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Crawford 195/1, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Ass Series, AE As
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Ass Series, 169-158 BCE.
AE As (27.59g; 30mm).
Rome Mint.
Obverse: Laureate head of Janus; I (mark of value), above.
Reverse: Galley prow facing right; ass, above; I (mark of value) to right; ROMA below.
References: Crawford 195/1; Sydenham 298; BMCRR I 520-4; RBW 837.
Provenance: Ex RBW Collection duplicates [Triskeles vAuctions 320 (16 Sep 2016), Lot 414]; purchased privately from Kurt Spanier, 17 Jan 2003.
Towards the middle of the second century BCE, the Rome mint produced several series consisting only of bronze coins. The Ass Series is one of them. The demand for bronze coins may have increased as Rome phased-out production of small-change silver coins - victoriati and sestertii. The production of bronze peaked at the middle of this century and then dropped considerably until the Social War in 90 BCE. This drop in bronze production is partly related to the re-tariffing of the denarius in 145 BCE from 10 to 16 asses. As a result these mid-second century asses and the large bronzes that preceded them would circulate for many years.
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![Crawford 195/1, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Ass Series, AE As
Ass Series, 169-158 BCE.
AE As (27.59g; 30mm).
Rome Mint.
Obverse: Laureate head of Janus; I (mark of value), above.
Reverse: Galley prow facing right; ass, above; I (mark of value) to right; ROMA below.
References: Crawford 195/1; Sydenham 298; BMCRR I 520-4; RBW 837.
Provenance: Ex RBW Collection duplicates [Triskeles vAuctions 320 (16 Sep 2016), Lot 414]; purchased privately from Kurt Spanier, 17 Jan 2003.
Towards the middle of the second century BCE, the Rome mint produced several series consisting only of bronze coins. The Ass Series is one of them. The demand for bronze coins may have increased as Rome phased-out production of small-change silver coins - victoriati and sestertii. The production of bronze peaked at the middle of this century and then dropped considerably until the Social War in 90 BCE. This drop in bronze production is partly related to the re-tariffing of the denarius in 145 BCE from 10 to 16 asses. As a result these mid-second century asses and the large bronzes that preceded them would circulate for many years.](albums/userpics/34967/105791.jpg "Crawford 195/1, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Ass Series, AE As
Ass Series, 169-158 BCE.
AE As (27.59g; 30mm).
Rome Mint.
Obverse: Laureate head of Janus; I (mark of value), above.
Reverse: Galley prow facing right; ass, above; I (mark of value) to right; ROMA below.
References: Crawford 195/1; Sydenham 298; BMCRR I 520-4; RBW 837.
Provenance: Ex RBW Collection duplicates [Triskeles vAuctions 320 (16 Sep 2016), Lot 414]; purchased privately from Kurt Spanier, 17 Jan 2003.
Towards the middle of the second century BCE, the Rome mint produced several series consisting only of bronze coins. The Ass Series is one of them. The demand for bronze coins may have increased as Rome phased-out production of small-change silver coins - victoriati and sestertii. The production of bronze peaked at the middle of this century and then dropped considerably until the Social War in 90 BCE. This drop in bronze production is partly related to the re-tariffing of the denarius in 145 BCE from 10 to 16 asses. As a result these mid-second century asses and the large bronzes that preceded them would circulate for many years.")
