Numismatica Ars Classica
Auction 106 9-10 May 2018
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Denarius, South East Italy circa 211-210, AR 4.38 g. Helmeted head of Roma r.; behind, X. Rev. The Dioscuri galloping r.: below, H. In exergue, ROMA in linear frame. BMC 196. Sydenham –. RBW –. Crawford –. Witschonke NC 2008, pp. 141-144.
Extremely rare and possibly the finest of very few specimens
known. Old cabinet tone and extremely fine
The denarius (literally, "piece of 10") was introduced around 211 B.C. in response to Roman financial crises related to Hannibal's presence in Italy and the ongoing Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.). Silver shortages became acute at Rome following the disastrous Battle of Cannae (216 B.C.) and the city began to have difficulty supporting its forces in Spain and Sicily against the Carthaginian foe. The crisis was only resolved by a complete overhaul of the Roman currency system, which did away with the old quadrigati didrachms and heavy bronzes, and replaced it with a new system based on the new denarius and smaller bronze fractions of a sextantal standard. The obverse features the head of Roma wearing her distinctive Phrygian helmet - an allusion to the Trojan origin claimed by the Romans - and carries the numeral X to make clear the face value of the coin. The Dioscuri are depicted on the reverse as divine patrons of the Roman state. According to tradition, following the overthrow of the Etruscan kings and the establishment of the Roman Republic, Rome was threatened by the nearby city of Volsci and the Latin League under the leadership of the deposed Tarquinius Superbus. In order to meet this threat, the Roman Senate named Aulus Postumius Albus as dictator in 496 B.C. With great speed he led the Roman forces to meet the enemy near Lake Regillus and handily defeated the Latins before the Volscians could arrive. During the battle, the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux were said to have appeared as radiant horsemen fighting in support of the Romans. After Postumius returned to Rome in triumph, he dedicated a temple to the Dioscuri. The Dioscuri remained the standard reverse type for Roman denarii until 170 B.C. The H that accompanies the Dioscuri on this issue has often been resolved as the initial for a mint at Hatria or Herdonea. This particular denarius, often described as "the H denarius," has a storied history in the scholarly literature of Roman Republic coinage. This rare early issue has been known since 1860, but was condemned as false by Crawford in 1975 because the three specimens known to him were said to be plated. However, the appearance of a new specimen, a round of specific gravity and metallurgical tests, and an apparent hoard context (all discussed by Witschonke in 2008) now makes it clear that "the H denarius" was an official Republican issue after all.
Extremely rare and possibly the finest of very few specimens
known. Old cabinet tone and extremely fine
The denarius (literally, "piece of 10") was introduced around 211 B.C. in response to Roman financial crises related to Hannibal's presence in Italy and the ongoing Second Punic War (218-201 B.C.). Silver shortages became acute at Rome following the disastrous Battle of Cannae (216 B.C.) and the city began to have difficulty supporting its forces in Spain and Sicily against the Carthaginian foe. The crisis was only resolved by a complete overhaul of the Roman currency system, which did away with the old quadrigati didrachms and heavy bronzes, and replaced it with a new system based on the new denarius and smaller bronze fractions of a sextantal standard. The obverse features the head of Roma wearing her distinctive Phrygian helmet - an allusion to the Trojan origin claimed by the Romans - and carries the numeral X to make clear the face value of the coin. The Dioscuri are depicted on the reverse as divine patrons of the Roman state. According to tradition, following the overthrow of the Etruscan kings and the establishment of the Roman Republic, Rome was threatened by the nearby city of Volsci and the Latin League under the leadership of the deposed Tarquinius Superbus. In order to meet this threat, the Roman Senate named Aulus Postumius Albus as dictator in 496 B.C. With great speed he led the Roman forces to meet the enemy near Lake Regillus and handily defeated the Latins before the Volscians could arrive. During the battle, the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux were said to have appeared as radiant horsemen fighting in support of the Romans. After Postumius returned to Rome in triumph, he dedicated a temple to the Dioscuri. The Dioscuri remained the standard reverse type for Roman denarii until 170 B.C. The H that accompanies the Dioscuri on this issue has often been resolved as the initial for a mint at Hatria or Herdonea. This particular denarius, often described as "the H denarius," has a storied history in the scholarly literature of Roman Republic coinage. This rare early issue has been known since 1860, but was condemned as false by Crawford in 1975 because the three specimens known to him were said to be plated. However, the appearance of a new specimen, a round of specific gravity and metallurgical tests, and an apparent hoard context (all discussed by Witschonke in 2008) now makes it clear that "the H denarius" was an official Republican issue after all.