Res Publica Coin Gallery

Roman Republic AR Denarius(3.94g, 18.5mm, 3h), Quintus Fabius Maximus, moneyer, 127 B.C., Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right(Star on flap); behind, Roma downwards; before, mark of value(XVI monogram) and Q•MX upwards. Border of dots. / Cornucopia superimposed on thunderbolt; around, wreath composed of ear of barley, ear of wheat and assorted fruits. Crawford 265/1; BMCRR Rome 1157 var(MX instead of MAX on obverse)

Purchased from Ed Waddell(coin.com) 24 April 2025, ex Jack A Frazer collection, CNG e-456, 13 November 2019, 315, ex Sternberg 32, 28-29 October 1996, 171, ex Sternberg 27, 7-8 November 1994, 280, ex Aes Rude Titano 55, 27 November 1993, 112, ex Carlo Crippa FPL 4, 1969, 254

I've always loved the reverse of this type which is thought to perhaps be a reference to the mid April holidays of Cerealia(the cornucopia) and Jupiter Victor and Jupiter Libertas(thunderbolt). This is also a single obverse die(as best I can tell) variety where the obverse reads Q•MX instead of Q•MAX(no crossbar on what is usually a ligate MA).

Posted on

Monday 28 April 2025

Tags

cornucopia, denarius, gens.fabia, q.max, roma, rome.mint, silver, thunderbolt, variant

Albums

• The Conquests of Macedonia, Spain, Carthage and Greece and the lead-up to the Social War, 206 B.C.-92 B.C.