My most recent pickup comes from a Naville Numismatics group lot of 24 RR bronzes that I found myself bidding on a little over a month ago. I was interested in this coin and a few others but I just couldn't bring myself to bid too high on a lot that contained several coins that I've already got better examples of and I ended up losing the lot. Fortunately for me, the lot was purchased by a dealer and I was able to purchase this coin at what I felt was a very fair price just over a week ago on eBay. After seeing the dealer's pictures of just this coin I actually became much more interested in it in particular than I had been when it was just one of the coins in the lot. This quadrans comes from the P SVLA series, thought to have been struck by a Publius Cornelius Sulla, likely an uncle of the dictator whom most associate with the name "Sulla". This denomination for this moneyer is relatively rare, missing entirely from the British Museum and represented by only two specimens in Paris but that's not what really drew me to the coin. What drew me to this particular quadrans once I saw the eBay picture is the tiny female head decorating the prow-stem. This decoration is on every one of this moneyer's bronze denominations(except possibly the unique sextans), but on the fractional denominations it almost always disappears due to wear, bad striking or corrosion and even on the as it isn't always visible, so noticing the faint outline of the female head sealed the deal for me even though it's something most would probably completely overlook. As far as the identity of the female head on the reverse, the moneyer unfortunately didn't give many hints but based on the affinity shown for Venus in the later coinage of the Cornelii Sullae and in particular of the dictator's coinage, Crawford suggests that this should also be interpreted as Venus. I tend to agree and have seen no convincing arguments to the contrary. Roman Republic Æ quadrans(7.29g, 21mm). "P SVLA" series(Publius Cornelius Sulla, moneyer), 151 B.C. Rome mint. Head of young Hercules right, wearing lion's skin headdress, ••• behind / P SVLA, prow of galley right with female head(Venus?) decorating prowstem, ••• below. ROMA below. Crawford 205/5; Sydenham 387c; Cornelia 5 Purchased from ManorCollections, eBay, 4/22/2018, ex E.E. Clain-Stefanelli Collection, Naville Numismatics Live Auction 38, 3/11/2018, lot 610(part of) For those who cannot see the female head, hopefully this picture helps a little: As always, please post anything relevant
Terrific example with a nice clear stem-head. Congratulations! I'd actually considered that group lot myself, but got distracted by other targets.
