New RR added

[Qcumbor]

Two actually, but you will have to wait for the second one

Last week was the Lugdunum (Lyon) annual coinshow. For Covid reason it's not been organised in 2020 and 2021, thus it was my first coinshow in three years. What a pleasure to be able to hold coins in the flesh rather than on a screen, even though they are ridiculously small 🙂

But since I've had my two cornea transplants I can now see them just like when I was 25 yo !!

Anyway, I found two coins, not the top of the pops in terms of quality, but good enough for the purpose of adding nice specimens to the RR tray

C. Coelius Caldus, Denarius - Rome mint, 104 BC
Helmeted head of Roma left
Victory in biga going left. CALD under the biga and [control mark] at exergue
3.94 gr - 18,5 mm
Ref : RCV # 196, RSC, Coelia # 1, Crawford # 318/1

Please, feel free to pile on with anything you find relevant. Comments and corrections are welcome

Q

[Alegandron]

Wow, a leftward biga, Cuke! Very nice!

 

Here is a leftward quadriga...

RR Anon AR Heavy Quinarius / Half-Quadrigatus / Drachm 216-214 BCE Janus ROMA Jupiter Victory Quadriga LEFT Cr 29-4 S 35

[Carausius]

I think that's a Crawford 28 drachm, @Alegandron.  Note the clearly defined, two sideburns.  

[Alegandron]

2 minutes ago, Carausius said:

I think that's a Crawford 28 drachm, @Alegandron.  Note the clearly defined, two sideburns.  

Thank you for that update! I remember agonizing over that a long time ago when I snared it

[Severus Alexander]

I'm just glad the great Q is here! 🥳

Here's an anonymous 197/1a (157-56 BCE) that I hardly ever posted back on that other site 😉:

 

[Qcumbor]

1 hour ago, Severus Alexander said:

I'm just glad the great Q is here! 🥳

Thanks !

And I'm glad myself to be here together with so notorious nice people and experts !

Q

[zumbly]

Nice addition, Q!  I love the old collection look it has.  Here's an RR that has a similar appeal for me.

ROMAN REPUBLIC
AR Denarius. 3.75g, 19mm.
Rome mint, 46 BC. T. Carisius, moneyer. Crawford 464/5; Sydenham 985.
O: Draped bust of Victory to right; behind, S•C.
R: T•CARISI, Victory in prancing quadriga to right, holding wreath in her right hand and reins in her left.

[Dafydd]

Nice coins. Here is one of mine that I like because of the golden hue.

Helmeted head of Roma facing rght. X (XVI monogram) below chin, modius behind. Victory in biga right, M.MAR  ( MAR in monogram)/ROMA divided by two corn ears below. 3.89 gm 19 mm Ex-Michael Trenerry. 

Interesting that a modius was the standard measure used for corn and wheat.

[antwerpen2306]

@Severus Alexander your anonymous coin with Victoria is a transitional stage between the Luna and the later Victoria representations. This coin has two references : Cr 197/1a with a goad in the right hand and /1b with a whip. The representation with a goad looks to be copied from CR187, where Luna holds a goad. This style with a goad is not used longtime on RR. Also typical for this coin is the representation of the horses of the biga, the second horse is nearly totally hidden by the first, this is the only coin known with this representation. Also the representation of the name of Roma is special with two oblique vertical lines. The number of dies for this coin is not given by Crawford. 

[Alegandron]

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

[Severus Alexander]

6 hours ago, antwerpen2306 said:

@Severus Alexander your anonymous coin with Victoria is a transitional stage between the Luna and the later Victoria representations. This coin has two references : Cr 197/1a with a goad in the right hand and /1b with a whip. The representation with a goad looks to be copied from CR187, where Luna holds a goad. This style with a goad is not used longtime on RR. Also typical for this coin is the representation of the horses of the biga, the second horse is nearly totally hidden by the first, this is the only coin known with this representation. Also the representation of the name of Roma is special with two oblique vertical lines. The number of dies for this coin is not given by Crawford. 

Thank you so much for this additional info about my coin, @antwerpen2306!  I'm glad to learn it has some special aspects.  Before I enjoyed its deep and somewhat colourful toning while rueing its off-centre reverse; now I have new things to appreciate about it!  I happened to have the coin at home today and since it deserves a better photo than my old fledgling effort, I whipped out my cell to capture a new quickie that does the coin more justice:

Looking at acsearch, it seems the whip version (197/1b) is considerably rarer than the goad.  Is that right?  I'm assuming the small curve in mine is consistent with a goad, and that the whip requires some sign of the string coming back down to meet Victory's hand.  Please correct me if I'm wrong about that!  And thanks again. 🙏

[Qcumbor]

13 hours ago, Severus Alexander said:

 I'm assuming the small curve in mine is consistent with a goad, and that the whip requires some sign of the string coming back down to meet Victory's hand

For the little I know,  a whip would look like on that one below :

L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi, Denarius - Rome mint, 90 BC
Laureate head of Apollo right, Δ below chin
Naked horseman galloping right, holding whip; above swan. L.PISO.FRUGI / ROMA at exergue
3,93 gr - 18,8 mm
Ref : RCV # 235, RSC # 12b, RRC # 340/1-Calpurnia 12b-symbol 166
Ex. Naville Numismatics

 

Q

[antwerpen2306]

@Severus Alexander, yes,it is a goad, compare it with mine. Beautiful color, especially the obverse. I can not answer about the rarity. Crawford gives for this coin and the next (198/1 with the Dioscuri) no number. For 197/1 (2 varieties) he gives 208 coins in 8 hoards, for 198/1 20 coins in 8 hoards without detail. I think acsearch can be an indication but it depend of a lot of factors.

First my Victoria in biga 197/1a with a goad, next 198/1 the Dioscuri, albert

            

198/1

  

 

 

[Alegandron]

42 minutes ago, antwerpen2306 said:

@Severus Alexander, yes,it is a goad, compare it with mine. Beautiful color, especially the obverse. I can not answer about the rarity. Crawford gives for this coin and the next (198/1 with the Dioscuri) no number. For 197/1 (2 varieties) he gives 208 coins in 8 hoards, for 198/1 20 coins in 8 hoards without detail. I think acsearch can be an indication but it depend of a lot of factors.

First my Victoria in biga 197/1a with a goad, next 198/1 the Dioscuri, albert

            

198/1

  

 

 

REALLY like these Denarii.  Very cool placement of Banker's Mark on 187 !

[DonnaML]

Beautiful coins, everyone, including yours, @Qcumbor!  I had cataract surgeries on both my eyes in January, and it's very nice to be able to see things up close again. Without wearing eyeglasses!

@zumbly, I love your T. Carisius. I have another coin issued by the same moneyer in the same year:

Roman Republic, T. Carisius, AR Denarius, 46 BCE, Rome mint. Obv. Head of Sibyl (or Sphinx) right, her hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling, tied with bands / Rev. Human-headed Sphinx seated right with open wings, wearing cap, T•CARISIVS above,; in exergue, III•VIR. Crawford 464/1, RSC I Carisia 11 (ill.), Sear RCV I 446 (ill.), Sear Roman Imperators 69 (ill. p. 46), Sydenham 983a, BMCRR 4061. 19 mm., 3.87 g.*

 

*The head on the obverse is described simply as a “Sibyl” in Crawford, “Sibyl Herophile” in Sear, and “Aphrodisian Sibyl” (i.e., Sibyl relating to Aphrodite/Venus) in RSC and BMCRR. The Sibyl Herophile was the name of a Sibyl at Erythae in Ionia opposite Chios, also associated with Samos. Crawford notes at p. 476 that the combination of a Sibyl on the obverse and a sphinx on the reverse “recall
those of Gergis in the Troad [citing BMC Troas, pp. xxx and 55], perhaps allud[ing] to Caesar’s Trojan origin,” the moneyer being a supporter of Caesar. See the examples of these coins of Gergis at https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/troas/gergis/i.html and https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=79 . On each such coin, the Sibyl is characterized as “Sibyl Herophile.” Characterizing her as the “Aphrodisian” Sibyl would relate to the gens Julia’s legendary descent from Venus. The theory that the obverse instead portrays the head of the Sphinx on the reverse is presented in an article by D. Woods, “Carisius, Acisculus, and the Riddle of the Sphinx,” American Journal of Numismatics Vol. 25 (2013).

The “IIIVIR” in the exergue on the reverse refers to the moneyer’s position at the mint. See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=IIIVIR, defining the term as a “Latin abbreviation: Triumvir. On coins of the Roman Republic IIIVIR is used as a shortened abbreviation for IIIVIR AAAFF, which abbreviates ‘III viri aere argento auro flando feiundo’ or ‘Three men for the casting and striking of bronze, silver and gold,’ a moneyer or mint magistrate.”

 

[zumbly]

11 hours ago, DonnaML said:

@zumbly, I love your T. Carisius. I have another coin issued by the same moneyer in the same year:

Roman Republic, T. Carisius, AR Denarius, 46 BCE, Rome mint. Obv. Head of Sibyl (or Sphinx) right, her hair elaborately decorated with jewels and enclosed in a sling, tied with bands / Rev. Human-headed Sphinx seated right with open wings, wearing cap, T•CARISIVS above,; in exergue, III•VIR. Crawford 464/1, RSC I Carisia 11 (ill.), Sear RCV I 446 (ill.), Sear Roman Imperators 69 (ill. p. 46), Sydenham 983a, BMCRR 4061. 19 mm., 3.87 g.*

 

*The head on the obverse is described simply as a “Sibyl” in Crawford, “Sibyl Herophile” in Sear, and “Aphrodisian Sibyl” (i.e., Sibyl relating to Aphrodite/Venus) in RSC and BMCRR. The Sibyl Herophile was the name of a Sibyl at Erythae in Ionia opposite Chios, also associated with Samos. Crawford notes at p. 476 that the combination of a Sibyl on the obverse and a sphinx on the reverse “recall
those of Gergis in the Troad [citing BMC Troas, pp. xxx and 55], perhaps allud[ing] to Caesar’s Trojan origin,” the moneyer being a supporter of Caesar. See the examples of these coins of Gergis at https://www.wildwinds.com/coins/greece/troas/gergis/i.html and https://www.asiaminorcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=79 . On each such coin, the Sibyl is characterized as “Sibyl Herophile.” Characterizing her as the “Aphrodisian” Sibyl would relate to the gens Julia’s legendary descent from Venus. The theory that the obverse instead portrays the head of the Sphinx on the reverse is presented in an article by D. Woods, “Carisius, Acisculus, and the Riddle of the Sphinx,” American Journal of Numismatics Vol. 25 (2013).

The “IIIVIR” in the exergue on the reverse refers to the moneyer’s position at the mint. See https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=IIIVIR, defining the term as a “Latin abbreviation: Triumvir. On coins of the Roman Republic IIIVIR is used as a shortened abbreviation for IIIVIR AAAFF, which abbreviates ‘III viri aere argento auro flando feiundo’ or ‘Three men for the casting and striking of bronze, silver and gold,’ a moneyer or mint magistrate.”

Thanks, your T. Carisius is great, especially with that amount of detail on the sphinx on the reverse. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by zumbly

[kapphnwn]

Not exactly a new coin but an interesting new discovery

Denarius of L. Piso L. F. L. N. Frugi Obv Head of Apollo rught laureate Rv naked male on galloping horse right, Crawford 340/1 4.12 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen

As many of you know I have been hunting through the RNumis site (cannot recommend this site enough)   looking for "hidden pedigrees." I was looking at the Adolph Cahn & Adolph Hess Auction 83 which was held on July 17 1933 in Frankfurt am Main  I had already found one other hidden pedigree in this auction and then I stumbled on this image 

I compared it to my coin and found a match.  As the image in the auction is a cast, there are some minor distortions This auction featured the collection of Ernst Justus Haeberlin He wrote one of the primary references on the cast Roman coinage which was published in 1910. s 

    Ernst Justus Haeberlin

The only pedigree I had on my coin up to then was the auction that i had purchased it from back in 2018. Going through these on line auction cats reminds me about someone's comments on the game of Golf. You can have a perfectly frustrating day and then you get that one perfect drive and all is forgotten , I had two perfect drives this day. 

 

Edited June 9, 2022 by kapphnwn

[DonnaML]

13 hours ago, zumbly said:

Thanks, your T. Carisius is great, especially with that amount of detail on the sphinx on the reverse. 

Indeed. You can clearly see her wool cap and sunglasses!

[antwerpen2306]

@kapphnwn you were a very lucky man that day 🙂 Haeberlin was a very well know numismatist. I don t know the RNumis site, but will check it as soon an possible.  Thanks, albert

[VD76]

Roman Republic , L. Valerius Flaccus , 107 BC
Silver denarius . 3.90 g. Rome mint
Obverse : Draped bust of Victory right, wearing pendant earring and bead necklace, mark of value XVI in monogram before, dotted border .
Reverse : L• VA[LE]RI - FLACCI in two lines downward before, Mars standing half-left, grasping inverted spear and trophy, apex with chin-strap before, grain ear in foreground behind, dotted border.
Lightly toned. Struck from fresher dies. Localized wear .
Crawford 306/1 . RCV 183.
Ex. Freeman & Sear

 

 

[rNumis]

21 hours ago, kapphnwn said:

As many of you know I have been hunting through the RNumis site (cannot recommend this site enough)   looking for "hidden pedigrees." I was looking at the Adolph Cahn & Adolph Hess Auction 83 which was held on July 17 1933 in Frankfurt am Main  I had already found one other hidden pedigree in this auction and then I stumbled on this image...( Ernst Justus Haeberlin)

The only pedigree I had on my coin up to then was the auction that i had purchased it from back in 2018. Going through these on line auction cats reminds me about someone's comments on the game of Golf. You can have a perfectly frustrating day and then you get that one perfect drive and all is forgotten , I had two perfect drives this day.

Thank you for the recommendation!

Super happy the rnumis links to the online auction catalogs helped you locate some hidden provenances, especially a Haeberlin! That's awesome. One day if the provenance part of my website expands to Roman, I hope you'll be able to find these connections much more easily. Currently, you still have to look for Roman coins through a bunch of (online) catalogs. Better than nothing, but could be easier. One day!

Thanks again and happy hunting!

Steve

[Valentinian]

On 6/8/2022 at 11:06 AM, DonnaML said:

I love your T. Carisius. I have another coin issued by the same moneyer in the same year:

I connected with a private seller in Texas who was unloading his collection in 2014. He had a nice one of those that was much nicer than my typical Republican coins, which are not in top grade. It cost more more, but I love it:

46 BC. References as in @DonnaML's post.

Ex Sternberg XXXII (Oct, 1996) Lot 440. Ex Cederlind 129 lot 158, Dec. 2013.  Private sale (name withheld), Sept. 2014.

[Qcumbor]

Wow!

That’s really something

Q

[DonnaML]

1 hour ago, Valentinian said:

I connected with a private seller in Texas who was unloading his collection in 2014. He had a nice one of those that was much nicer than my typical Republican coins, which are not in top grade. It cost more more, but I love it:

46 BC. References as in @DonnaML's post.

Ex Sternberg XXXII (Oct, 1996) Lot 440. Ex Cederlind 129 lot 158, Dec. 2013.  Private sale (name withheld), Sept. 2014.

Wow. That's one of the best examples of that type I've seen, especially in the level of detail on the sphinx.

[Octavius]

 

ROMAN REPUBLIC. A. Postumius Albinus. Rome, 81 BC. AR Denarius, 3.94g (18mm, 2h). HISPAN Veiled head of Hispania r. / A - POST.A.F. - S.N.- ALBIN Togate figure standing l., raising hand; to l., legionary eagle and to r., fasces with axe.

Pedigree: Ex Frank Sternberg 2000 (35) lot 390; former Clarence Sweet Bement (1843-1923) collection, Naville 1924 (8) lot 303.

References: Crawford 372/2; RBW 1393. Babelon Postumia 8. Sydenham 746