Crawford 041/9, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Post Semilibral AE Sextans OVER-STRUCK on Semilibral AE Uncia

Rome, The Republic.
Anonymous Post-Semilibral, 215-212 BCE.
AE Sextans (11.76g; 25mm) overstruck on AE Uncia.
Rome Mint.

Obverse: o/t: Head of Mercury wearing petasos, facing right; u/t: Prow facing right (not visible);

Reverse: o/t: Prow facing right; ROMA above; two pellets below. u/t: Head of Roma in crested helmet, facing left (remnants of crest visible below prow).

Over-type references: Crawford 41/9; Sydenham 107; BMCRR 72.
Under-type references: Crawford 38/6; Sydenham 86; BMCRR 88.

Overstrike references: Crawford Table XVIII, #18 (12 examples cited).

The economic hardship on Rome imposed by Hannibal’s invasion led to a rapid decline in the weight of Roman bronze coins, resulting in the adoption in about 217 BCE of a semi-libral bronze standard (AE As of ½ Roman pound) and eventual elimination of cast coins. Around 215 BCE, the weight standard was further reduced and continued reductions occurred thereafter. Because of the weight reductions and wartime exigency, Roman mints often overstruck earlier high-weight coins. It’s uncertain whether overstriking was merely a convenience to avoid producing new flans, or a potential money saving maneuver for the state as smaller denomination, early coins would be over-struck at a higher denomination. Thus, with the above coin, we see a Crawford 38 Uncia over-struck as a Sextans – thus doubling its denomination. The crest of Roma’s helmet from the obverse of the old Uncia remains visible beneath the ship’s prow on the reverse of the new Sextans.