Some Bits of a Roman Republican Coin Collection

Superb collection! You’re the curator of a fine Roman Republic coin museum!

 

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@Andrew McCabe, a CT posting tour de force, overwhelming and fun to see. Perhaps @Deacon Ray already said it all above. So many photos, trays, notes, coins that speak to the care and commitment in building such a collection.

 

Resuming again after a week in Melita (Malta)
Series: L.ANTES, C.SERVEILI M.F, C.CVR F. Victory, L.TREBANI, TI.MINVCI, C.F.AVGVRINVS, M.MARCI MN.F, C.NVMITORI , P.CALP, L.MINVCIV, P.MAE ANT M.F, M.FABRINI, L.OPEIMI

This tray is missing very many common denarius types. I sold them all to buy rarer coins. It however includes many great rarities in bronze.
Some notable coins:
- RRC 241 variety Lucius Trebanius uncia is a type not in Crawford, and is perhaps the finest of the few known examples
- RRC 247/3 Publius Calpurnius quadrans has a complete ship on reverse - stern to prow with all relevant people and equipment on deck. Very rare, it used to be owned by Brad Thurlow, the aes grave expert
- RRC 247/1 denarius of the same series has one of the most wonderful portraits of Roma I ever recall seeing. It was expensive for such a common coin > Martina Dieterle pointed me towards the coin and said I really must buy it.
- RRC 249/3 Publius Maeanius Antiaticus quadrans was bought from Herbert Cahn - Münzhandlung Basel on 22 Nov.1935. There's a very high chance tho unprovable that it came from the collection of Christian August Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont 1744-1798 whose collection with a strong focus on Roman Republican coins was sold by Cahn / Basel in the mid 1930s
- RRC 249 Publius Maeanius Antiaticus uncia is also very rare
- RRC 253/3 Lucius Opeimius quadrans has a very rare reverse type, Hercules club in wreath
- most all the other 'ordinary' bronze types are significant rarities. Yes, I'm missing a lot of silver in this period. Don't care. They would drag down the quality and rarity of what's left


Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48962006868/

My coin pictures and website are here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/collections
http://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/

 

series: M.ACILIVS, CN.DOME, elephant head, M.METELLVS , Q.MAX, C.CASSI, T.Q, N.FABI PICTOR, C.METELLVS, M.FOVRI, L.POMPONI, CN.DOMI Q.CVRTI M.SILA

some notable coins:
- RRC 255/2 Marcus Acilius semis is likely the same coin illustrated in Cohen 1857, pl.XLVI Acilia 3 = Babelon 1885 p.104 Acilia 5
- I'm very fond of my run of elephant heads. The series is so well made. Am also fond of the flying Victory on the reverse of my other Caecilius denarius RRC 269/1
- 263/5a Cacilius quadrans has a shield above the prow - that shield has a tiny male head wearing an elephant-head skin headdress. Only visible in excellent examples! I attach an image - one can see the elephant head quite clearly left though the head its draped over - apparently bearded - is less clear. Bear in mind this entire image is just two millimetres wide!

- RRC 266/2 is a rare Dodrans (or three quarters of an as) denomination, with head of Vulcan on obverse and denomination mark Sooo before the prow. I do not have a Bes (two thirds of an as, marked Soo) in my collection as I've struggled to find one in good enough condition
- RRC 268/1, scarce Fabius Pictor type, is ex Colin Pitchfork Collection (confirmed by correspondence) ex Sothebys, 4th Nov 1982 lot 253 (part) = Rear Admiral Henry Smyth “Cabinet of Roman Family Coins belonging to His Grace the Duke of Northumberland” 1856, Tablet VII coin 9, mark R, weight 51.2 grains = 3.37 grams. I have several Duke of Northumberland coins.
- RRC 282/1 Furia denarius with Janus is my first Roman Republican coin. I added it to my collection from a Spink Numismatic Circular in 1989. Companies such as Spink or Baldwins would post me coins on approval in those days, as fewer coins were photographed
- RRC 285/7b uncia, very rare denomination for this time, is also unusual for depicting a lyre rather than prow on reverse.


Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48963097022/

 

series: M.CIPI, C.FONT, P.NERVA, L.PHILIPPVS, T.DEIDI, L.TORQVA, CN.BLASIO, L.CAESI, L.MEMMI, L.VALERI FLACC, M.HERENNI, L.CORNELI SISENA, L.SCIP ASIAG, L.MEMMI GAL

some notable coins:
- RRC 289/5 Cipius uncia, a very rare type, has a rudder as main reverse type instead of a prow, matching the rudder under the horses on the denarius
- RRC 290/1 is a very rare Fonteius as in superb condition and a beautiful dark green patina. This type has an anchor before prow
- RRC 292/1 with voting scene has a ticket written as gens SILIA - this indicates the writer was following Cohen (1857) rather than Babelon (1886) classification
- RRC 294/1 Didius with gladiators is ex Pierre Egbers, a venerable elderly French collector who collected mainly in 1930s to 1950s; he bought this coin from Oscar Ravel (who wrote of the Corinthian staters) off a fixed price list in 1948 - I have a copy of the sales receipt written by Oscar Ravel
- RRC 296/2 Cn. Blasio as - just wanted to draw attention to its splendid hard emerald dark green patina
- RRC 308 Herrenius semis is a great rarity, missing from essentially all collections of Roman Republican bronzes
- RRC 311, L.Scipio Asiagenus, is another Egbers coin, bought by him off Alfred Page, Paris (19 June 1933) lot 559 ex Parisian Amateur coll.


Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48962945513/

 

There's a provenance in this tray that some longer time members here will recognize. The RRC 262/4 quadrans is ex @stevex6 Collection: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/an...bought-anutha-sweet-prow.237616/#post-1802718

 

Series: L.H.TVB, L.SATVRN, C.COIL CALD, Q.THERM M.F, L.IVLI L.F. CAESAR
L. CASSI CAEICIAN, C.FABI C.F, M.LVCILI RVF, LENT.MAR.F, C.EGNATVLEI, L.POMPON MOLO, L.METEL C.MALL A.ALB, C.MALL mallet, A.ALBINVS S.F., L.P.D.A.P.

Some notable coins:
- RRC 315/1 Lucius Hostilius Tubulus uncia is ex Virgil Brand collection and Count Tolstoi collection (Adolf Hess March 1912), a rare example of a struck Roman Republican bronze illustrated on a plate in a pre First World War catalogue
- RRC 317 double obverse Lucius Appuleis Saturninus is ex Leo Benz (Lanz 88), Schott (Bourgey 1972) and Rodolpho Ratto in 1933
- RRC 334/1 Lucius Pomponius Molo is ex Apostolo Zeno coll. 1668-1750, Venetian opera librettist, who in 1747 transferred his collection to the Augustinian monastery of St. Florian in Upper Austria, where it remained undisturbed until in 1938 the Germans took over the mountaintop monastery for use in radio communications; after the war the returning monks arranged for the Zeno collection's sale through Dorotheum in Vienna. It is one of the most sought after provenances for ancient coins.
- the bronzes in this tray are all exceptional but am most happy about the L.POMP MOLO set (NB the triens fourth row end is a Mallet series and belongs with the quadrans in fifth row mid)
- RRC 335/10 with horses of the Dioscuri drinking at the fountain of Juturna is ex Santamaria Brunacci coll. (24 Feb.1958)
- RRC 338 Lex Papiria de Assis Pondere quadrans is a rare example of this series to be fully struck up with clear letters L.P.D.A.P.


Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48966866688/

 

series: D.SILANVS, L.PISO FRVGI, C.VIBIVS PANSA, M.CATO, L.TITVRI SABINVS, CN LENTVL (only six series among these 20 coins - each moneyer issued many varieties and denominations)

Some notable coins
- I am sadly so far missing a E.L.P. (ex lege papiria) sestertius. One day...
- RRC 337/3 is ex Oscar Rinaldi FPL 1 (1943) lot 231 coll. Prof.Claudio Bonacini ex Rodolfo Ratto (24 Feb.1930) lot 711 Valerio Traverso coll. (in the Martini coll. sale). Bonacini was an expert in type design and evidently collected Roman coins as source material; he was active in academia until the 1950s so one wonders what prompted a 1943 collection sale. That sale - a very rare catalogue - is unusual for being profusely illustrated on high quality photographic paper (one wonders such material wasn't rationed or kept for other purposes such as aerial photo reconnaissance).
- RRC 340/1 head left is exceptionally rare, 4 known examples this type, 10 known of all head left types. A "private collection" example from this die pair - this coin - is cited by Roberto Russo in his writeup to NAC54 (24 Mar.2010) lot 200. Luckily the write up wasn't included in NAC 63 and the coin was relatively affordable.
- RRC 340/1 with anchor symbol is from evidently widely admired dies which match (both sides) Signorelli 198, Mayr-Harting 28, Haeberlin 1171, Rashleigh 361D, Nicolas 303 and Eton college 124.
- RRC 340/6a quadrans has Apollo rather than Hercules as obverse! Extremely rare. Should I have it cleaned?
- RRC 342/1/2, the Pan/Silenus denarius types were both acquired from an English dealer, Mike Vosper. Both very rare and I was delighted to be able to find them at retail at affordable prices
- RRC 343/2b quinarius - note its exceptionally fine style compared with almost all known coins of this issue
- RRC 344/7 L.TITVR (retrograde) Apollo head quadrans. This is a very great rarity, but is the second example of the type I owned! The first I bought in NAC63 RBW collection. About a year later I noticed my coin in Bahrfeldt Nachtraege vol.1 1897, saying it was in the Pesaro museum. After a lot of research I concluded that my coin was the Pesaro museum example cited by Crawford in RRC. Of course I arranged to have the coin returned to its valid home in the museum in Italy, via the Italian police (with help from the vendor I had acquired it from) - it turned out there had been a robbery in the 1980s where this coin was stolen (RBW had bought it retail about a decade later). On the day I was to return the coin, it was raining in London when I was walking into the city via my usual route across Lambeth bridge. I discovered to my horror on arriving at my destination that the coin was no longer with me and recalled looking at it at some point in the journey. I backtracked to that point - still raining - and spent two hours painstakingly examining every inch of pavement for a mile or so, before spotting a plastic flip containing this small bronze on the ground on the southern end of Lambeth bridge. It seems the coin didn't want to go back! But back it went. There is a lovely coda to this story that happened about a year later. So far as RBW knew this was the only example of this type in his collection, and I had been through RBWs collection and never saw another. But a year later, among the RBW duplicates, another example popped up for sale; when I spotted it and knew I wanted it, I explained what had happened and was kindly gifted this very rare coin for the one I had given back!


Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48968395333/

 

Ask your girlfriend if she has ever used an apochromatic lens. Relatively few photographers have. Sharpness is quite a different matter from freedom from chromatic aberrations. Flat fields are also different from what most full frame 35mm and smaller photographers find concerning. High Dynamic Range corrections are a digital grandchild of the Zone System made famous by Ansel Adams and others of his generation. I would love to see his reaction to HDR and things done in color since his death. I remember too well lugging an 8x10 view out for landscapes and am amazed at the progress of digital in the last twenty years. Large cameras as defined by most today make possible things that were not even dreams in the last century.

I last shot cut film 20 years ago when it became apparent that digital had potential. The feature I now find most interesting is the automatic sequential focus adjustments that simplify focus stacking and allow non-linear control of areas of sharpness and blur.

While I am a bit shocked anyone might suggest posting more coins online to Andrew who probably has as many available to us as any individual (not counting businesses like CNG). I do agree that the group trays should link to high resolution images and I regret emphasizing rarities at the expense of common issues. I would love to see something along the line of Banti but with clear digital enlargements of a thousand minor types and devices. Such will come in the future as more museums go online with their massive holdings but it is normal for us to be impatient with the timeline on such projects.

I, for one, have used and appreciated all of Andrew's posted photos. What he collects is a relatively minor interest of mine but his efforts to spread what he has learned about Republican coins is commendable. Thank you.

Below is the only coin in my collection that is ex McCabe (via CNG). I'm happy he decided it was not good enough to make the cut for his collection. I have no intent of seeking an upgrade.

 

series: C.CENSORIN, L.RVBRI DOSSEN, VER GAR OGVL, M FAN L CRIT, L.IVLI BVRSIO, C. LICINIVS MACER, P.FOURIVS CRASSIPES, L.SVLLA IMPER ITERVM, P.CREPVSI, C.MAMIL LIMETANVS, L.CENSOR

some notable coins
- RRC 346/3 Censorinus type with Kings Numa Pompilia and Ancus Marcus has historically been a very popular coin, often illustrated in early modern books; from the 1500s to 1700s it was believed such coins might have been struck close to the time of the Kings of Rome; this from my book Medaglie, Inscrittioni et altre Antichita, Antonio Augusto, Rome 1592
and this fabulous engraving from Canini's Iconografia, also in my library:
perhaps the single best early modern depiction of a Roman Republican struck bronze I know of, and very close to being my actual coin
- RRC 348/4 quinarius is exceptionally well struck for the type
- RRC 350 GAR OGVL VER series, I have denarii whose reverse legends starts with each of the three names (all very rare) as well as the anonymous types. The names, so shortened, are not firmly established. We tend to go with Gargilia, Ogulnia and Vergilia but there remains other possibilities
- RRC 351/1 rare Fannia and Critonia denarius is ex Mario Ratto 1928
- RRC 356/1 with reverse gouge is the main plate illustration coin from Clive Stannard's explanation of how the al-marco weight adjustment process worked cf Stannard in Metallurgy in Numismatics 3, 1993, pp.45-70, this coin pl.2,12.

"Ancient mints sometimes adjusted weights by gouging a sliver, occasionally slivers, of metal from the face of a flan, before striking the coin. The results are characteristic and easily recognizable. Examples in silver are known from Lycia, Paeonia (King Audoleon), Velia, and the Roman Republic, and there is a gold example in the coinage of Constantine I. The frequency of the use of gouging in the Roman Republic makes it possible to study whether weight adjustment was carried out al pezzo (which means that each individual flan was brought within the tolerances of the weight standard for the issue), or whether it was done al marco (which means not paying too much attention to the weights of individual coins, but ensuring that a fixed number of flans were made from a fixed weight of metal). This question can be investigated by looking at the histograms of large number of denarii, in issues known to use gouging. In al marco adjustment, a block of flans is cast a little heavy. The right number of flans for the desired weight of coins is counted out (and the overall weight will, of course be, too heavy). Flans that look heavy are successively picked out one by one, without too much attention to the weight, and a sliver of metal is gouged off. The gouged flans are tossed back into the block, until the overall weight is reduced to the correct overall weight. Figure at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/3742991304/ models this process. As a result of adjustment al marco, the linked histogram is negatively skewed (the size of the upper leg has been reduced), and has high kurtosis (the center of the histogram is higher than a normal distribution.) 8,649 denarii from between 144 and 43 BC were checked to identify issues with gouging. 1.34% of all the coins looked at were gouged. The weight histograms of 4,587 Roman Republican denarii in the issues known to be gouged was negatively skewed, with high kurtosis, showing that they had been adjusted al marco. In these issues, 2.53% of the coins showed signs of gouging. A related Stannard reference with additional material on same subject is at https://www.academia.edu/1443037/Weight_adjustment_al_marco_in_Antiquity_and_the_Athenian_decadrachm." [this summary Clive Stannard]
​

- RRC 359 Sulla denarius is ex Voirol coll. M&M 1968
- RRC 360 Crepusius and Limetanus denarius is ex Leo Benz coll. (Lanz 88) and Dr. E.P. Nicolas coll. (Leu 17) and = Banti MARCIA 92 (Rarity 7, due legend and type variety). Die number is II (2) from a very large number (there is no die I/1 and no unnumbered die) and there are several variations on this coin from the subsequent very large issue. I always find it interesting when several very notable collectors choose such a coin despite of its wear. And now me.
- RRC 346/1 L.Censor is also ex Nicolas



Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48979808047/

 

Thank you for the very kinds words Doug, and of course I must mirror them exactly because 15 years ago when my website was still just in text format, your site was already the go-to place for superb photography and stories about coins. You were posting such photos many years before I did.

I have no competence in photography at all, apart that which comes from trying lots of random things and eventually working out what works better, but I try make up for it with Stakhanovite volumes of output. At least, one has to try one's best.

Try this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/collections/72157651148771015/

(Above link is actually my own preferred home page when I visit Flickr: Crawford arrangement of every coin I've shot - tho often with upgrades replacing worse coins)
And this index to my entire photo sets:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/collections/
​

 

series: Q.ANTO BALB PR, C.ANNIVS T.F T.N, L.SVLLA IMP L.MANLI, L.SVLA IMPE, M.METELLVS Q.F., C.SERVEIL C.F., A.POST A.F S.N ALBIN, Anonymous, Q.C.M.P.I., IMPER, Q, EX.S.C., L.VLO. L.F. STRABO, C.MARI C.F., L.PROCILI.F., C.POBLICI Q.F., L.PAPI, M.VOLTEI.M.F.
(it's notable by this period, 80s BC, moneyers used very extensive versions of their family names, or none at all if it was a coinage for Sulla)

some notable coins:
- RRC 366/1b - this is one of several coins I have from the Peter Hoefer collection, who self-issued an illustrated booklet of his collection for sale in February 1980. Many coins ended being sold in Sternberg XI (Nov.1981) but it's still good to know when a collector's name can be added to a coin
- RRRC 368/1 is the last prow bronze struck under the Roman Republic in the name of L.SVLA IMPE. Curiously it reverted back to a full ounce weight standard, abandoning the semuncial of the 80s BC. A lovely patinated coin
- RRC 370/1b is a Knobloch and Signorelli coin ex Stack's (3 May 1978) and Santamaria (4 Jun.1952)
- RRC 372/1 is ex the "Deyo" collection - he or she bought it in CNA VII in 1989. Does anyone know who "Deyo" was?
- RRC 374/2 is ex Malter XXIX (22 Mar.1985) lot 454 Frederick Hastings Rindge Collection (1857–1905) collection on loan to Boston Museum of Fine Arts cf. 1902 curator's report "we have the Frederick Hastings Rindge Collection as a loan, of which 1105 specimens are exhibited, the majority being Roman of the Republican period"
- RRC 376/1 EX S.C. is very rare
- RRC 377/1 with Europa and the bull is ex Leo Hamburger (19 Oct.1925) lot 386 (32 RM) Niklovitch coll. I have other Niklovitch coins in my collection



Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48980056863/

 

series: L.CASSI Q.F., P.SATRIENVS, L.RVSTI, L.LVCRETI TRIO, C.EGNATIVS CN.F, L.FARSVLEI MENSOR, CN.LEN.Q. EX S.C., L.PLAETORI L.F. Q. SC, P.LENT.P.F.L.N.Q, Q.POMPONI, Q.CREPEREI ROCVS, MN.AQVIL, KALENI CORDI, T.VETTIVS, M.PLAETORIVS CEST
With this tray we move into perhaps the most popular era of Roman Republican coin collecting, the pre-Imperatorial coinage of the 70s, 60s and 50s BC.

some notable coins:
- RRC 486/1 Cassia is ex Archer M. Huntington Collection. Huntington ceased collecting by 1913 with few coins bought after c.1905 so anything with his provenance is unlikely to score any other 20th century auction provenance. Huntington's coins were bequeathed to the Hispanic Society of America who in 1955 lodged them with the American Numismatic Society; the H.S.A. sold the coins in 2014. Supposedly (?) Huntington gave the coins to the H.S.A. assuming they would provide a more reliable home than the A.N.S.; this went badly wrong.
- RRC 390/2 Lucretia is ex Roberto Russo collection of Roman Republican silver coins sold by Numismatic Fine Arts in NFA27, Dec.1991. This coin was bought by unmarried loner Herbert J. Sukenik who lived in the Mayflower hotel in NYC and sat out developers for years before accepting a $17 million offer to move home.
- RRC 391/2 Egnatia is ex NAC1 in 1989, a rare catalogue and a rare provenance
- RRC 396/1b Plaetorius with athlete and strigil symbol is a rare type very rarely found so well struck as the symbols are at the edge of the die; it is ex Leo Benz coll.
- RRC 398/1 Pomponius Rufus with eagle is a very rare type. This coin is cited by Debernardi "The denarii of Q.POMPONI RVFVS" JNG61,2011 n.24. Lovely prawn symbol.
- RRC 399 Crepereia is another rarity ex Alfred Page, Parisian Amateur coll. (19 Jun.1933) lot 567 = Banti CREPEREIA 1/3 (this coin). Charming crab symbol this time!
- RRC 404 Vettius with King Tatius is ex Pierre Egbers coll.; Egbers collected in the 1930s to 1950s and his collection was sold in 2014 when in great old age
- RRC 405 Plaetorius with anguipede giant in pediment is ex L.S.Ruder coll. 1901-1965; the principal source of the Ruder collection was the estate of Dr. Philip Holmes of Chicago who amassed most of his coins in the 1920s. Another coin where the chances of finding an intermediate provenance is thus vanishingly low due to the age of the provenances I already know of
- RRC 405/2 Plaetorius "SORS" denarius is ex Stack's Virginia coll. (6 Sep.1973) lot 623 ex Cahn-Hess 17th Jul.1933 lot 2190 Haeberlin coll. I have several Haeberlins.



Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48981029303/

Crawford arrangement of my coins, here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/collections/72157651148771015/

 

series: P.GALB, C.HOSIDI, C.PISO FRVGI, M.PLAETORIVS CESTIANVS, Q.POMPONI MVSA, L.TORQVAT, L.ROSCI, L.CASSI, L.FVRI

some notable coins:
- RRC 410 Pomponius Musa, I have a rather good run of these including Hercules Musarum, Clio, Meplomene, Terspichore, Erato, Urania, Thalia and Polhymnia. For arguments as to why the Muse with square bottomed lyre and flower behind obverse head is always always always Erato and never Terpsichore see Phil Davis in "Fides" (Essays Witschonke) but also almost every antiquarian author on same subject; some Victorian prude took a completely wrong turn by putting it about that the irrelevant position of an arm mattered more than the type of lyre and the related flower symbol just because Victorians didn't like the idea of Erato being on Roman coins except in error!
- Melpomene is ex Eton College collection (cf. Thackeray 1882 tho this coin isn't specifically listed). Terpsichore is ex Sally Rosenberg in 1928. Erato is ex Haeberlin, Cahn-Hess 1933. Urania is ex a collection formed in the 1960s or earlier housed in Clarke boxes made from 1916 onwards: the surfaces of this coin is a bit scrappy but it is exceptionally complete for the type and holds promise of possibly great provenance

- finally Polhymnia is ex Stack's Nov.1967 Hall Park McCullough (1872-1966) coll., a venerable US collection of Roman Republican coins
- RRC 407/2 Hosidia (small flan type) is ex Ben Merison, Wellingborough, UK who purchased this coin directly from the descendants of Benjamin Nightingale; the ticket being from 1940s appraisal of the collection. Benjamin Nightingale was a wine and spirit merchant at 17 Upper Stamford Street, London. He was born in 1806 and died on March 9th, 1862 and was a well known Antiquarian and was a member of the Numismatic Society of London.
- RRC 408 Caius Piso Frugi with apothecary symbol behind head is ex Ars Classica XI in 1925
- RRC 409/2 with Cybele has an unrecorded symbol on reverse - an Awl. The symbols on this issue have been well studied and recorded e.g. by Charles Hersh, Babelon, Crawford etc and a new symbol is unusual


Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48981338868/

 

You have a very impressive collection, especially the denarii.

 

series: PAVLLVS LEPIDVS, LIBO SCRIBON, M.PISO, M.LEPIDVS, M.SCAVR C.HYPSAE, C.SERVEIL, C.CONSIDI, PHILLIPVS , FAVSTVS, C.MEMMI, Q.CASSIVS, P.FONTEIVS, P.CRASSVS, A.PLAVTIVS, BRVTVS
The Tyrannicides Brutus and Cassius make their first appearance in this tray, alongside the son of the First Triumvirate Crassus who was to die at Carrhae in 53 BC; the younger Crassus served under Julius Caesar in Gaul

some notable coins:
- RRC 418/2b Piso Frugi is ex Leo Benz and Alfred Page 1933 Parisian Amateur collections
- RRC 419/1d has legend M.LEPIDVS / AN.XV PR.H.O.C.S. refers to a 15 year old ancestor of the moneyer who killed an enemy and thereby saved the life of a citizen when serving in the army at that young age. Since the type comes with or without this legend, it's best to try get an example with the legend that reflects this great story
- RRC 419/2 with turreted City of Alexandria = Cohen 1857 pl.1 Aemilia 7 (this coin) = Babelon 1885 p.128 Aemilia 24 (this coin) = E.E. Clain Stefanelli, Life in Republican Rome on its Coins, 1999, p.43 (this coin) = Banti AEMILIA 87 (this coin)
The engravings were done by Dardel, and comparison of a lot of examples of Dardel's where the match is certain because a Paris collection coin was involved, one sees Dardel often brought legends that are half-off flan onto flan as in the case of M.LEPIDVS, and tried to correctly represent the intersection of circle or dot borders with coin edges, but otherwise shape of flan - as hand drawn - is not always quite perfect. This coin and picture share many matching elements including the flan bulges, the border intersections and of course matching dies as seen by the arrangement eg of the letters of ALEXSANDREA. Additionally nice that Clain-Stefanelli illustrated the coin in her book.
- RRC 422/1, Doug Smith mentioned he has my prior coin; though more worn than Doug's, I like the provenance of my new example: I was told it was from a 1950s-60s English coll. then found it in two places, Gerhard Hirsch (26 Oct.1954) lot 7 = Banti Aemilia 13 (this coin). I also like its centering and completeness, surfaces and strikes
- RRC 424 with Temple of Venus at Eryx comes from a 1970 Glendining's sale. Polybius says

Eryx is a mountain on the sea on that side of Sicily which looks towards Africa. It is situated between Drepana and Panormus, or rather it is adjacent to Drepana, on the borders, and is much the biggest mountain in Sicily after Etna. On its summit, which is flat, stands the temple of Venus Erycina, which is indisputably the first in wealth and general magnificence of all the Sicilian holy places. The city extends along the hill under the actual summit, the ascent to it being very long and steep on all sides.​

- RRC 426/2 Hercules and Diana with moon and stars comes from a 1950s M&M FPL: interesting that over 60 years later it has hardly toned despite having perfect surfaces. Makes one wonder how old the collection provenance of coins which HAVE toned deeply
- RRC 427/1 Memmius with trophy is another case where I bought from "a collection composed of specimens collected by the collector during the 50s and 60s and purchased from the major merchants of the time" and later found a 1950s German provenance. When there are provenance hints such as this in coin sales, I later find a remarkably high proportion of coins in catalogues from the era. ALSO, if I have or am aware of one or two coins with old provenance in a given sale, there tends to be a high chance of finding old provenances from other coins in the same sale. This is part of my techniques for finding provenances - I buy coins more likely to have them in the first place


Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48985019486/

 

series: BRVTVS, SVLLA + RVFVS , MESSAL, L.VINICI, CALDVS, SER SVLP, MARCELLVS, CAESAR, COPONIVS + SICINIVS, L.LENTVLVS, MAGN, HOSTLIVS

This tray covers the start of Imperatorial coinage around 50 BC with issues of Julius Caesar under his own name and the Hostilius Saserna series clearly celebrating Caesar, and initial issues of Pompey the Great under his own name and that of the elected magistrates in 49 BC; also in this tray are a number of generally rare issues of the late 50s BC.

some notable coins:
- RRC 435/1 MESSALA F. PATRE COS is the most blatantly nepotistic coin type in the entire Roman Republican series: "my dad is the consul". Very rare too
- RRC 433/2 Brutus and Ahala has splendid portraits of the first consul of Rome 509 BC and Gaius Servilius Ahala, magister equitum in 389 BC. The series comes in a range of portrait qualities - the better ones have crows feet around Brutus' eyes. the adjacent coin has an excellent portrait of Sulla.
- RRC 440/1 Sicinius is ex Santamaria Signorelli collection 1952
- RRC 446/1 Pompey the Great with Piso is ex Vinchon 1971; a later provenance is more interesting - Bernhard Terletzki, a German born 1932 from Wartenburg, East Prussia, now Barczewo, Poland, whose population was expelled to Schleswig-Hollstein in 1945; the collector will have had a no doubt traumatic early life.
- RRC 448/2 the supposed portrait type of Vercingetorix has an unusually excellent reverse
- RRC 446 Numa Pompilius struck by Varro for Pompey is in exceptional style on large flan with beautiful dolphin, eagle and sceptre reverse
- RRC 438 Sulpicia has one of the most complex reverses on a Republican coin type. To be honest, its complexity reminds me of the ugliest US state quarters none of which have any artistic merit but the there's a lot to look at on this well struck coin


Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48986507727/

 

series: C.VIBIVS PANSA, ALBINVS BRVTI, A.POSTVMIVS, CAESAR, L.PLAVTIVS PLANCVS, C.ANTIVS, A.ALLIENVS, SCIPIO IMP, EPPIVS, CRASS.IVN, M.CATO, M.CORDIVS RVFVS

This tray covers the later period of the Pompeian supporters in north Africa as well as the Caesarian issues in their pursuit and in Rome; the Romans recommenced the issue of fractional quinarii and sestertii most of which are rare and found in abysmal condition.

some notable coins:
- RRC 451/1, Pan/hands, is a scarce type, this coin being ex Knobloch collection
- RRC 452/2 Caesar's 52 year old issue is ex Karl Kress in 1961. Kress took over Otto Helbing (being a Jewish owned business) in the late 1930s but kept its name until 1944 and then continued its numeration, from Helbing 85 to Kress 86 in 1944. I also have the very rare quinarius from this issue which has slightly different types to the denarius.
- RRC 457/1 Julius Caesar with Allienus usually comes flat struck but I am not seeking a replacement as this coin is ex Sotheby's (4 Nov 1982) lot 422 ex Alnwick Castle Duke of Northumberland Collection, Rear Admiral Henry Smyth 1856 table I/32
- RRC 458/1, Caesar with Aeneas and Anchises, is ex Arthur Bally Herzog coll. (1849-1912) purchased from L. Hamburger, Frankfurt August 9, 1907
- RRC 460/3, a very rare type of Metellus Scipio in north Africa is a plate coin in Alfoeldi: "Sulla, Ruler by the Grace of God", Chiron 6, 1976, pp.142-158, pls.7-10, this coin cited and illustrated. This article was republished in English in a third green volume to accompany the famous Julius Caesar die study (vol.2). The coin is ex Münzen Medaillen 17 (1957) and Karl Kress 92 (1952); the photo in the Alfoeldi article is clearly better than either auction photo which makes me wonder whether Alfoeldi had access to the coin in 1976 perhaps via a collector.
- RRC 460/4 is the even rarer type with Sekhmet - I bought this from an English seller in St.Albans north of London who usually has detectorist finds, in 1990, long before the world wide web was available for coin surfing let alone the Portable Antiquities Scheme to record detectorist finds! I've owned this coin nearly 30 years.

- RRC 463/2 Cordius Rufus with Aegis and Medusa head, despite its bright surfaces, comes from a 1932 Spink Numismatic Circular where £1-10/ or one and a half sovereigns (England was on the gold standard). That's relatively expensive!



Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48986585416/

Crawford arrangement of my coins, here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/collections/72157651148771015/

 

series: T. CARISIVS, C.CONSIDIVS PAETVS, A.HIRTIVS, CAESAR, CN.MAGNVS, M.POBLICI, M.MINAT SABIN, L.VALERIVS ACISCVLVS, C.CLOVI., Q OPPIVS PR

The coinage of Rome, under Julius Caesar, and of the sons of Magnus, Cnaeus and Sextus.

some notable coins:
- RRC 470, a Pompey with Minatius type, is a classic rarity; I once owned three of the many varieties now just this one which is in quite nice condition
- Carisia RRC 464 and Considia RRC 465 are notoriously difficult types with the vast majority of coins very badly struck despite being common and easy to collect. The four denarii of these moneyers are the result of constant upgrading and weeding so as to arrive at a few coins with the least unacceptable issues. I very much like the coins that remain. Of course the sestertius and quinarius types are all horrible but very rare.
- RRC 466 Hirtius aureus was my first gold coin bought 1996. A very common type. So common that the vast majority of such types found in the last couple of centuries have been melted down. Today they are expensive but they should not be.
- RRC 474/2/4 Valerius Acisculus with helmeted owl / anguipede giant respectively are very and exceedingly rare, indeed the anquipede giant type is among the most difficult types to find in the Republican series.
- RRC 550 Oppius is placed alongside RRC 476 Clovius dupondius - correctly in my view; Marto Barbata assembled known specimens of the Oppius types and concluded they are from the mint of Rome c.45 BC. The Oppius in this tray is among the rarest know Imperatorial bronzes with facing Victory akin to the Victory of Samothrace. I am aware of just four other examples, three listed by Bahrfeldt as well as Vecchi 3,609.



Details of the coin types and their provenances are listed below the Flickr image here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ahala_rome/48986914716/

 

I would pay admission at a museum to see such fine and outstanding coins.