldwin family, had boxes I went through. In the time period from 1988 to about 1991 I got them to agree to send me any hoards that came thorough. Not many did, and nothing large, but I bought hundreds of coins inexpensively. Over the years I did a lot of pruning and have many fewer than I used to, but some of the remaining ones are special. For example, this one is tie for my smallest--well-centered and only 6 mm. (They come smaller, but not so decipherable.) It has no legend, but is probably modeled on Tetricus I, 270-273. This one, at 10 mm, is small and sharp and also imitates Tetricus I: One barbarous radiate I really like is virtually full-sized: Tetricus II/SALVS AVGG 18 mm. 2.64 grams. Tetricus II has curly hair (which he doesn't on official issues). A search on "barbarous radiate" on vcoins found 65 items. Maybe some English member reading this can say what the situation at coin shows was like (when they were still being held) in the last year or two, but in 1988 and 1996 barbarous radiates were very numerous at shows, although the vast majority were not in pleasing condition. However, if you have the time to go through them one by one and pick you can find some very interesting coins.
6mm is about my smallest. This lot is from the Embankment Station Market back in the mid-1990's. The second pic is a 10mm version, but I picked it up simply because it was silvered, which seemed exceptional.
