Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XXI 24-25 Mar 2021
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Central Italy, uncertain mint Cast Æ As or Nummus. Circa 275 BC. Head of young Herakles to right, wearing lion skin headdress / Head of bridled horse to left. ICC 272; HN Italy 351; Sydenham 124 (Luceria); Haeberlin pp. 181-182, 1-3, pl. 70, 1-3 (Luceria); BMC Italy, p. 136, 1 (Luceria); Garrucci p. 33, 1 pl. 63 (Luceria). 316.95g, 66mm, 12h.
Good Very Fine; untouched green patina. Of the highest rarity; the fourth known example and the only one in private hands.
Acquired from Bertolami Fine Arts.
The median weight standard based on the four known examples of this remarkable issue is about 342 grams, compatible with the heaviest issues of the attested Romano-Italic mints of the eastern littoral of the Italian peninsula from Ariminum to Luceria, and the central Samnite region. The traditional attribution by Garrucci, BMC and Haeberlin to Luceria is tenuous, based on Garrucci p. 33, citing Riccio ('ne fu trovato in Puglia'). The fabric and style of this coin is quite different from that of the Romano-Daunian mint of Luceria, however this issue certainly belongs to the Central Italian region, which from the time of the Second Samnite War (326-304) was dominated by Rome and by about 275 BC had adopted this unique form of heavy cast bronze currency (cf. Crawford, CMRR, pp. 14-15).
Good Very Fine; untouched green patina. Of the highest rarity; the fourth known example and the only one in private hands.
Acquired from Bertolami Fine Arts.
The median weight standard based on the four known examples of this remarkable issue is about 342 grams, compatible with the heaviest issues of the attested Romano-Italic mints of the eastern littoral of the Italian peninsula from Ariminum to Luceria, and the central Samnite region. The traditional attribution by Garrucci, BMC and Haeberlin to Luceria is tenuous, based on Garrucci p. 33, citing Riccio ('ne fu trovato in Puglia'). The fabric and style of this coin is quite different from that of the Romano-Daunian mint of Luceria, however this issue certainly belongs to the Central Italian region, which from the time of the Second Samnite War (326-304) was dominated by Rome and by about 275 BC had adopted this unique form of heavy cast bronze currency (cf. Crawford, CMRR, pp. 14-15).