RRD 2020 Year in Review

The year of the pandemic impacted most of us. I traveled less and watched more online auctions and zoom coin club meetings. My list is weighted on the scale weight and cast bronze side of my collection. My top 10 acquisitions are below.

My wife and I visited the NYINC in January, and pretty much stayed home after that. I found one or two items worthy of my top 10 list while there. I became a member of the ANS and was able to visit their offices and see some neat cast bronze coins.

In March I attended the Houston Spring Coin Show and found 2 items worthy of my top 10. It was the last show with ancient coin dealers this year.

10. P. Satrienus Denarius


Roman Republic, AR denarius, 77 BC, Rome mint, P. Satrienus.
Obv - Helmeted head of young Mars right, counter mark XXVIII to left
Rev - She-wolf walking left, paw raised; Above – ROMA; In Ex – P.SARRIE / [NVS]
VF+, Well centered on a flan smaller than design, good strike, toned.
3.98 grams, 17.8 mm, 6 h
Purchased from Nilus on 3/13/2020, ex Victor England
Crawford - 388/1b; 101obv / 113 rev dies
Grueber – Rome 3209
Sydenham – 781a
RSC / Bab - Satriena 1
RBW 1422

9. Coin weights from Old LRB Coins

These weights were for checking the weight of gold Solidi or Semissis. I checked the weights vs several coins in my collection and found both Semissis weights balanced well with a Byzantine coin I bought recently.

8. Half Libra Square Byzantine Scale Weight

Square Byzantine Commercial Scale Weight, Bronze
Six Uncia or half a Roman pound / Libra / As
Obv - Γ S on either side of a cross, inscriptions are inside a wreath, the top corners have two petal flowers
Rev – blank back has either weight adjustment marks, graffiti or scratches
161.33 grams
Similar to Bendall 58

7. Bull / Wheel cast Semis

Roma/Wheel series. AE Cast Semis, c. 230 BC.
Obv - Bull leaping left; S below.
Rev - Wheel of six spokes; between two spokes, S.
99.8 grams, 50.0 mm, die rotation 00
Grade – VF, well centered, nice casting with good features, wheel on reverse is low profile, no flan flaws, typical style; patina - light tan, the patina color & fine surface irregularities make seeing and photographing features hard; no damage;
Cr. 24/4; 265 to 242 BC; Wt Std = 270
BMC Greek Italy; Pg 54, Central Italy #5 & #6
Haeberline; Pg 59 - 60, 70 examples, 104.3 to 171.2 grams; Pl 25, 1-7
HNI, 327
Sear: 535
RBW, 34
Sydenham CRR = 60; Syd AG = 87
T & V, 32; 269 to 240 BC
Vecchi, ICC, 67
Garrucci, Table XL, #1; Pg 21, Wt = 4 ounce + 18 den = 133.2 grams
Note: Vendor called the coin “Rare”. I found 70 examples in Haeberline, 13 examples in the ANS web site CRRO and another 24 from various places in books and on the web.

 

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These are wonderful so far! I love the Satrienus, and the weights too. Looking forward to the rest.

 

6. 8 bar lot of cast bronze

Central Italy and the Roman Republic, Late 4th - early 3rd century BC (Vecchi says 8th to 3rd).
Eight cast bronze bars or AES Formatum. Two bars have what might be Ramo Secco marks that would make them Signatum, and the rest have no visible marks. The bars have some dirt and scale. Per vendor: Decor can no longer be determined. These are fragments of originally rectangular bronze bars. Most have mold marks on their edge.
221g, 288g, 441g, 453g, 680g, 749g, 754g and 763g. 8 pieces! = 4,349 grams total = 13.3 Asses.

5. Countermarked Aes Formatum, Dupondius
Latium, 3rd century BC

Roman Republic / Central Italy – Cast Bronze with Marks
This triangular piece looks like it was broken from a pie shaped circular ingot. Two marks “II” on this piece could indicate it had a value of two Asses, or one Dupondius. Some Roman two As (pound or Libra) scale weights use a similar symbol – II.
Of the greatest historical interest and apparently unpublished. Lovely untouched earthen olive green patina, with lighter spots.
559.0 grams, 67x65x31 mm.
Good VF, RRRR

4. Prow left cast sextans

Roman Republic Cast Sextans circa 225-217, Æ
Obv - Head of Mercury l.; below, two pellets.
Rev - Prow l.; below, two pellets.
46.23 grams = 277 gram equivalent Ass (46.27 = 277)
33.0 X 34.7 X 10.0 mm
12 h – most of the cast coins I have seen are medal turn, or the obverse and reverse have the same orientation. A few are orientated coin turn, 6h. Even less have 3h or other orientations.
Brown green patina and very fine. In hand I see a brown coin with a shiny surface.
Very rare – I found 10 examples on line, including mine.
Crawford 36/5, wt std – 270 grams
Aes Grave 23
Sydenham 82
Vecchi 92
Thurlow-Vecchi 62
Historia Numorum Italy 341.
Haeberlin p 55 – 56, plate 22, 17 – 20; wt range 34 – 54 grams; 45 examples; avg wt = 41.91 = 256 eq as

 

3. Athena steelyard weight

Byzantine / Late Roman Athena Steelyard Weight, bronze shell with lead filling, 5th - 8th century AD*. A large and heavy, steelyard weight in the form of Athena / Minerva**. She wears a tall crested Corinthian helmet and an Aegis with a Gorgon head and four snakes. The back of her vest has rows of armor plates. Rich dark brown and emerald green patina throughout.
12.6 pounds
9-1/2 " tall, including 1" loop at top of weight
4-1/2 " wide at shoulders
3-1/2 " deep from Aegis to back
base dimensions are 4.5 X 3.5 "
Notes:
* - 5th to 8th centuries AD. Anne McClanan in Representations of Early Byzantine Empresses.
** - Minerva was the Roman name for the Greek goddess Athena. Most of their attributes (Powers, clothing, etc.) are the same. Minerva weights are thought to be from the Western Roman Empire and are dated earlier, 2nd – 3rd century AD. Athena weights are related to Byzantine empress weights. Norbert Franken in AEQUIPOMDIA places statues like this in group CB which is Athena. Minerva is in group A.

2. Athena / Owl Tetradrachm

Attica, Athens AR Tetradrachm. Circa 454-404 BC, Athens.
Head of Athena right, wearing earring, necklace, and crested Attic helmet decorated with three olive leaves over visor and a spiral palmette on the bowl
Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig and berry in upper left field, AΘE to right; all within incuse square.
Struck on a flan that includes all of Athena’s helmet crest and full reverse borders.
17.17 grams
1 h
This Owl was from a large hoard that included Hoplite/Triskeles Staters from Pamphylia, Aspendos, see below.


1. Steelyard Weight with Bust of Byzantine Empress


Steelyard scale in the form of a late Roman or early Byzantine empress. Most of the attributions call the empress anonymous. Byzantine empresses were used for weights to encourage the public's belief the state ensured fair and prosperous trade. She is wearing a tunic (a bit like a T-shirt) that is covered by a Stola (Shawl, Himation, Cloak, Toga or some sort of outer garment.). The tunic drapes from her left shoulder to her right hip and from her right shoulder under her right arm. Her right hand is open in the center of her chest. In her left hand she holds a mappa, an official symbol of imperial authority, or a scroll, reflecting the state's emphasis on learning. Her jewelry is:
• A beaded necklace
• A second necklace (this might be jewels at the top of her toga).
• A crown with strings of jewels cascading down the right and left side of her face.
Her hair is braided in two strands and rolled to the top of her head, see pic below3. It is hard to tell what is hair and what is jewelry on this statue.
Dimensions:
· 8-1/8” tall (7-1/4” empress plus 1” hanging ring)
· 4.25” wide; Some of the base has been bent due to being dropped and is a bit wider.
· 3.0” thick
· Oval base. Some weights have a circular or irregular shape.
Weight: 1411 grams = 3.1 US pounds = 4.5 Roman pounds (As or Libra)
Materials: Cast bronze shell. Most catalogers say produced by lost wax method, followed by cold working. Some, but not this one, are filled with lead to increase their weight.

 

Awesome stuff!

 

The Owl is lovely, and those two steelyard weights are fantastic. I am pretty sure I remember when you bought one, and remember seeing one a lot like it when I was in Toronto at the end of February.

 

Excellent collection, @rrdenarius ! Great stuff. The Denarius and the Aes items always grab me!

 

A museum in Toronto has a Byzantine Empress steelyard scale weight similar to mine. I met someone from that museum when I was admiring mine.

 

Both the Athena and the Byzantine Empress weights are very nice. Hope to find one that has no lead inside.

 

Yes, I found the photo I took. From the Lillian Malcove Collection at the U. of Toronto Art Museum (not the ROM), a Byzantine steelyard weight in the form of an unidentified empress:



Quite similar to yours, I think.

 

the two statues could be sisters.

 

Very interesting assortment! I especially like the recut LRBs. The Vota type (Jovian?) looks so curiously chunky!

Here are my two recut pieces - one LRB, one Byzantine. The first one is 4.10g and the second 4.35g.

 

Fascinating group. I am particularly fond of the owl. It looks like a really nice solid Flament Group II tetradrachm. I like the fact that you got the crest the chin and the nose of Athena on your coin. I find the rest of what you got most interesting. Despite COVID and the interesting year we have been having price wise you had a good year.

 

What a lovely interesting assortment!...Very refreshing, congrats on a great year.

 

Beautiful additions to your collection. My favorites are Satrienus and Owl.

 

rrden. Both of your steelyard weights, #1 & 3 are wonderful antiquities that would fit in any museum ! You've got a beautiful Owl, #2 also . How did NGC grade that Owl ?

 

All very cool!

 

A fascinating group. I love the Minerva weight in particular.

 

You've had a great year, coinwise at least I especially love the Athens tetradrachm and of course the aes grave. Let's hope we can get back to NYINC in 2022

ATB,
Aidan.