Hi all! I saw this coin in an eBay lot that I am planning on buying, and was wondering what it is. To me, it looks like a republican quinarius, with a capricorn (?) reverse, but this is not an area that I specialise in (I am hoping to buy the lot for just one of the coins in it). I don't think it's gold (I think that's just the light) Any ideas? I am just wondering if I should adjust my max bid if it is anything special. Thanks!
I'm not an expert in this field, and I haven't found an exact match, but I'm pretty sure that it's a Roman Provincial from Cyzicus, with the name of the city on the reverse split in half and the Z rendered as エ; this type seems similar, but without a legend on the obverse: https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/801
@Claudius_Gothicus has identified it properly. It's made of a brass-like copper alloy known as orichalcum and it has been stripped down to the bare metal in the course of (over)cleaning it. I hope you didn't bid on it thinking it was made of gold. The capricorn was a common design feature on Roman provincial coins from Mysia. Here's an example from my collection: Cornelia Supera, wife of Aemelian, Augusta, 253 CE. Roman provincial Æ 20.5mm, 3.78 g, 7 h. Mysia, Parium, AD 253. Obv: G CORN SUPERA, diademed and draped bust right. Rev: C. G. I. H. P., Capricorn right, cornucopiae on back; globe between legs (Sear describes as a star, but this appears to be a globe). Refs: SGI 4408 (var.); SNG Von Aulock 7448.
