The beginning of the republic

I may be incorrect but I interpret from reading McCabe that the first coins strck with Roma on the coins were bronze unciae with ship prow on the reverse. The ones I have seen are dated approx. 215BC. Does this seem about right?

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I've read the same. I have a Semis of said type...

Anonymous Roman Republic
AE Semis 21mm, 8.6g, anonymous, after 211 BC.
Obv.: Laureate head of Saturn right; S behind.
Rev.: Prow of galley right; S above, ROMA below.
Crawford 56/3; Sydenham 143a; BMCRR 229; Sear 766.

 

Thats a great looking coin. McCabe's site is most imformative about the formation and early days if the republic. My collecting focus is headed in that direction.

 

He's certainly in the top tier of experts when it comes to early Roman coinage.

 

I haven't spent enough time on his website, but here's an ex-McCabe Collection ship prow bronze. Similar to JA's coin, but an earlier series and of a heavier standard.


ROMAN REPUBLIC
Anonymous Staff and Club series Æ Semis
24.5g, 33mm
Etruria, 208 BC. Crawford 106/5.
O: Laureate head of Saturn right, S behind.
R: Prow right, S and staff above, ROMA below.

 

Nice topic

 

I have not read the original statement here but I wonder if we need to be careful using the word struck here. I believe the first series struck rather than cast (aes grave) included the uncia which has Roma or Bellona depending who you read. Mine is 14.17g which would make it semilibral standard. The heavier unciae I have seen were cast including some of the same obverse and reverse design so I'd say these cast ones were the first with Roma head. The only cast bronze I have is a turtle sextans (2 unciae) at 38.4g which would still seem too light to be liberal standard but I have not studied what to expect on these.


I someone was thinking of buying me a present, I would not mind the liberal Janus as currently on the market by Ed Waddell. At 278.77g, it is just a little under theoretical liberal standard and would be quite close enough to perfect by my standards. When I started wanting a liberal as, you could get them for $1000. Those were the good old days. Style seems to mean a lot on these since some are much more crude and half the price of nice ones in the same state of preservation. Relatively few seem to be worn.

 

i don't have a roma, but i have this cast semuncia with the ship prow reverse...mercury obverse.

 

Well, the earliest examples that I have are from circa 180-160 BC ...

=> a couple of Anonymous Roman Republic AE Asses ...

 

Hey, chrsmat => Doug once told me that Saturn "S" was the obverse-guy on the Semis "S" (I usually believe Doug)

ooops, never-mind ... I checked the CNG archives and discovered that apparently an Æ Semuncia has "Mercury" as its guy (sorry, carry-on, my friend)

Ummm, I'm now guessing that an Æ Semuncia is not the same thing as a Semis? (huh, I already learned something today => now I can call-in sick)

 

I would add to the above (interesting write up Steve, wherever you got it from) a rare quartuncia (not at its best, but what the heck...) :



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

 

To make things more confusing lets remember that the several standards changes means that the 1/4 uncia of a semilibral standard will be a larger coin than a larger denomination of a smaller series. Sometimes you will see the series called by the name of the fraction of the libral series that weighs the same. Therefore a 'sextantal' as weighs about the same as a libral sextans. Q's 1/48 as of the half size as is about the same size of a quadrans (1/4 as) of the 1st century BC when the standards were really reduced.

 

This bronse weighs 11.24grams and is 24mm.

So Doug, this is a half uncia? Confused by your last post.

 

What is the source for this info?

 

=> you dare challenge the almighty stevex6?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/As_(Roman_coin)

... yah, I merely found the info on my good ol' source wikistupido

 

The universal brain!

 

Who ?
Stevewiki6 ?


Q

 

No doubting the Stevesextus. I just like to copy data into a binder i keep. Great reference material.