Anchor and Trident Cast Sextans; ICC 297, 280 to 260 BC, Central Italy Cast AE Sextans, uncertain Central Italy, c. 280-260 BC. Obv - Anchor; two pellets (mark of value) across the field. Rev - Trident; two pellets (mark of value) across the field. Catalogers who describe this coin say they can not place it in another series of cast coins or guess where they were produced. The coin is not in Crawford, Grueber, Sear, Babalyon or several other books. I did not find it in the British Museum on line, but do not feel good about my searches. It is in Sydenham’s Aes Grave book, but not his larger book on RR coins. I found a dozen examples in web searches. Size and weight data from my searches and Haberline are given on my blog - rrdenarius.blogspot.com My coin: · 41.76 grams · 35.9 X 40.3 X 7.3 mm; this coin is a bit thinner and wider than other cast Sextans I have · RR. Very rare. · Green patina, blackish spots. · About VF. Reference: HN Italy 377 Garrucci gives the weight of one coin listed in his book - Pesa un' oncia e 22 denari (It weighs an ounce and 22 denier) Can anyone here convert the 1885 weight of 1 ounce and 22 deniers into grams? This picture is from a reprint of L'Aes Grave Del Museo Kircheroiano, 1839. Note the ornate details on the trident drawing are not on my coin. I suppose that could be troubling. Maybe my coin's cleaner did not have this pic to copy.
That is a seriously nice specimen!...imagine life in those times, how it was used, & the hands that touched it! Wow, that's just thrilling! We get a lot of people on CT (well, not in ancients) whose first thoughts are "what is it worth" & "what the best venue to sell..", etc. & they completely miss the boat. The stories & histories of the times & usage of such specimens is, unfortunately, lost on many "collectors". (end of rant)
Wow, Gene, NICE find. Good luck and very interested in your findings for this Aes Grave. I do not have my Vecchi book (nor my other Aes books) with me, but I do not recall an anchor nor a trident in my browsings. Very cool. I would say, definitely a coastal Central Italia city... (LOL, I doubt the Samnites would cast those designs.) My gut says it would be a city on the eastern coast of Italia...
Wow, man...! Where can you find these magnificent pieces? Your collection of Aes Gravii is just amazing!
