I had several collecting goals for 2016. I was fortunate to find some neat items that fit the wish list. In reverse order my best dozen. 12. I like ancient coins with attribution to ground or good provenance. This one is not Roman Republican, but thanks to members here I have a LRB that fits the bill - from the Mossy Bottom Barn Hoard. Tetricius I / Fides. 11. I try to add a book or two each year. That is hard because I have most of the ones on RR coins. Two added this year are: Garrucci’s book on Italian money written in 1885 and reprinted by Forni. I have the book in PDF, but it is nice to be able to page through the book looking at pictures. Not much reading for me, it is not in English! Albert's book is not in English, so I look at pics here too. This one is useful when an auction house gives only an Albert #. 10. I have seen Celtic copies of Republican coins, and this year found a Celtic copy of one coin I have - C.TAL. Roman Republican & Balkan imitation - C.TAL, after 154 BC. Obv. Helmeted head of Roma right; behind, X. Rev. Victory driving biga right; below horses, C. TAL ligate. In exergue, ROMA. Cf. Cr. 202/1a 9. Over-strikes or re-purposed coins are pretty interesting. This one is a quadrans over a uncia.
9. cont - This one is a sextans over a man-headed bull. Roman Republican Sextans (Cr 56.6) McCabe essays Russo type G or H overstruck on a Neapolis AE of circa 250-225 BC (as SNG ANS 502) with undertypes fully visible. Roman Coin – Obv – Mercury right Rev – Prow right Neapolis – Obv – Apollo left Rev – Nike crowning a manheaded bull g. 2.86 mm. 16.00 Reddish-brown tone. VF. A rare and very interesting example. 8. I bought this one thinking, Roman Provincial portrait coin of Octavian / Caesar – turns out this one is more likely Gaius Sossius. 7. I have 4 of 5 XVI coins after buying a coin of M.AVF.RVS in 2016.
6. I look for coins to fit largest time window missing in collection, or a nice copy of a less common coin. This was not the longest window, but it a nice example of an uncommon coin and fits well in the collection. Roman Republican L.ITI, Lucius Itius, 149 BC, Rome, Obv – head of Roma R, wearing winged helmet & ear ring in three pieces, X behind Rev – The Dioscuri on horseback, charging R, below - L.ITI, In Ex – ROMA in tablet The moneyer is either L. Itius or Iteilius is otherwise unknown. Sydenham said the circle of dots is rare for this time period. Cr – 209/1, dies = 10/12 BMCRR – Rome 724 Sear – 88 RSC – Itia 1 Syd, CRR – 394 NMW – 253 RBW – 892 3.98 grams, 19.4 mm, gVF, light toning, centered, well struck from good dies, nice eye appeal 5. I extended my collecting area to include cast bronze pieces from Central Italy. I found several that are listed in Vecchi, ICC and some that are not. My favorite, and the one on my wish list is the Ax Head, ex A. McCabe collection. Bronze items that might trade by weight: ax head, palm shape, tear drop, palm shape #2 & triangular bar.
4. Cast bronze coins – I picked up several. My favorite is a Semis. Roman Republican semis, Aes Grave, Rome, 241 to 235 BC. Obv – Head of Minerva wearing Corinthian helmet L, below S Rev – Head of woman L, below S, behind sickle Cr 25.5, 241 BC, 55 specimen in Haeberlin BMCRR Italy – pg 50, no. 2 Note - the coin is pictured on the page in Garrucci showing the coin type. 3. Counterstamped aes rude (cross & crescent), central Italy, 7th to 3rd centuries BC.
2. For a couple of years, I have looked for a RR coin with a plumb bob and last summer I found one! Roman Republican denarius, Cr 385/3, Rome, 78BC Obv - Head of Liber R, wearing ivy-wreath Rev - Ceres in biga of snakes R, holding torch in each hand; behind, control mark (plumb-bob); in ex M·VOLTEI·M·F Note the coin is next to a Roman plumb bob.
1. At the start of this year the top of wish list was a a currency bar with recognizable markings. I think I hit the mark with three Ramo Secco bars! Ramo Secco Currency Bar (Aes Signatum) CENTRAL ITALY, Emilia(?): 6th to 4th century BC Fragment of a bronze ingot, on both sides branch with no leaves. Thurlow-Vecchi AS1; Vecchi – 3.1 HNI – pg 45 – highly ferruginous bars made apparently from 6th century in southern Etruria, Emilia and occasionally Sicily. Grueber – lists 2 bars, but not RS Cr – lists bars, but not RS Syd AG – not in Sydenham Haberline – pg 10 – 19; plates 4 – 6 Garrucci – Table VII, IX & X Die Munzen by Albert lists this type of bar on pg 21. Bar Number 1 2 3 Weight, gr 826 893 128 Length, mm 61 88 45 Width, mm 77 67 49 Thick, mm 36 32 28
rrdenarius => that is a very neat collection (congrats on a fantastic 2016 season) I think that my favourite is your plumb-bob and plumb-bob coin combo (super cool)