Anonymous Æ Quadrans. Rome, circa 169-158 BC. Head of Hercules to right, wearing lion skin headdress; [••• (mark of value) behind] / Prow to right; she-wolf standing to right, head left, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus above, ••• (mark of value) before, [ROMA] below. Crawford 183/4; RBW 778. 2.96g, 17mm, 2h.
Near Very Fine. Rare.
From the Vitangelo Collection, collector's ticket included.
Although the mint for these issues is usually stated without comment as "Rome", the wolf and twins series was issued from two different mints at the same time; one presumably Rome and the other perhaps in Spain. There are distinct differences in flan manufacture, weight standards, general style and prow design between the two variants of the type (for a discussion on the differences see McCabe, Anonymous Bronzes in Essays Russo, Witschonke, van Alfen eds 2013 pp.197-198). In the case of this quadrans, its style hews close to that of other presumed Rome issues from around this period and hence is presumed to be from that mint, rather than a Spanish issue.