Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Electronic Auction 443 1 May 2019
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L. Calpurnius Piso Frugi. 90 BC. AR Denarius (20mm, 4.14 g, 6h). Rome mint. Laureate head of Apollo right; anchor behind, T below chin / Horseman riding horse right, holding palm frond and reins; P above, sword(?) below. Crawford 340/1; Sydenham 669b; Calpurnia 11; Type as RBW 1261. EF, iridescently toned.
From the Andrew McCabe Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 82 (16 September 2009), lot 905.
See my notes for the prior coin. This coin, in my view, represents the second part of the Lucius Piso Frugi issue. The symbols are especially clearly struck for this issue. Note the position of the anchor on the obverse, seemingly upside down, but with a ring at the pointed end. Gene McPherson (at http://rrdenarius.blogspot.com/2018/01/anchors-on-ancient-coins-or-which-way.html) has made an intriguing suggestion on anchor orientation: that Roman anchors with a ring at the pointed end were intended to be used in either direction and are shown in this position on the coins to indicate that the picture is of a bi-directional anchor. Presumably, seafarers knew well which anchor direction worked best in which sea and floor conditions. Nowadays, there's only one way up for an anchor, so we may have lost an important body of knowledge. [Andrew McCabe]
From the Andrew McCabe Collection. Ex Classical Numismatic Group 82 (16 September 2009), lot 905.
See my notes for the prior coin. This coin, in my view, represents the second part of the Lucius Piso Frugi issue. The symbols are especially clearly struck for this issue. Note the position of the anchor on the obverse, seemingly upside down, but with a ring at the pointed end. Gene McPherson (at http://rrdenarius.blogspot.com/2018/01/anchors-on-ancient-coins-or-which-way.html) has made an intriguing suggestion on anchor orientation: that Roman anchors with a ring at the pointed end were intended to be used in either direction and are shown in this position on the coins to indicate that the picture is of a bi-directional anchor. Presumably, seafarers knew well which anchor direction worked best in which sea and floor conditions. Nowadays, there's only one way up for an anchor, so we may have lost an important body of knowledge. [Andrew McCabe]