Pre-Denarius: Roman Didrachmae

I recently captured a couple Roman Republic didrachmae. These AR coins were among Rome's first silver coinage minted. In a prior post, I showed the FIRST Silver coin minted by the Romans... this one:


Roman Republic
Anonymous, 280-275 BCE
AR Didrachm (20mm, 7.28g, 11h)
Uncertain mint (Neapolis?)
OBV: Helmeted head of bearded Mars to left; oak spray to right
REV: Horse’s head right, wearing bridle, on base inscribed ROMANO; to left, stalk of grain.
REF: Sear 22; Crawford 13/1; HN III 266. Sydenham 1
COMMENTS: Minor reverse corrosion. First AR coin struck by the Romans...
Crawford in "Coinage and Money under the Roman Roman Republic", (pg 29), claims that this coin may have been minted EARLIER, perhaps 312-308 BCE to pay for the building of the Via Apppia from Rome to Capua
From a Swiss collection, formed in the 1990's

However, to further my niche collection in the Roman Didrachmae series that ran from 280-211 BCE, I captured these two new ones:


Roman Republic
Anonymous, 265-242 BCE
AR Didrachm (6.55g, 18mm, 6h)
Rome mint
Obv: Head of Roma right, wearing Phrygian helmet, cornucopiae behind
Rev: ROMANO, Victory standing right, attaching wreath to long palm, YY in right field. Ref: Sear 25; Crawford 22/1; RSC 7.
Ex: From the Eucharius Collection
Comment: Considered the FIRST AR coin from the Rome mint.

and...


Roman Republic
Anonymous, 234-231 BCE
AR Didrachm (6.63g, 20mm, 12h)
Rome mint,
Obv: Laureate head of Apollo right
Rev: Horse prancing left, ROMA above.
Ref: Sear 28; Crawford 26/1; RSC 37.

Please feel free to post any Roman Republic pre-denarius, or cool Roman Republic coins!
I'm easy...

And, yes I have more of the series as well as the Quadrigatii...

 

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Wow, lovely new additions, Brian. I like the second especially.

 

Thank you. Every time I look at the Roma / Victory Didrachm, I cannot help to think that the designer for the French Gold 20 Francs reverse was inspired by the didrachm:

 

You guys gotta quit showing these awesome coins , I'm going broke by the second .

 

Wow-- what a great set you are building! I particularly like the artistic portrait of Mars on that didrachm

 

I just love this series of coins. With another didrachm, 2 versions of the Quadrigatii, and a Semi-Didrachm (Drachm) Quadrigatus, I have about half of the series. I believe they would be scarce, because the non-Quadrigatus versions are more difficult to find and more expensive to capture...

 

Mars is just COOL isn't he? This one was difficult to capture, because most versions have the ROMANO on the reverse rubbed off. It is a raised portion on the coin.

 

Someday, you will change your Avatar to a Roman Didrachm!

 

I always wonder how pure the silver was as I know it fluctuated to near pure to billion and washed copper at times . These look at least 90% and big too . Now I have to get some this size to go with my denari .

 

I've been playing with the thought of changing it to my , Cassius Longinas , Veiled head of Vesta or my Greek Tetrabol .

 

I understand early RR silver down to the Emperors were over 95% approaching 98-99%. The Victoratii were of a lower silver content (perhaps 75%). I wonder if it was because they traded then with the Greeks, vs. their own denarii with higher silver content...

 

FANTASTIC !!! You know I absolutely LOVE them!!!

Dang, Now I have to wait until June to go after one

Congrats Brian!!!

 

Very beautiful examples of these fantastic coins. Congrats!

 

Thank you.

 

Holy smokes, Gandalf => all three are amazingly awesome ... I am especially drawn to your first sweet example (yummy, yummy Mars obverse) ... sadly, I lost-out on a similar recent auction target (*sigh*)

=> all three are winners ... and so are you, my coin-friend



*edit* ... I posted this after I saw noname's sweet coin-addition ...

=> I also have a pretty cool pre-denarius Victoriatus ...

 

Nice coins! Here's my pre Denarius- Southeastern Italy Roman Ar-victoriatus 212-211 BC 3.2 grams 18 mm

 

Those coins look incredible...were there different denominations back in the day???

 

At the time, Rome had a a parallel currency system: cast coinage based on the Roman Libral Pound and their fractional units in cast bronze. They included an As of approx 300-320g, and Semis (half), Triens ( third), Quadran (fourth), Sextans (sixth), Uncia (Twelth), Semuncia (twentyfourth). All called Aes Grave coinage. They were used with trade within Rome and Central Italia cities and states. Monster sized coinage. (There were even 2, 3, 5, and 10 As denominations... 10 As...wow, over 3,000g !!!)

Additionally, they minted AE Litra, Double Litrae, and Semi Litrae all about 3-6g as token currency to trade with Magna Graecia. The designs coordinated with the AR Didrachmae.

Lastly, a couple of the Didrachmae designs, including the Quadrigatus, were minted in AR Drachm denominations.

After 211 BCE, the Denarius system was implemented, the Didrachmae were discontinued, the Aes Grave was decreased dramatically in weight and size - becoming stamped/hammered bronze coinage, and the Drachmae became the Victoriatus

 

Very cool thanks bro.