Rome's tiniest - show your quadrantes

[Troyden]

When studying Roman numismatics, we usually focus on "considertable" coins such as sesterces, denarii or aureuses. However, let's not forget that the average inhabitant of the empire lived hand to mouth. They were much more familiar with small change such as quadrantes than with denarii. So, show up your tiny Roman coins that were the monetary bread and butter of your average Roman proletarian.

Rare orichalcum (brass) quadrans of Titus. Unknown Balkan mint, possibly Perinthus at the Sea of Marmara.
16 mm, 2.96 g, RIC II 505-506.
Obv: Laureate head of Titus, IMP T CAES DIVI VES F AVG around
Rev: Julia Titi seated, holding patera and sceptre, IVLIA AVGVSTA around.

This interesting and quite rare coin, unusually minted in brass, was probably the result of a local, short issue. The style clearly indicates some provincial mint, most likely located in the southern Balkans.

 

[ambr0zie]

An interesting denomination - I love collecting them.

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

15,3 mm, 2,24 g. Nerva 96-98 AD. Quadrans Ӕ, Rome, 98
IMP NERVA CAES AVG, modius containing four corn-ears / SC, winged caduceus upright
RIC II Nerva 113

17,2 mm 3,4 g. Trajan 98-117 AD. Quadrans Ӕ, Rome, 114-117.
IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG, head of Trajan, laureate, right / SC, She-wolf walking left
RIC II Trajan 694

 

Hadrian AD 117-138. Rome Quadrans or Semis Æ 18 mm, 2,52 g.
Rome mint. Struck AD 121-122.
IMP CAESAR TRAIAN HADRIANVS AVG, eagle standing facing, head right / P M TR P COS III // S C (in field), winged thunderbolt. RIC II 624
RIC II Hadrian 624

Domitian AD 81-96. Rome. Quadrans Æ. 17 mm, 2,14 g. Struck AD 84-85
Rhinoceros walking left / 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

 

Anonymous, time of Domitian to Antoninus Pius, 81-161. Æ Quadrans (18mm, 2.51g, 12h). Rome. Helmeted and cuirassed bust of Mars right / S-C, cuirass.
RIC II 19, Cohen 26

Edited July 31, 2023 by ambr0zie

[Prieure de Sion]

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)

 

 

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)

 

[John Conduitt]

The lack of them probably has a lot to do with them not being hoarded, so they're usually corroded, and their small size, so they're not easy to find.

Roman Imperial Quadrans, 81-161

Rome. Bronze, 13mm, 2.88g. Winged petasus. Winged caduceus; SC in field (RIC II, 32). Found near Rudston, Bridlington, East Yorkshire.

[CPK]

1 hour ago, Troyden said:

When studying Roman numismatics, we usually focus on "considertable" coins such as sesterces, denarii or aureuses. However, let's not forget that the average inhabitant of the empire lived hand to mouth. They were much more familiar with small change such as quadrantes than with denarii. So, show up your tiny Roman coins that were the monetary bread and butter of your average Roman proletarian.

Rare orichalcum (brass) quadrans of Titus. Unknown Balkan mint, possibly Perinthus at the Sea of Marmara.
16 mm, 2.96 g, RIC II 505-506.
Obv: Laureate head of Titus, IMP T CAES DIVI VES F AVG around
Rev: Julia Titi seated, holding patera and sceptre, IVLIA AVGVSTA around.

This interesting and quite rare coin, unusually minted in brass, was probably the result of a local, short issue. The style clearly indicates some provincial mint, most likely located in the southern Balkans.

 

Very interesting! Never saw one of these before.

[Troyden]

29 minutes ago, CPK said:

Very interesting! Never saw one of these before.

There's surprisingly few of them around.

Numismatics.org has only one specimen https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_1(2).tit.506
There's also only one currently on retail https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/praefectus_coins/130/product/titus_with_julia_titi_7981_ae_quadrans_uncertain_eastern_mint_possibly_in_thrace_8081_very_rare/1700580/Default.aspx

[SimonW]

21 hours ago, Troyden said:

Rare orichalcum (brass) quadrans of Titus. Unknown Balkan mint, possibly Perinthus at the Sea of Marmara.
16 mm, 2.96 g, RIC II 505-506.
Obv: Laureate head of Titus, IMP T CAES DIVI VES F AVG around
Rev: Julia Titi seated, holding patera and sceptre, IVLIA AVGVSTA around.

Great coin and thread! 🙂

 

19 hours ago, Troyden said:

There's surprisingly few of them around.

They used to be much rarer a few years ago. Now you see them every now and then. Here's one of mine with a slightly different obverse legend.

 

Titus, Quadrans (3.12 g), uncertain mint (Thrace?), 80-81 AD.
Obv. IMP T CAESR DIVI VESPAS F AVG, head of Titus, laureate, r. Rev. IVLIA AVGVSTA, Julia seated left holding patera in her right hand and transverse scepter with her left. RIC 505/6 var. (CAES [...] VES(P) F). RPC 507C var. (CAES [...] VES F).

 

If you're interested in fractions, have a look at this thread:
https://www.numisforums.com/topic/826-fractional-bronzes-of-the-roman-empire-quadrantes-semisses-tesserae/

 

Edited August 1, 2023 by SimonW

[DonnaML]

I have four quadrantes, and would love a fifth -- the Claudius with hand and scales -- but although they're common, I haven't found one I really like yet.

Claudius I AE Quadrans (1/4 As), 41 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG around three-legged modius / Rev. PON M TR P IMP COS DES IT around large S C. 17 mm., 3.09 g., 7 hrs. RIC I 84, BMCRE I Claudius 179 at p. 189 [description at no. 173, var. die axis 6 hrs, ill. Pl. 35 no. 12]; Sear RCV I 1863; Cohen 70. Purchased from Herakles Numismatics, Charlotte, NC, 12 Jan 2023 (at 2023 NYINC). 

Domitian (son of Vespasian), AE Quadrans [1/4 As] 84-85 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. African Rhinoceros with two horns advancing right with head down/ Rev IMP DOMIT AVG GERM (clockwise around starting at 1:00), S C across. RIC II-1 Domitian 249 (2007 ed.), Sear RCV II 2834, Cohen 673. (Legend starting at 1:00 rather than 7:00 is rarer variety, with only 4 examples at OCRE -- none at British Museum; see  http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.2_1(2).dom.249 -- and 8 at acsearch.)  16.5 mm., 2.56 g. [Issued after Domitian’s assumption of Germanicus title in late 83 AD, but before the Consular date XI was added to his quadrantes in 85. It was possibly distributed as a token and/or souvenir to the crowds at the Colosseum, which Domitian completed in 82 by adding its uppermost story. See Martial’s  Liber De Spectaculis (http://www.tertullian.org/fathers/martial_on_the_games_of_domitian_01_text.htm) re exhibition of rhinoceros at Colosseum, and re practice of distributing tokens to crowd. See also T.V. Buttrey, “Domitian, the Rhinoceros, and the Date of Martial's ‘Liber De Spectaculis,’" The Journal of Roman Studies Vol. 97 (2007), pp. 101-112, at https://www.jstor.org/stable/20430573?seq=1.]

Trajan, AE Quadrans, ca. AD 101 (Sear), Rome Mint. Obv. Diademed bust of bearded Hercules right, lion’s skin knotted at neck, IMP CAES TRAIAN AVG GERM / Rev. Boar walking right, SC in exergue. 14.5 mm., 2.30 g., 6 h. RIC II 702, BMCRE II Trajan 1062 (ill. Pl. 43 no. 10); Sear RCV II 3248, Cohen 341. Purchased from London Ancient Coins, Aug. 2022; ex Bertolami Fine Arts, London, E-Auction 92, 02.10.2020, Lot 1235.

Trajan, AE Semis (or Quadrans), ca. AD 107 (Sear), Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate bust of Trajan right with slight drapery on far shoulder; IMP CAES NERVA TRAIAN AVG / Rev. She-wolf crouching left, SC in exergue. 16 mm., 2.70 g., 7 h. RIC II 694, BMCRE II Trajan 1061, Sear RCV II 3246 (ill. p. 117), Cohen 340.  Purchased from London Ancient Coins, Aug. 2022.

[Troyden]

38 minutes ago, SimonW said:

Great coin and thread! 🙂

 

They used to be much rarer a few years ago. Now you see them every now and then. Here's one of mine with a slightly different obverse legend.

 

Titus, Quadrans (3.12 g), uncertain mint (Thrace?), 80-81 AD.
Obv. IMP T CAESR DIVI VESPAS F AVG, head of Titus, laureate, r. Rev. IVLIA AVGVSTA, Julia seated left holding patera in her right hand and transverse scepter with her left. RIC 505/6 var. (CAES [...] VES(P) F). RPC 507C var. (CAES [...] VES F).

 

If you're interested in fractions, have a look at this thread:
https://www.numisforums.com/topic/826-fractional-bronzes-of-the-roman-empire-quadrantes-semisses-tesserae/

 

That's an exceptional specimen. Congratulations.

[Ryro]

Great thread and thread idea! Here are some of mine:

 

[Octavius]

 Quadrans of Caligula with cap of liberty....

[Troyden]

I also have this Caligula's type. Seems to be the most common one.

[KenDorney]

I only have a few, but here is a neat rare one (and one I desperately need to re-photograph):

Reign of Antoninus Pius to Marcus Aurelius, 138 – 180 AD
Æ Quadrans, Pannonian Mint, 16mm, 2.76 grams
Obverse:  Radiate head of Sol right.
Reverse:  METAL PANNONI CIS in three lines.

References:
BMC 1860 (Hadrian)  //  Woytek 111-2
 

[seth77]

I don't know much about these small Imperial denominations (I prefer the provincials at this size), but this series with the personifications of the four seasons is very interesting: https://www.facebook.com/groups/767332423353070?multi_permalinks=6988225071263743&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen

[antwerpen2306]

I have only a few coins of quadrantes, here the  most beautiful.

Claudius :

TI CLAUDIUS CAESAR AUG / PON M TR P IMP COS DES IT - SC

16 x 17 mm , 2,72 gr , as 6 uur, AD 41 – 54 , geslagen 25/1/41 – 3/12/41, RICI,84

Domitianus

 

IMP DOMIT AUG GERM : head of Minerva / SC

18 mm , 2,2 gr , as 6 uur . AD 81 – 96 , geslagen na 83, RIC428 , C549

[CPK]

7 hours ago, antwerpen2306 said:

I have only a few coins of quadrantes, here the  most beautiful.

Claudius :

TI CLAUDIUS CAESAR AUG / PON M TR P IMP COS DES IT - SC

16 x 17 mm , 2,72 gr , as 6 uur, AD 41 – 54 , geslagen 25/1/41 – 3/12/41, RICI,84

Domitianus

 

IMP DOMIT AUG GERM : head of Minerva / SC

18 mm , 2,2 gr , as 6 uur . AD 81 – 96 , geslagen na 83, RIC428 , C549

Love that Minerva. 👍

[kirispupis]

I only have this one.

Domitian, Quadrans/Rhinoceros
16.92mm, 1.75g 84-85 CE
Obverse: Rhinoceros walking left
Reverse: IMP DOMIT AVG GERM around S C
RIC II 435; RIC II² 250 Rome