Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Electronic Auction 443 1 May 2019
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Anonymous. 194-190 BC. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.81 g, 11h). Owl series. Rome mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) to left / The Dioscuri, each holding spear, on horseback right; below horses, owl standing right. Crawford 135/1; Sydenham 282; RSC 20v; Type as RBW 605. VF, toned, light deposits.
From the Andrew McCabe Collection.
The owl series denarius comes with two quite distinct styles of owls, this with a small owl with a round head, and one with a hooded effect around the head and a taller upright owl. A check of online resources shows the latter is the prevalent variety, to which belongs the unique quinarius (see "A New Roman Republican Owl Quinarius" by Scott T. Rottinghaus, The Celator, January 2002, illustrated on p. 26). The only small owl example online (https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=257374) is from the same die pair as this coin. However, I know of one coin, BMCRR Italy 324, that appears to combine the obverse style (not die) of this coin with an elongated hooded-head owl on the reverse, suggesting that the large and small owl types are variants of a single coin issue. [Andrew McCabe]
From the Andrew McCabe Collection.
The owl series denarius comes with two quite distinct styles of owls, this with a small owl with a round head, and one with a hooded effect around the head and a taller upright owl. A check of online resources shows the latter is the prevalent variety, to which belongs the unique quinarius (see "A New Roman Republican Owl Quinarius" by Scott T. Rottinghaus, The Celator, January 2002, illustrated on p. 26). The only small owl example online (https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=257374) is from the same die pair as this coin. However, I know of one coin, BMCRR Italy 324, that appears to combine the obverse style (not die) of this coin with an elongated hooded-head owl on the reverse, suggesting that the large and small owl types are variants of a single coin issue. [Andrew McCabe]