Cr. 97/5c=97/13d "L" series Mercury-headed quadrans, after 211 BC, Luceria
Mercury on a quadrans?
This might seem like an error at first but you'll notice 3 dots on both obverse and reverse. While we think of Mercury=sextans and semuncia, Roma=uncia, Hercules=Quadrans, etc, these types were not set in stone at the beginning of the Second Punic War and there was considerable experimentation with coinage during the war, particularly at Luceria which issued a number of types that do not conform to the rules that we normally think of. While Mercury-headed quadrantes are overall relatively rare, there were multiple types and multiple dies that used Mercury as the obverse for the quadrans, so it is certainly a conscious choice, even if strange.
Roman Republic Æ quadrans(27mm, 15.28g), "L" series, after 211 BC, Luceria outstep mint. Head of Mercury right; above, • ••; below, L / prow of galley right; above, ROMA; below, •••. Crawford 97/5c = Crawford 97/13d; McCabe, "The Roman Struck Bronze Coinage of Luceria and Canusium"(forthcoming, presented at ANS Witschonke conference), T2.2a
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
){kind=link}
0 comments
Add a comment