"Marine Archaeologists Just Found Four 2,200-Year-Old Roman Battering Rams Used During The Punic War

https://allthatsinteresting.com/roman-battering-rams

This made my day!
These bad boys ended the first Punic war.

The battering rams weigh 450 pounds each and the blades are two feet long.

Here's a personal fav of mine from Rome during the second war featuring a large prow:

ROMAN REPUBLIC. Anonymous. AE Aes Grave Triens (92.37 gms), Rome Mint, ca. 225-217 B.C. VERY FINE.
Cr-35/3a; TV-53. Obverse: Helmeted head of Minerva left; four pellets (mark of value) below; all set upon raised disk; Reverse: Prow right; four pellets (mark of value) below; all set upon raised disk. A pleasing specimen despite its crudeness, with charming green surfaces. A test cut across Minerva's face is noted for completeness.
Ex Stacks & Bowers



Let's see those prows, rams, thoughts or just enjoy a fun read

 

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great write up, thanks Ryro

 

Very nice! The rams are well-represented on coins - here's one of an issue with the ram as symbol.

Obv.: X - Helmeted head of Roma right
Rev.: ROMA - The Dioscuri riding right, prow below, legend in linear frame below
Mint: Rome (ca 206-195 BC)
Wt./Size/Axis: 3.92g / 20mm / 4h
References:

• RSC 20x (Anon)
• Sydenham 244
• Crawford 114/1

Acquisition: Roma Numismatics Online Auction E-Sale 3 #399 30-Nov-2013



ATB,
Aidan.

 

If you can’t dodge it, ram it!

 

Absolutely incredible. When I was younger I lamented that in the 20th and 21st centuries, "everything to be discovered has been discovered." I thought there was no more of the magic of the 17th-19th centuries in terms of antiquities and archaeological discoveries.

I absolutely adore how incredible Roman artifacts can still be discovered in 2021.

 

That is a gobsmacking excellent representation of what we are now seeing being drug out of the Sea by the die engraver
Full speed ahead!

Anonymous. Ca. 217-212 BC. AE sextans (25. Mm 12.61 gm). VF. Rome, ca. 217-215 BC. Head of Mercury right, wearing petasus; two pellets above / ROMA, prow right; two pellets below. Crawford 38/5. Nearly VF
Ex: Savoca

 

Very cool @Ryro - thanks!

 

That's really cool, @Ryro!

I got one!


Anonymous, Second Punic War, 218-202 BC.
Roman Republican Æ as, 27.8 g, 31.1 mm, 1 h.
Uncertain mint south of Rome (Campania?).
Obv: Laureate head of bearded Janus, I above.
Rev: Prow of galley, right; I above, ROMA below.
Refs: Group D1, McCabe, Andrew. "The Anonymous Struck Bronze Coinage of the Roman Republic" in Essays in honour of Roberto Russo / ed. by Peter G. van Alfen and Richard B. Witschonke. - Zürich ; London : Numismatica Ars Classica NAC, 2013, pp. 141-144.

 

The obverse isn't much to look at, but I still enjoy this little gem and its ligature.

M. Aburius M.f. Geminus. (132 BC). Æ Quadrans. Rome mint.
Obverse: Head of Hercules right, wearing lion-skin headdress.
Reverse: M·ABVRI(Ligate) MF / GEM; Prow of galley right; ROMA below.
Crawford 250/2

 

Aes Grave c. 225 BCE , As, semes and triens, quadrans, and sextans with prow reverses.....

 

The rams in the OP post show three blades. So do these Republican denarii:



20 mm. 3.87 grams.
C. Fonteius, 114 or 113 BC.
Janus head/galley left
Crawford 290


19-18 mm. 3.89 grams.
Q. Lutatius Cerco, 109-108 BC.
Head of young Mars (Roma?) wearing crested Corinthian helmet
Galley right in wreath
Crawford 305/1.

Although the galleys are crude, care was taken to depict the rams with three blades.

 

Roman Ae As from a South Italian Mint after 211 BC, Obv Head of Janus Mark of value above. Rv prow right Mark of value above. Crawford 56/2 McCabe C3 As 2 This coin illustrated 42,53 grams 34 MM Photo by W. Hansen The reverse on this coin does show a ram with three blades though they are depicted as being rather small. It does not surprise me that by the time the Battle of the Aegates was fought that the Carthaginian rams were inferior to those of the Romans. Carthage had already lost a number of engagements at sea, and a number of sources do indicate that this Carthaginian fleet had been assembled in some haste.