Res Publica Coin Gallery

Roman Republic AR Victoriatus(2.87g, 16mm, 2h), "Q" series. 209-208 B.C., Apulian(Luceria?) mint. Laureate head of Jupiter right. Border of dots / Victory standing right, crowning trophy with wreath; on trophy shield, Q; Q between. ROMA in exergue. Line border. Crawford 102/1 var(style & Q on shield). Cf. "A Large Hoard of Roman Republican Victoriati", Pierluigi Debernardi, NC 2019(173) for discussion of "102Q" variety.

Purchased via eBay auction, 26 August 2019, ex Diana Numismatica, Rome, Italy and reportedly ex private Italian collection circa 2012

This is a rare variety of the Q victoriatus with a Q on the shield in addition to the field between victory and the trophy. Before the publication of this variety, only a single victoriatus was known with ornamentation on the shield: the Bastianelli example of the 71/1 C/M victoriatus now in the British Museum via Charles Hersh bequest. This variety hid in plain sight for many years as the Q wears off very easily and most examples are illegible, but with the publication of the V Hoard's unworn examples the existence of the Q became obvious.

By a happy coincidence after reading an early draft of the V-Hoard paper I spotted this coin on eBay. Neither the previous owners nor the previous dealer had noticed this Q on the shield or the strange style of the coin that separates it from most Q victoriati.

Posted on

Sunday 1 March 2020

Keywords

jupiter, Q, silver, variant, victoriatus, victory

Albums

• Early Roman Coinage through the Second Punic War, circa 300 B.C.-206 B.C.