A Terrific Tiny Titus

Sometime next week I'll put together my Top Ten coin list for 2016. I wanted to hold off until this tiny treasure arrived - it most definitely will make the list.



Titus
AR Quinarius, 1.58g
Rome mint, 79-80 AD
RIC 95 (R2), BMC 111, RSC 370b
Obv: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG P M; Head of Titus, laureate, bearded, l.
Rev: VICTORIA AVGVST; Victory std. l., with wreath and palm
Ex Naville 27, 27 November 2016, lot 494. Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection.

Quinarii of Titus are rare, those with left facing portraits exceedingly so. This is only the second specimen of this type with portrait left I've seen in trade. I can't explain the presence of the two 'banker's marks' on the reverse. They appear to have been patched up in antiquity from the same metal originally removed from the marks.

At any rate, the coin is darkly toned and in fine style. The provenance is quite interesting too.

Does anyone else have a coin from the Stefanelli Collection?

 

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Wow, you've been on an end-of-year spree, haven't you? As always, it is wonderful to witness your enthusiasm for all things Flavian. Congratulations on acquiring so many rarities this year!

I have a few and enjoy them for the coin and the interesting pedigree


Commemorative Series under Constantine I
330 CE; Æ 14.5 mm, 1.16 gm
Constantinople mint, 1st officina
Obv: POP ROMANVS; draped bust of Genius left, with cornucopia over shoulder
Rev: Milvian Bridge over Tiber River; CONS//A
Ref: RIC VIII 21; LRBC 1066; Vagi 3043
ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/celebrating-the-site-of-constantine-is-vision-and-victory.280747/


SYRIA, Laodicea ad Mare. Septimius Severus & Julia Domna
CE 193-211
Æ, 31 mm 18.8 gm
Obv: jugate draped busts right of Septimius Severus, radiate and cuirassed and Julia Domna, set on crescent; countermarks: 1) C(AΓ) within rectangular incuse; 2) COL within rectangular incuse
Rev: Marsyas standing left, right hand raised, holding wineskin over his left shoulder
Ref: SNG Righetti 2114; Howgego 581 and 586
Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection
Just a big ol' worn bronze, nothing that special-- I just liked it


Elvira E. Clain-Stefanelli (1914-2001) and her husband Dr. Vladimir Clain-Stefanelli (1914-1982)

Bio: http://numismatics.org/archives/ark:/53695/nnan0128

Edited to add another link for her bio, from a coin collector's blog.
https://garethharney.wordpress.com/...of-coin-provenance-and-the-clain-stefanellis/

I hadn't stumbled across this site before. The linked article is nice and well written so I will be exploring more of his posts .

 

Terrific coins TIF! Clain-Stefanelli certainly had an eye for appealing rare beauties.

Thanks for the bio link!

 

Nice! It has a toned look I really like. Over the course of the year, I've managed to pick up about a dozen coins from the Clain-Stefanelli Collection. This one made my Top 10 list.


MACEDONIA, Eion
Circa 460-400 BC
AR Trihemiobol. 0.83g, 12.4mm. MACEDONIA, Eion, circa 460-400 BC. SNG ANS 287-290. O: Goose standing right, head reverted; lizard above, H below. R: Incuse square.
Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection

Two others from this collection, not in the Top 10, but very high on my favorites list this year :


HADRIAN
AR Denarius. 2.98g, 19.1mm. Rome mint, AD 119-125. RIC 75a. O: IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, laureate bust right. R: P M TR P COS III, Oceanus reclining left on a dolphin, crab claw horns on his head, holding an anchor in his right hand.
Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection


ROMAN REPUBLIC
L. Papius
AR Serrate Denarius. 3.92g, 18.8mm. Rome mint, 79 BC. Crawford 384/1, pl. LXVII, symbols 122; Sydenham 773. O: Head of Juno Sospita right; behind, coiled snake. R: Gryphon leaping right; below, fox (or dog or crocodile); L PAPI in exergue.
Ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection

 

Nice ones, Z!!

I had intended to buy more Clain-Stefanelli coins from Naville but then they started auctioning a selection of ex Dattari collection coins . The Dattari coins sucked up my coin budget. No regrets

 

Z and TIF, did any of your coins come with a Clain-Stefanelli tag? My quinarius came with a round tag.

 

Awesome coins Z! Love the toning on those as well.

 

I think one of mine did. I'll see if I can dig it out later.

 

Wow David, congrats on scoring that OP-winner!

... oh, and amazing coins from Z & TIF as well (yummy, yummy)

Sadly, I don't have any examples from the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection

... oh, but I love her early stuff, especially when she was still with Miami Sound Machine

 

A couple like the Eion obol didn't come with a tag. One came in a small envelope, but most just had a round tag with basic descriptions in the same handwriting. Here's a Titus denarius I picked up and its tag.

 

Wow, another nicely toned coin from the collection!

Yes, my tag looks similar, hand written and all.

 

I have a few Stefanelli also:

(I have moved and have not been able to re-shoot this yet)

Victoriatus circa 206-195,
AR 16.5mm., 2.61g.
Laureate head of Jupiter r.
Rev. Victory crowning trophy; in centre field, sow r. and in exergue, ROMA. Sydenham 253. Russo RBW 554. Crawford 121/1.
About Very Fine.
Privately purchased from L. Simonetti Firenze. - From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection.
Ex: Naville


Campania, Capua Bronze circa 216-211,
Æ 14.5mm., 2.35g.
Diademed and veiled bust of Hera r.; lotus-tipped sceptre over shoulder. Rev. KAPV in oscan character Grain ear; in r. field, tripod-like object.
SNG France 517. SNG ANS 219. Historia Numorum Italy 500.
Good Very Fine/Very Fine.
From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.


Roman Republic
AE Sextans 217-215, Anonymous
Æ 29.5mm., 24.54g.
Obv: She-wolf suckling twins; in exergue, two pellets.
Rev. ROMA Eagle standing r., holding flower in beak; behind, two pellets.
Ref: Sydenham 95. RBW 107. Crawford 39/3.
Comment: Nice brown-green patina. Very Fine.
Ex: From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.


Sicily, Mamertini
AE Pentonkion circa 264-241,
Æ 26mm., 10.61g.
Obv: Laureate head of Zeus r.
Rev: MAMERTINΩN Warrior advancing r., holding spear and shield; in r. field, Π.
Ref: SNG ANS 441. Calciati I, 41.
Comment: Attractive green patina. Good Very Fine.
Ex: From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.


Campania, Capua
AE Semuncia circa 216-211,
Æ 18.4mm., 4.58g.
Obv: Bust of Juno r., holding sceptre on shoulder.
Rev: KAPV Two xoana draped.
Ref: SNG ANS 215.
Ref: Historia Numorum Italy 495.
Comment: Rare. Green patina. Obv. Slighlty double struck; Very Fine/Good Very Fine.
Ex: From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.

And I REALLY like this one:

Etruria, Populonia
2 ½ asses (Similar to a Roman AR Sestertius)
3rd century BC, AR 0.85 g.
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.
(One specimen is in the British Museum, the other specimen is in The Alegandron Collection)
Dark patina and about very fine
From the collection of E.E. Clain-Stefanelli.

E.E. CLAIN-STEFANELLI DIES

ANS Executive Director Ute Wartenburg reported that
Elvira Eliza Clain-Stefanelli died Oct. 1, 2001 of cardiac
arrest. Mrs. Stefanelli retired in 2000 as the Senior
Curator of the National Numismatic Collection in the
Numismatics Division of the National Museum of
American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington,
DC.

 

@David Atherton , Looks like you and I are chasing some Quinarii... I believe that I was looking hard at that one (or a similar one). Congrats! Gorgeous piece!!!

 

Those are some terrific pieces! Well done!

 

I probably purchased more quinarii in 2016 than in all the other years I've been collecting put together. They really do have a charm all their own.

 

Thank you. And YOUR Titus Quinarius is fantastic! I agree, I have captured more Quinarii over the last couple years than I ever had. They are great little coins!

I captured the coins from Capua for their unique history (and the Stefanelli provenance secured my confidence in them): The Capua coins from the 2nd Punic War are fairly scarce. Capua was the leading city in Campania, subject to Rome. During the 2nd Punic War Hannibal occupied Capua for several years. He promised their aristocracy that should he win the war with Rome, he would make CAPUA the Capital of Italia and raze Rome. However, Rome WON. Subsequently, Rome recalled as much of the Capuan currency they could find and melted it down so that there were no trace of Hannibal or Capua's status.

 

The Capua coins are something very special. The history behind them is quite extraordinary!

 

David, that is a superb quinarius, congrats! You have been on a real streak lately of adding some great rarities.

I have 2 coins from the Stefanelli collection. Neither came with a tag unfortunately.

 

Wonderful posts everyone!!

I'm 'watching' a quinarius of Galba at the moment, but I think it may be a bit 'pricey' for my prevailing January budget

 

Great coin, love the toning.