Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Electronic Auction 408 25 Oct 2017
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Anonymous. 189-180 BC. Æ Sextans (18mm, 6.27 g, 11h). Aquila and wreath series. Rome mint. Head of Mercury right, wearing winged petasus; • • (mark of value) above / Prow of galley right; above, legionary eagle (aquila) holding a wreath in its beak, • • (mark of value) to right, ROMA below. Crawford 141/6a; Sydenham –; Type as RBW 628. VF, brown surfaces, minor roughness. Very rare.
From the Andrew McCabe Collection, purchased from Numismatica Ars Classica, 2010.
Roberto Russo in Essays Hersh 1997 noted that the bronze coinage of RRC 141 was composed of two different series, one showing as with the silver a small bird – in fact, a wren or Todus – and the word TOD, presumably a pun for a moneyer whose cognomen was 'wren', and the other series showing a legionary eagle perched on legionary standard (aquila) and holding a wreath in its beak. Conventionally, the T-shaped legionary standard combined with the wreath had been misread as the letters TO[D], but the availability of better quality examples, such as this coin, shows the bird to be an eagle not a wren, and holding a wreath. It is possible that the eagle and wreath as well as bird and TOD series are part of the same issue, with the punning types being used on some dies but not others, as the styles are otherwise similar. [Andrew McCabe]
From the Andrew McCabe Collection, purchased from Numismatica Ars Classica, 2010.
Roberto Russo in Essays Hersh 1997 noted that the bronze coinage of RRC 141 was composed of two different series, one showing as with the silver a small bird – in fact, a wren or Todus – and the word TOD, presumably a pun for a moneyer whose cognomen was 'wren', and the other series showing a legionary eagle perched on legionary standard (aquila) and holding a wreath in its beak. Conventionally, the T-shaped legionary standard combined with the wreath had been misread as the letters TO[D], but the availability of better quality examples, such as this coin, shows the bird to be an eagle not a wren, and holding a wreath. It is possible that the eagle and wreath as well as bird and TOD series are part of the same issue, with the punning types being used on some dies but not others, as the styles are otherwise similar. [Andrew McCabe]