Anonymous. 211-208 BC. AV 60 Asses (14mm, 3.34 g, 8h). Rome mint. Bearded head of Mars right, wearing crested Corinthian helmet; mark of value to left / Eagle standing right on thunderbolt, with wings spread; ROMA below. Crawford 44/2; Sydenham 226; Bahrfeldt 4a; Biaggi 3; BMCRR Rome 185-6; Kestner 285-6; RBW 160–1. Lustrous, minor edge nick on reverse. Near EF.
Ex Freeman & Sear inventory R4097 (11 December 2003).
Rome's military successes in the later stages of the Second Punic War, especially the capture and sack of Syracuse, enabled her to undertake a fundamental reform of the coinage in 211 BC. This included the introduction of a series of three small gold denominations valued at 60, 40, and 20 asses. The types were identical in each case: a bearded head of Mars, god of war, on the obverse, and an eagle on thunderbolt (representing Jupiter) on reverse. The issue extended over a period of about three years and Rome seems to have been the principal mint.