L. Roscius Fabatus 412/1 - Star Fish

The first time I ever looked through the Cahn Hess Haeberlin Collection catalogue from 1933, I noticed this exact coin and fell in love with it. Ever since, it has seemed to jump out at me when I'm on the particular page. I just love the star fish! As the fates would have it, it somehow came up for sale recently buried away all by itself in an auction nobody noticed...except for me! I recognized the coin for what it was, coming from one of the greatest Roman Republican collections ever assembled and a charming example that is poorly served by my iPhone picture. I'm sure they exist, but I've never seen another star fish example in my travels and this one is superior to the one in the British Museum.

The issue of Roscius Fabatus has a 240 different symbol combinations and I think it is a fascinating issue with it's variety and creativity. Mine is , obviously, a star fish (or is it sea star?) on the obverse but the reverse is not so obvious IMO. Haeberlin lists it as a water turtle, and so does Banti but it's one heck of a poorly drawn turtle if that's the case. There are only 2 of these that I have ever seen which are mine and the one in the British Museum, and that one isn't any help with the reverse symbol as mine is much better. The body of the shape is somewhat concave and it has 5 thin "legs" with varying attachments on them. All of the symbols used by Fabatus were related, so it has to be some sort of sea creature and my guess is a jellyfish as seen from above looking down on it, like you would if you were at the beach. It's the same perspective as the star fish. I'm pretty certain it's not a turtle unless it's one that was run over by a chariot!

What do you all think? Feel free to post any ideas on the reverse and related issues.



Haeberlin 1933

 

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I agree that it's not a turtle! It could Barnwell be a jelly fish, or whatever the Mediterranean equivalent is to jelly fish. Nice coin and a great catch!

 

Fantastic coin. I'm positive either it isn't a turtle on reverse. A gellyfish would be more consistent, with its very thin, almost pellucid, tentacles.
As for the seafish/seastar, every one I know of has 5 legs, not 6

Q

 

Want want want!!

I agree with your opinion: starfish + jellyfish

There are some with more than five legs (sometimes many more), and the general type which seems to be depicted on Carthago's coin can occasionally be found with six legs

 

Love it... what a brilliant coin and provenance. That alien marine blob on the reverse is quite a control symbol!

 

What a superb coin! I absolutely love the control marks and agree that your interpretation of the reverse one as a jellyfish is very plausible.

 

Here are some six-legged Knobbly Sea Star (which I think is the type the engraver was copying)



Edit: maybe I'm wrong about the species, since this particular star is found in the Indo-Pacific region. Nonetheless, there are probably similarly "knobbed" stars in the Mediterranean.

 

Wow, that's an awesome example ... congrats Carthago

Hey, I think Z-Bro may be on to something?

=> maybe it's a STAR and an ALIEN?

 

What a fantastic catch!!! 'Seafood' and a super cool RR coin all in one swoop!!

Hmmmm, yet another on my wish list.

 

I certainly agree with the 'not turtle' reading and have no better suggestion than jellyfish. It is a magnificent coin.

 

Ditto

 

What a gorgeous coin! Well done, and fantastic that you captured such a rare denarius! I agree: Starfish and Jellyfish. Man, I am going for seafood for lunch today!!!

 

Thank you all for your kind comments and especially you, TIF, for starfish examples. I'm sea life challenged!

 

Great catch, Carthago. And you must have sharp eyes to have filtered this one out out of all the wreckage.

 

Absolutely brilliant coin!

 

Actually, the reverse control mark may very well be another type of starfish, a brittle star. The have a more circular body, with the skinnier arms radiating from there. Example:

 

I don't have any and really don't want to start another obsession (though it is highly tempting)

Two additional examples that don't shed any further light on the symbols:-

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2121523

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=218006

There are a couple of other maritime creature types too...

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=138113

Martin

 

Excellent eye, @TIF !

I hate to derail the discussion, but I'd like to add a few things to the seafood platter. Who ordered the frutti di mare?

IONIA, Ephesos
PB Tessera (15mm, 1.31 g)
Prawn right, surrounded by scallop, tunny, shark, and dolphin; X over Δ to right Retrograde P within wreath
Gülbay & Kireç -

Ex Tom Vossen Collection; Münzzentrum 150 (7 Jan 2009), lot 258


IONIA, Ephesos
PB Tessera (21mm,5.66 g)
Squid
Blank
Gülbay & Kireç -


IONIA, Ephesos
PB Tessera (14mm, 3.94 g)
Cockle or scallop shell
Blank
Gülbay & Kireç -​

 

Ardy, if you ever see another "frutti di mare" tessera, please give me a private heads-up. It's fantastic

 

Very cool!