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<p>[QUOTE="red_spork, post: 4207970, member: 74282"]There are multiple Second Punic War-era Roman Republic types with the spearhead as a mintmark. Current thinking among most specialists is that this mintmark was used multiple times at different mints, and I suspect these three coins came from different mints or at least different times separated by a few months or years if the same mint. Why did the Romans reuse this symbol so much within a short time period? I can't be sure but I suspect this symbol was used by a specific commander or army in the field at multiple mints as the army moved, hence the variety of styles and denominations.</p><p><br /></p><p>Crawford places all the spearhead quinarii in Apulia but I follow McCabe and believe most should be attributed to Sardinia given their stylistic similarities with Sardinian quinarius issues. This coin has an undeniable Spearhead symbol but the style is completely unlike the majority of spearhead quinarii you will find, and reminiscent of Roberto Russo's 88A spearhead symbol uncia, generally attributed to Apulia, so I also attribute this coin to Apulia.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1078788[/ATTACH] </p><p>Roman Republic AR quinarius(1.62g, 15mm, 5h). Anonymous(Spearhead series), after 212 BC, Apulian(?) mint. Helmeted head of Roma right, V behind / The Dioscuri riding right; below, ROMA and Spearhead. Crawford 83/3 var(style)</p><p><br /></p><p>Ex Pegasi Spartan sale S77, 1/16/2018, lot 185, ex Naville Numismatics Auction 1, 6/15/2013, lot 62, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Auction R, 5/16/2007, lot 1263, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Auction M, 3/20/2002, lot 2422</p><p><br /></p><p>This victoriatus is attributed by Crawford to Apulia, which I agree with but the elongated spearhead is unlike for instance the quinarius above with its squat spearhead. In fact, the elongated spearhead occurs on no other spearhead issues. I suspect whenever and wherever this spearhead victoriatus was minted, it was the only silver of the issue:</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1078789[/ATTACH] </p><p>Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(17mm, 3.08g, 12h). Anonymous. ca. 211-210 B.C. Southeast Italian mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy; upright spearhead between. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 83/1a; Sydenham 223; Ruso RBW 336; RSC 24m.</p><p><br /></p><p>Ex RBW Collection, purchased from Spink, September 1986.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This sextans is from the Sardinian spearhead issue, a relationship first pointed out by McCabe. Its style is a match for the Sardinian praetor issues and there is likewise a silver quinarius that matches the quinarii of those issues. I the 83/2 spearhead Denarius also belongs to this issue.</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1078791[/ATTACH] </p><p>Roman Republic Æ Sextans(7.45g, 19mm, 7h). Anonymous, Spearhead series, circa 212-207 B.C., Sardinian mint. Head of Mercury right; above, two pellets / Prow right; above, ROMA; before, spearhead; below, two pellets. Russo, Essays Hersh, 52(same reverse die), Cf. Crawford 88/7. Cf. McCabe "The Roman Struck Bronze Coinage of Apulia in the Second Punic War", INC Taormina 2015, for attribution to Sardinia.</p><p>Privately purchased from M. Ringsrud(MA-Shops Denarius), 1/11/2019[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="red_spork, post: 4207970, member: 74282"]There are multiple Second Punic War-era Roman Republic types with the spearhead as a mintmark. Current thinking among most specialists is that this mintmark was used multiple times at different mints, and I suspect these three coins came from different mints or at least different times separated by a few months or years if the same mint. Why did the Romans reuse this symbol so much within a short time period? I can't be sure but I suspect this symbol was used by a specific commander or army in the field at multiple mints as the army moved, hence the variety of styles and denominations. Crawford places all the spearhead quinarii in Apulia but I follow McCabe and believe most should be attributed to Sardinia given their stylistic similarities with Sardinian quinarius issues. This coin has an undeniable Spearhead symbol but the style is completely unlike the majority of spearhead quinarii you will find, and reminiscent of Roberto Russo's 88A spearhead symbol uncia, generally attributed to Apulia, so I also attribute this coin to Apulia. [ATTACH=full]1078788[/ATTACH] Roman Republic AR quinarius(1.62g, 15mm, 5h). Anonymous(Spearhead series), after 212 BC, Apulian(?) mint. Helmeted head of Roma right, V behind / The Dioscuri riding right; below, ROMA and Spearhead. Crawford 83/3 var(style) Ex Pegasi Spartan sale S77, 1/16/2018, lot 185, ex Naville Numismatics Auction 1, 6/15/2013, lot 62, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Auction R, 5/16/2007, lot 1263, ex Numismatica Ars Classica Auction M, 3/20/2002, lot 2422 This victoriatus is attributed by Crawford to Apulia, which I agree with but the elongated spearhead is unlike for instance the quinarius above with its squat spearhead. In fact, the elongated spearhead occurs on no other spearhead issues. I suspect whenever and wherever this spearhead victoriatus was minted, it was the only silver of the issue: [ATTACH=full]1078789[/ATTACH] Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(17mm, 3.08g, 12h). Anonymous. ca. 211-210 B.C. Southeast Italian mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy; upright spearhead between. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 83/1a; Sydenham 223; Ruso RBW 336; RSC 24m. Ex RBW Collection, purchased from Spink, September 1986. This sextans is from the Sardinian spearhead issue, a relationship first pointed out by McCabe. Its style is a match for the Sardinian praetor issues and there is likewise a silver quinarius that matches the quinarii of those issues. I the 83/2 spearhead Denarius also belongs to this issue. [ATTACH=full]1078791[/ATTACH] Roman Republic Æ Sextans(7.45g, 19mm, 7h). Anonymous, Spearhead series, circa 212-207 B.C., Sardinian mint. Head of Mercury right; above, two pellets / Prow right; above, ROMA; before, spearhead; below, two pellets. Russo, Essays Hersh, 52(same reverse die), Cf. Crawford 88/7. Cf. McCabe "The Roman Struck Bronze Coinage of Apulia in the Second Punic War", INC Taormina 2015, for attribution to Sardinia. Privately purchased from M. Ringsrud(MA-Shops Denarius), 1/11/2019[/QUOTE]
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