Roman Republic AR Plated denarius(2.84g, 18mm). Imitating M. Aemilius Scaurus and P. Plautius Hypsaeus, 58 BC, Rome mint. Camel right; before, kneeling figure, holding reins in left hand and olive-branch tied with fillet in right hand; above, M SCAVR; on either side, EX SC; below, AED CVR. Border of dots / Jupiter in quadriga left, holding reins in left hand and hurling thunderbolt with right hand, ; above, P HVPSAEVS; AID CVR in two lines. Below, C HVPSAE COS; PREIVER in two lines. On right, CAPTV upwards. Border of dots. Crawford 422/1-(obverse 422/1a, reverse 422/1b) & appendix 288(this coin cited), cf. Bahrfeldt, Nachtrage I, page 13(this coin cited) and pl. I, 9(this reverse die); BMCRR I, 3876(obv) & 3878(rev) & cf p 484 footnote 1(this coin cited); Banti Aemelia 42/1(this coin); Jordan Montgomery & Richard Schaefer "A Doubted Variety of M. Aemilius Scaurus and P. Plautus Hypsaeus Vindicated" in KOINON I, 2018, pl I, 6(this coin)
Ex CNG e-auction 574, 6 November 2024, 347, ex Karl Sifferman Collection, CNG e-Auction 171, 22 August 2007, 209, ex Thomas Olive Mabbott Collection, part two, Hans Schulman New York 27-29 October 1969, 4107, ex Ernst Justus Haeberlin Collection, Cahn-Hess 17 July 1933, 2336
This variety is the subject of a short note drafted by Richard Schaefer and I titled "A Doubted Variety of M Aemilius Scaurus and P Plautius Hypsaeus", published in KOINON I, 2018. The denarii of M Aemilius Scaurus and P Plautius Hypsaeus come in two main varieties, Cr. 422/1a and 422/1b with the main differences being that "AED CVR" of 1a's obverse is moved above the camel with "REX ARETAS" in its original exergual location on 1b and in addition, a scorpion is added below the quadriga of the reverse. This variety, with the obverse of 1a and reverse of 1b was originally published in 1897 by Bahrfeldt but was rejected by Crawford because all examples known to him were plated but I discovered a coin that has the weight and appearance consistent with an official silver denarius and a specific gravity of 10.41, confirming its solid status. For the full discussion of the variety, you can read the paper here. Also see this coin for the solid silver example.
This is one of the most published coins I own, illustrated and cited by Richard Schaefer and I in our paper in KOINON I, cited in Crawford, illustrated in the Mabbott and Haeberlin sales, cited by BMCRR and finally cited by Bahrfeldt in 1896 after he saw it in Haeberlin's collection. When Schaefer and I wrote that paper we found a 2007 auction listing where CNG sold this coin and so, knowing it was on the market and that it was the best plated example available, I'd been looking for it to reappear ever since and finally had the opportunity to purchase it in 2024.
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