Roman Republic denominations

When I started collecting ancient coins, my knowledge in regards to RR coinage was zero. It is still one of the areas where I need to study much more.
I participated, with unexpected success, in an auction this weekend (Santa Claus is coming much earlier this year) and I managed to buy 2 snacks that were not must have coins but nevertheless, very welcome in my albums - my first RR bronzes.

This corroded small(ish) coin caught my eye because of the decent obverse and because it is the smallest RR denomination - quartuncia - 1/4 uncia, 1/48 as.

I certainly didn't want to pay too much for it, because I was saving for a coin further in the auction, my main target. But... no bids, going once, going twice... let me have it.

Anonymous 217-215 BC. Rome
Quartuncia Æ
16 mm, 2,46 g
Obv: Head of Roma, right, wearing Attic helmet. / Rev: Roma, Prow, right
RRC 38/8
Our colleague @Alegandron has a much nicer version but attributes it as Saturn.
Who is depicted on the obverse?

Second one was a classic design I have seen numerous times but was never too tempting until yesterday, when I decided it is a good pair for the quartuncia.


I am quite familiar with the RR design with Janus and prow, but I wasn't aware of the numerous similar coins and I am having issues in identifying it.

It was sold as " Anonymous 211 BC. Rome. As Æ. 27 mm, 14,23 g" and I thought it will be easy to find on CRRO. Apparently the description would point here
http://numismatics.org/crro/id/rrc-56.2
but this coin is much bigger and heavier.

Any help is appreciated.

And please post new RR additions, small denominations ... or larger.

 

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SATURN

Quartuncia


RR Anon AE Quartuncia 217-215 BC Saturn Prow BRN Cr 38-8 S 624

 

I know your coin, @Alegandron - but who is on the obverse - I am looking also in the Crawford catalogue and it is listed as Roma.

 

MERCURY

Semuncia


RR Anon AE 19mm Semuncia 217-215 Mercury Prow Sear 620 Craw 38-7

 

Wildwinds:

Ref Syd 110 Quartuncia of Triental standard, Crawford 38/8, BMC 169
Roman Republic Æ 15mm Quartuncia of Triental standard. 217-215 BC. Head of Roma right in crested Attic helmet / ROMA above prow of galley right. Cr38/8.

I have also seen "SATURN" too, for the Quartuncia. But that may had been a mis-attribution. However, at the same time, the MERCURY SEMUNCIA had been produced 217-215 BCE

SEAR-SPINKS "Roman Coins and Their Values Vol 1", calls the obverse ROMA in a Crested Attic Helmet. After 215 BCE, this experimental issue of Quartuncia was ceased.

 

I like the Mercury semuncia. Nice Mercury portrait and cannot be confused because of the petasos.
I do not have any coins with Saturn so it would have been nice but I am tempted to think the quartuncia is with Roma.

Please keep RR coins coming (new denarii additions are welcome too)
I would also appreciate some guidance in regards to my other coin - the Janus/prow as.

 

Thank you. The 2nd Punic War wreaked havoc on Roman coinage and inflation, especially when they were being pummeled early in Hannibal's Invasion. Lots of changes, lotsa experimentation, lotsa devaluation...

This one was only minted for 1 year, and was an odd-denomination... kinda hard to get. This denom was never revived.


Roman Republic Anon 210 BCE AE 23 Quincunx 6.96g Apollo P behind Dioscuri Luceria mint, 5 pellets Cr 99-4 Syd 309 S 910 R

 

The SEMIS depicted SATURN


RR Anon AE Semis 211-206 BCE Saturn S Prow ROMA Sear 766 Craw 56-3 Spain Punic War

 

After some investigation, comparing various coins found on previous auctions, checking RRC size/weight AND this exceptional page
https://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/RRC056.html
I think the closest match RRC 339/1 (a, b or c but this is impossible to determine because the difference is made by the reverse inscription). Dating from 91 BC

I would appreciate a second opinion as I am not convinced I'm correct, the prow seems different in design.

 

The quartuncia seems to be quite scarce :



Republic, Quartuncia - Rome mint, circa 217-215 BC
Head of Roma right, wearing a crested helmet
Prow of galey right, ROMA above
3,41 gr - 15 mm
Ref :RCV # 624
According to RCV, "the quartuncia is the smallest denomination of the Roman bronze coinage, and has been briefly produced during the semilibral weight standard. With the further decline in the weight of the bronze coinage after 215 BC, issue of the experimental quartuncia ceased."

Q

 

I think my As is 197-198/1. Spent 2 hours and I am still not convinced but it is the closest match I can find.
Regarding the quartuncia - I was aware it's not super common. Although my example is not very pretty, it is an interesting coin and I'm glad I didn't allow it to remain unsold, especially since the price was good.

One can collect these bronze RR and develop an interesting subcollection.

 

I feel useless in IDing RR AE. This 4.26g coin has been mistifying me for years now. Ideas?

 

Great coins @ambr0zie !
As everyone knows, the most important bronze RR happens to have a Macedonian shield control mark:


And some others:

 

[According to RCV, "the quartuncia is the smallest denomination of the Roman bronze coinage, and has been briefly produced during the semilibral weight standard. With the further decline in the weight of the bronze coinage after 215 BC, issue of the experimental quartuncia ceased."

Q[/QUOTE]

There were other South Italian mints which also struck coinage with this evolving ponderal system. For example, the coinage of Brundisium, which was loyal to Rome (but whose coinage is somewhat separate in that it used local iconography / symbology and did not ever have a Rome ethnic) used pellets to denominate biuncia, uncia, semiuncia, quarter uncia, and eighth uncia coins. This later degraded to quadruncia, triuncia, biuncia, uncia and semiuncia nominals. These emissions occurred a little after 215 BC (around 209-205 BC). I think a number of other mints in South Italy also issued similar nominals, like @Alegandron's Luceria example, but not always in the name of Rome. Brundisium continued the quadruncia emission well into the second century BC.

The quincunx or quincuncia was, oddly enough, first struck at the Messapian mint of Hyria/Orra around 208 - 202 BC. There were two emissions, with the one below struck from the end of the second century to the beginning of the first century BC. It depicts Venus on the obverse and Eros with his lyre on the reverse. There are two types, one struck with the portrait of Venus in good Hellenic style and a (likely later) one struck in a cruder style. This seems to be the only Messapian mint I'm aware of which struck this nominal: (note: first coin is mine, the second isn't)

 

My guess it would be a Triens, as it has the head of Minerva, but there should also be four pellets, either above Minerva's head or below the galley on the reverse. The weight also seems light, although there were triens issues minted post-reform around 157-155 BC that were in the 6 gram range. Unfortunately, I'm not an expert in this field either, but hopefully that gets you a bit closer...

 

QUINCUNX

Luceria

Apulia Luceria AE Quincunx 26mm 14.75g- Spoked Wheel 250-217 BCE Athena-Wheel Grose 443 HN Italy 678 SNG ANS 699


Frentani


Larinum (Frentani), ca. 210-175 BC, bronze quincunx, 22mm, 9.80g
Obverse: Head of Mars (or Athena, per Sear) in crested Corinthian helmet r.
Reverse: Horseman galloping l., holding spear and shield decorated with thunderbolt, LADINOD below, 5 pellets (denom.) in ex.
Reference: NH Italy 625, Campania 4a, Morcom 64, BMC 2
Grading: F , minor porosity, brown patina, very scarce
Comment: Ex - Colin Pitchfork collection. Ex - Spink America auction (NY, Dec. 6-7 1999, lot 400 - part of). From a private collection formed by a pair of Polish brothers and sold in New York.
Ex: Rudnck Numismatics


Apulia


Teate Apulia 225-220 BCE AE Quincunx 12.5g 26.5mm Athena R Corinthn helmet - TIATI owl K 5 pellets - BMC HN Italy 702a SNG Cop 689 var RARE

 

This is my only RR coin of any type.



Anonymous. Ca. 225-214/2 BC. AR didrachm or quadrigatus (23mm, 6.64 gm, 7h). NGC AU 5/5 - 3/5, overstruck. Uncertain mint. Laureate head of youthful Janus, two small annulets on top of head / Jupiter, hurling thunderbolt with right hand, scepter in left, in fast quadriga right driven by Victory; ROMA incuse on raised tablet below. Crawford 29/3. Sydenham 64.

Apparently they were minted to pay for the Second Punic War from silver paid by Carthage after the First Punic War.


It’s called a Quadrigatus. Livy called them “heavy denarii” but modern scholars say it was an entirely different coin from the denarius.

One thing I really like about it is that it is an over strike so it was struck over an older coin.

I’m not sure what coin it was struck over but I’m guessing a Greek didrachm.

I’d love to get some Roman Republic denarii though.

 

I hope @Andrew McCabe swings by this thread to help you. He LITERALLY wrote the book on this.

Fun thread, @ambr0zie! Here's my smallest denomination RR bronze:


Anonymous.
Roman Republican Æ semuncia, 6.11 g, 20.8 mm, 10 h.
Rome, 217-215 BC.
Obv: Head of Mercury, right, wearing winged petasos.
Rev: Prow, right; ROMA above.
Refs: Crawford RRC 38/7; BMCRR 129; RCV 620; Sydenham CRR 87.

 

Here is another Quartuncia Not as pretty, but still, a little denomination...


RR Anon AE Quartuncia 217-215 BC Roma Prow Cr 38-8 S 624

 

Here are a few Semuncias from around Italy during the 2nd Punic War with Hannibal:


RR Anon AE Semuncia 217-215 BC Turreted Horseman Whip Roma Craw 39-5 Sear 619 Scarce


RR Anon AE Semuncia 217-215 BC Turreted Horseman Whip Roma 2 Craw 39-5 Sear 619 Scarce



Bruttium AE 17 Semuncia 214-211 2nd Punic Nike Zeus Biga Carthage



Campania CAPUA AE Semuncia 216-211 BCE Juno Xoanon Hannibal capital Italia SCARCE