Its time for: ROMAN IMPERIAL QUADRANS

[Prieure de Sion]

I have to admit, at first I wasn't very interested in these little things. However, I am becoming more and more fond of these beautiful little bronzes. Beautiful representations in the smallest of spaces. Unfortunately, I don't have that many yet - but I'll keep looking. 

 

 

Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Caligula
Quadrans of the Roman Imperial Period 39 AD; Material: AE Bronze; Diameter: 18mm; Weight: 3.03g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC I (second edition) Gaius/Caligula 39; Provenance: Ex Roma Numismatics London; Obverse: Pileus flanked by S C. The Inscription reads: C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG for Caius Caesar Divi Augusti Pronepos Augustus (Gaius Caesar, great-grandson of the divine Augustus, Augustus); Reverse: Legend surrounding RCC large in center of field. The Inscription reads: PON M TR P III P P COS DES III for Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Tertia, Pater Patriae, Consul Designatus Tertius (High priest, holder of tribunician power for the third time, father of the nation, consul elect for the third time).

 

 

Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus Caligula
Quadrans of the Roman Imperial Period 40/41 AD; Material: AE Bronze; Diameter: 17mm; Weight: 2.77g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC I (second edition) Gaius/Caligula 52; Provenance: Ex Naumann Numismatic Vienna Austria; Obverse: Pileus flanked by S C. The Inscription reads: C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG for Caius Caesar Divi Augusti Pronepos Augustus (Gaius Caesar, great-grandson of the divine Augustus, Augustus); Reverse: Legend surrounding RCC large in center of field. The Inscription reads: PON M TR P IIII P P COS TERT for Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Quarta, Pater Patriae, Consul Tertius (High priest, holder of tribunician power for the fourth time, father of the nation, consul for the third time).

 

Comment: No portrait of the young emperor Gaius Caligula, no head of another personality, no Roman or other deity, only the three letters RCC adorn the back of this bronze quadrans. They stand as an abbreviation for "Remissa ducentesima" (remission of the tax). The origins of this tax of one percent - the so-called "centesima" - date back to the time of the civil wars. It was levied in Rome and Italy on all goods put up for public sale at auction. It was collected by persons called "coactores" (Cic. ad Brut. 18, pro Rabir. Post. 11; Dig. 1 Tit. 16 s.17 §2). As mentioned, this tax is said to have been introduced at the time after the civil war (Tac. Ann. I.78) - Cicero mentions here that this was not the civil war between Octavian and Marcus Antonius, but from an earlier civil war, presumably between Marius and Sulla. Emperor Tiberius was later able to reduce the tax to half a percent (ducentesima) after he had turned Cappadocia into a province and thus increased the revenues of the empire (Tac. Ann. II.42). Caligula now abolished this tax at the beginning of his reign (RCC - Remissa ducentesima), as Suetonius (Suet. Kal. 16) reports - and this coin testifies here. The pileus depicted on the front is generally a symbol of freedom - which the young emperor propagated with this fiscal measure.

 

 

Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus
Quadrans of the Roman Imperial Period 42 AD; Material: AE Bronze; Diameter: 18mm; Weight: 3.23g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC I (second edition) Claudius 91; Provenance: Ex Artemide Aste Numismatica San Marino; Obverse: Hand left, holding pair of scales, PNR below. The Inscription reads: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG for Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus; Reverse: Legend surrounding S C. The Inscription reads: PON M TR P IMP P P COS II for Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate, Imperator, Pater Patriae, Consul Secundus (High priest, holder of tribunician power, Imperator, father of the nation, consul for the second time).

 

Comments: These letters are found on a third brass coin of Claudius. The reverse type of it is a right hand holding a balance, between the scales of which are these initials. - Havercamp and others interpret them Pondus Numi Romani (indication of weight). Eckhel agrees with Bellori in thinking it better explained by Pondus Numi Restitutum (weight restored) - [D.N.V., vi., 238.]

 

 

Please feel free to post your QUADRANS coins!

 

[CPK]

Unfortunately I only have one quadrans. But it's one of my favorite coins!

 

 

[Prieure de Sion]

3 minutes ago, CPK said:

Unfortunately I only have one quadrans. But it's one of my favorite coins!

Yes "only" one - but thats fantastic with this nice rhinoceros presentation. Thats cool! Thx for sharing with us.

 

Edited January 26, 2023 by Prieure de Sion

[Roman Collector]

My favorite quadrans is this Venus and dove one.


Anonymous--Domitian to Antoninus Pius.
Roman Æ quadrans, 12.9 mm, 2.37 g, 4 h
Rome, A.D. 81-161.
Obv: Bust of Venus, diademed, draped, right.
Rev: S-C, dove standing right.
Ref: RIC II, p. 218, 24; BMCRE --; Cohen VIII, p. 268, 10.

[Qcumbor]

My favorite (easy since it's my only one 😄 ) is this one :

ANONYMOUS. Time of Domitian to Antoninus Pius (81-161). Quadrans. Rome.

Draped and cuirassed bust of Minerva right, wearing Corinthian helmet.
Rev: S - C. Owl standing left.

2.35 g. - 14 mm.
Ref : RIC # 7.

 

 

Q

[Ryro]

I do enjoy these. Here are some of mine:

 

[ambr0zie]

I have a few and I am pretty fond of them 

Trajan AD 98-117. Rome
Quadrans Æ
114-117
20 mm., 3,01 g.
RIC II Trajan 693
IMP TRAIANO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI P P Type: Head of Trajan, laureate, right / S C, she-wolf walking right

Domitian AD 81-96. Rome
Quadrans Æ

17 mm, 2,14 g

Domitian, 81-96. Quadrans. Rome, 84-85. Rhinoceros walking left. Rev. IMP DOMIT AVG GERM around large S C. BMC 498. Cohen 674.  RIC II, Part 1 (second edition) Domitian 251; RIC II 435; Sear RCV I (2000), 2835

 

2.24 g 15.3 mm 
RIC II Nerva 113
Date: AD 98
IMP NERVA CAES AVG, modius containing four corn-ears /  S C, winged caduceus upright
 

[Octavius]

 Here is  a quadrans of Caligula with Tribunicia Potestas IIII - struck within  days of his assassination , ( as was @Ryro 's also )...

 

Does this quadrans count?   RR Aes Grave.

[Prieure de Sion]

3 minutes ago, Octavius said:

Here is  a quadrans of Caligula with Tribunicia Potestas IIII - struck within  days of his assassination , ( as was @Ryro 's also )...

...oh that was cool! Gratulation!

[Jims,Coins]

Copper Coin (AE Quadrants’) minted in Rome during the reign of CLAUDIUS in 41 A.D. Obv. TI.CLAVDIVS.CAESAR.AVG. Modius. Rev. PON.M.TR.P.IMP.COS.DES.IT.: around large S.C. RCS #640. RIC #84 pg.126. DVM #19 pg.82. (several times during CLAUDIUS reign, bread riots broke out in Rome, this was an ongoing publicity effort to reassure Romans of the adequacy and stability of the grain supply from North Africa.)

[Ed Snible]

I had never seen one of these before.  It looked cool.  Later I found out I paid full retail.

Augustus, AE quadrans. C. Naevius Capella, moneyer. Struck 4 BC. 14.5mm, 2.98g. Lugdunum mint.
Obv: III VIR•A•A•A•F•F•; garlanded altar with bowl-shaped top
Rev: C RVBELLIVS BLANDVS legend around large SC

A similar design was used on a modern coin:

Isle of Man 1991 50 Pence.

(Using the image from Numista because I don't have a photo of my specimen).
 

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I either don't have any or they're not photographed.  I kinda sorta remember one from when Incitatus coins had the Ridiculous Deal of the Week.

I'm not into small coins, but I'd like to find a good VF one.

[antwerpen2306]

I have only 2 quadrantes :

Claudius, 

TI CLAUDIUS CAESAR AUG : modius

PON M TR P IMP COS DES IT in the middle : SC

16 x 17 mm , 2,72 gr, minted : 25/1/41 – 3/12/41 : consul designatus iterim , RICI,84 .

Domitianus

IMP DOMIT AUG GERM : head of Minerva

SC : olivebranch

18 mm , 2,2 gr, minted after 83, RIC428

 

[DonnaML]

I have four Imperial coins of the quadrans denomination. (What's the plural, anyway? Quadrantes?)

Claudius I

Domitian

Trajan (she wolf) (possibly a semis)

Trajan (boar w/Hercules obverse)

[Shea19]

My only quadrans:

Claudius, AE Quadrans, Rome. (18mm, 2.66g), TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG., Hand left, holding scales; PNR below.: Rev: PON M TR P IMP COS DES IT. Large S C.  RIC 85.

 

[antwerpen2306]

@DonnaML 4 pulchri quadrantes 🙂

[Ursus]

Here are my two Imperial quadrantes. The first is a wonderful Secret Saturnalia gift that I got in 2021:

Anonymous, Roman Empire, ca. 81–161 AD, AE quadrans, Rome mint (?). Obv: head of Minerva r. Rev: owl standing r. 14 mm, 2.86 g. RIC II Anonymous 7.

 

Hadrian, Roman Empire, quadrans, 125–128 AD, Rome mint. Obv: [HADRIANVS] AVGVS[TVS]; head of Hadrian, laureate, r. Rev: COS I[II]; three standards; in exergue, SC. 15mm, 2.64g. Ref: RIC II Hadrian 689.

 

[O-Towner]

This one was in my collection before I pared it down a bit:

Anonymous Ae Quadrans, time of Domitian to Antoninus Pius; Rome mint ca. 81-161 AD (18mm, 3.5gms)

Obv. Head of Annius Verus as the personification of Summer, crowned with vine-leaves and with grape-clusters over neck

Rev: S - C within wreath of vine-leaves and grapes

Ref: RIC 34

[Amarmur]

Here is my Tiberius Quadrans. It has some nice color to it and I'm a fan of the reverse