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Crawford 194/1, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Anchor (Third) Series, AE As
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Rome. The Republic
Anchor (Third) Series, 169-158 BCE.
AE As (35.22g; 35mm).
Rome Mint.
Obverse: Laureate head of Janus; I (mark of value), above.
Reverse: Galley prow facing right; I (mark of value), above; anchor, before; ROMA, below.
References: Crawford 194/1; Sydenham 238; BMCRR 519; RBW 831.
Provenance: Ex Dr. Walter Neussel Jr. Collection [Peus Auction 420/421 (1 Nov 2017), Lot 72]; ex M&M Deutschland 9 (2001), Lot 338; Munz Zentrum Auktion XXX (21 Nov 1977) Lot 137.
The two series of Anchor bronzes are easily distinguishable by style and fabric. The first bronze anchor series (Cr 50) is of finer style and struck on good quality flans; the second bronze anchor series (actually the third anchor series overall) (Cr 194), exhibited here, is less refined, with upward gazing Janus and often poorly cast flans. In BMCRR, Grueber suggests a possible connection between coins with anchor symbol and the Quinctia gens, because anchor symbols also occur with the letter Q (see Crawford 86B).
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