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<p>[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 4741865, member: 110350"]I have never bought a slabbed coin, and think it's quite unlikely that I ever would. This coin, however, came with the information that it had been removed from an NGC slab, and the (reputable) dealer sent me the original NGC sticker. Which is interesting, but I certainly would have bought the coin without either the information or the sticker! They played no part in my decision. I was far more impressed by the coin itself, and its provenance didn't hurt. (In essence, I bought this coin to console myself after returning the C. Marius Capito denarius that turned out to be a hybrid and almost certainly a fourree.)</p><p><br /></p><p>Roman Republic, Publius Fonteius P.f. Capito, AR Denarius 55 BCE [Harlan: 54 BCE], Rome mint. Obv. Helmeted and draped bust of Mars with slight beard, right, with trophy over far shoulder; P•FONTEIVS•P•F•CAPITO•III•VIR counter-clockwise around / Helmeted and caped Roman soldier on horseback galloping right, thrusting his spear down at helmeted Gallic warrior crouching beneath horse, holding his shield up with left hand to try to fend off horse, and thrusting sword with his right hand at unarmed captive to left; the captive’s Gallic helmet [<i>and shield, off flan</i>] sailing off to lower right; MN•FONT•TR•MIL clockwise above. Crawford 429/1, RSC I Fonteia 17, Sear RCV I 392 (ill.), Sydenham 900, Harlan RRM II Ch, 22 at pp. 174-175 [Harlan, Michael, <i>Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins 63 BCE-49 BCE </i>(2nd Revised Edition 2015)]. 17.8 mm., 3.97 g. (<i>Purchased from Zuzim Inc., Brooklyn, NY, Aug. 2020. Ex: Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 100, May 29, 2017, Lot 329 [see <a href="https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=131&l=114088];" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=131&l=114088];" rel="nofollow">https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=131&l=114088];</a> Ex: Gerhard Hirsch</i> Auction <i>168, Nov. 22-24, 1990, Munich, Lot 434. Formerly in NGC slab, Cert. No. 4629554-001, Graded Ch. AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface 4/5.</i>)*</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1159129[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>*The moneyer is traditionally identified as either (1) the Publius Fonteius who became the adoptive father of the famous Publius Clodius Pulcher when the latter changed his patrician status to plebeian; or (2) a friend of Cicero named Fonteius, mentioned in a letter to his brother Atticus. However, both Crawford (Vol. I at p. 453) and, at greater length, Harlan (Ch. 22 at pp. 171-173) point out the lack of evidence for either theory. The scene on the reverse of this coin is believed to record the exploits of the moneyer’s relative, the military tribune Manius Fonteius (identified as such in the reverse legend), who may have been on the staff of Marcus Fonteius, governor of Narbonese (Transalpine) Gaul from 76-73 BCE. See RSC I at p. 49, Crawford Vol. I at p. 453, Harlan RRM II at pp. 174-175.</p><p><br /></p><p>FWIW, here's the NGC sticker:</p><p><br /></p><p> [ATTACH=full]1159131[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>I find the reverse of this coin particularly appealing because it's an "action" scene -- capturing one moment of explosive action in a "story" -- rather than being static like so many ancient coin reverses. It reminds me a little of a comic book panel. The scene does raise a couple of questions regarding the unarmed captive whom the Roman soldier appears to be trying to rescue from certain death. First, the captive's helmet (flying off to the right) appears to be the same type of Gallic helmet as his would-be-slayer's. Why would a Roman be rescuing one Gaul from another? Perhaps the one on the left belonged to an allied group? Second, am I completely wrong in my impression that the captive is not only unarmed but almost entirely unclothed? How exactly did that happen?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="DonnaML, post: 4741865, member: 110350"]I have never bought a slabbed coin, and think it's quite unlikely that I ever would. This coin, however, came with the information that it had been removed from an NGC slab, and the (reputable) dealer sent me the original NGC sticker. Which is interesting, but I certainly would have bought the coin without either the information or the sticker! They played no part in my decision. I was far more impressed by the coin itself, and its provenance didn't hurt. (In essence, I bought this coin to console myself after returning the C. Marius Capito denarius that turned out to be a hybrid and almost certainly a fourree.) Roman Republic, Publius Fonteius P.f. Capito, AR Denarius 55 BCE [Harlan: 54 BCE], Rome mint. Obv. Helmeted and draped bust of Mars with slight beard, right, with trophy over far shoulder; P•FONTEIVS•P•F•CAPITO•III•VIR counter-clockwise around / Helmeted and caped Roman soldier on horseback galloping right, thrusting his spear down at helmeted Gallic warrior crouching beneath horse, holding his shield up with left hand to try to fend off horse, and thrusting sword with his right hand at unarmed captive to left; the captive’s Gallic helmet [[I]and shield, off flan[/I]] sailing off to lower right; MN•FONT•TR•MIL clockwise above. Crawford 429/1, RSC I Fonteia 17, Sear RCV I 392 (ill.), Sydenham 900, Harlan RRM II Ch, 22 at pp. 174-175 [Harlan, Michael, [I]Roman Republican Moneyers and Their Coins 63 BCE-49 BCE [/I](2nd Revised Edition 2015)]. 17.8 mm., 3.97 g. ([I]Purchased from Zuzim Inc., Brooklyn, NY, Aug. 2020. Ex: Numismatica Ars Classica, Auction 100, May 29, 2017, Lot 329 [see [URL]https://www.biddr.com/auctions/nac/browse?a=131&l=114088];[/URL] Ex: Gerhard Hirsch[/I] Auction [I]168, Nov. 22-24, 1990, Munich, Lot 434. Formerly in NGC slab, Cert. No. 4629554-001, Graded Ch. AU, Strike: 4/5, Surface 4/5.[/I])* [ATTACH=full]1159129[/ATTACH] *The moneyer is traditionally identified as either (1) the Publius Fonteius who became the adoptive father of the famous Publius Clodius Pulcher when the latter changed his patrician status to plebeian; or (2) a friend of Cicero named Fonteius, mentioned in a letter to his brother Atticus. However, both Crawford (Vol. I at p. 453) and, at greater length, Harlan (Ch. 22 at pp. 171-173) point out the lack of evidence for either theory. The scene on the reverse of this coin is believed to record the exploits of the moneyer’s relative, the military tribune Manius Fonteius (identified as such in the reverse legend), who may have been on the staff of Marcus Fonteius, governor of Narbonese (Transalpine) Gaul from 76-73 BCE. See RSC I at p. 49, Crawford Vol. I at p. 453, Harlan RRM II at pp. 174-175. FWIW, here's the NGC sticker: [ATTACH=full]1159131[/ATTACH] I find the reverse of this coin particularly appealing because it's an "action" scene -- capturing one moment of explosive action in a "story" -- rather than being static like so many ancient coin reverses. It reminds me a little of a comic book panel. The scene does raise a couple of questions regarding the unarmed captive whom the Roman soldier appears to be trying to rescue from certain death. First, the captive's helmet (flying off to the right) appears to be the same type of Gallic helmet as his would-be-slayer's. Why would a Roman be rescuing one Gaul from another? Perhaps the one on the left belonged to an allied group? Second, am I completely wrong in my impression that the captive is not only unarmed but almost entirely unclothed? How exactly did that happen?[/QUOTE]
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