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 Replies: 23 / Views: 3,352 |
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Valued Member
Canada
217 Posts |
  Don't know much about ancients, but my casual research suggests this is a Roman Republic Denarius circa 130 BC Am I close? Does it look real? many thanks
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Pillar of the Community
United States
797 Posts |
Far from certain on this, but something just does not look right with this coin
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2843 Posts |
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Valued Member
 Canada
217 Posts |
Better photos:   About the size of a penny. I think it's close to 4 grams (my scale only goes to the nearest gram) |
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
The coin looks OK IMO, but I was not able to find the moneyer.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2843 Posts |
Better photos make me take back my "almost certainly". I still would be suspicious.
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Valued Member
Canada
217 Posts |
It's been in my family for over 100 years, so it's definitely not a modern fake (if it is fake). It got passed on to me along with what looks like a 19th C British school boy's collection - lots of worn common date 19th c European coins if that helps.
If the coin is real, is my dating correct (or close)?
Is the moneyer Renia perhaps?
many thanks
Edited by rockfish
03/03/2017 5:10 pm
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New Member
United States
45 Posts |
This coin is almost definitely OK. A very nice example.
L Trebanius, 135 BC, Helmeted head of Roma right, X behind; Rev: Jupiter in quadriga right, brandishing thunderbolt, L TREBANI (TR and AN in monogram) below, ROMA in exergue
Trebania 1, Sear 118, RRC 241/1a, CRR 456
Marsha
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Valued Member
Canada
217 Posts |
That's it!
Many, many thanks mylimebug (Marxha) you've solved a 100 year old family mystery.
Is it off struck on the blank or did time just wear away the bottom where it says ROMA?
Very cool to see other examples have Trebianius' characteristic almost smirking ROMA in nice high relief like mine.
Very exciting to have this identified. Gives me goosebumps.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
949 Posts |
Quote:
Is it off struck on the blank or did time just wear away the bottom where it says ROMA? It is not time worn. Both sides have the same problem and that is because the flan was made too small for the size of the design. It weighed correctly and fit within the die so that was enough. Bang and into circulation it goes, with most (but not quite all) of the design showing.. There is something special about the Roman Republican silver that I find particularly attractive. Yours is a nicely preserved example and shows the kind of "personality" that draws our attention to the times in which it was made. It is a fine heirloom. |
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Valued Member
Canada
217 Posts |
Thanks Irbguy. Your explanation makes a lot of sense and adds a further far off romanticism to the provenance of this fascinating coin.
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2100 Posts |
Not all coins were subject to the same quality control. Sometimes it certainly seems to be that "Bang and into circulation it goes" as lrbguy stated was ok. Look at my coin below. Both sides are off centre. all from an uneven strike.  Here is a side on view of the coin  You can see the thickness of the coin varying from left (where there was little or no pressure) to right (where the main pressure from the strike took place). Having a coin where most of the coin is on the flan is good enough. Martin |
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Valued Member
Canada
217 Posts |
Wow, amazing coin.
Would the flan have been prepared with the serations and then struck in the die?
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2100 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
949 Posts |
I really like that side-on view. Besides the flan thickness, you can see how the mass of detail peters out as you move from right, where the strike was strongest, to left where it barely makes a dent. Clever use of imagery to make the point. Bravo.
Edited by lrbguy
03/07/2017 1:41 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
2100 Posts |
Thank you. I thought it a quite effective way to show the eneven nature of the strike. It is nice to see the high leven of detail where the strike is strongest. It is one of my growing collection of L Papius Serratus denarii. My most recent has another interesting artefact from the manufacturing process. L Papius Denarius Serratus Obv:- Head of Juno Sospita right, wearing goat skin tied under chin. Behind head, base of column. Rev:- Gryphon running right; in ex., L. PAPI.; in field, corinthian capital Minted in Rome from . B.C. 79. Reference(s) - RSC Papia 1. RRC 384/1. RCTV 311. Symbol variety - RRC 21. Babelon 81. BMCRR 21. CNR 1/034 3.41 gms Stannard weight correction scoop on reverse. A scoop of silver was removed from the blank before striking as it was deemed too heavy. The blank was then struck and this is the result. These weight correction scoops appear on both obverse and reverse.  Martin |
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Replies: 23 / Views: 3,352 |
Posted 03/03/2017 2:30 pm
