Crawford 198/1, Roman Republic - Anonymous Denarius

Rome. The Republic.
Anonymous, 157-156 BCE.
AR Denarius (4.18 g; 18 mm).
Rome mint.

Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma facing right with peaked visor and earring of long, single drop; X (mark-of-value = 10 asses), behind.

Reverse: The Dioscuri galloping right holding spears; two stars above; ROMA below in linear frame.

References: Crawford 198/1; BMCRR (Italy) 390; Brinkman 43.

Provenance: Acquired with an Italian export permit.

This is the last variety of fully anonymous denarii struck by the Roman Republic, and it is often mistaken for the earlier and more common Crawford 53/2. Both types depict Roma in a peaked-visor helmet. The most obvious differences are that the rider's cape on Cr. 198 is longer at the top than the bottom - looking almost wing-like - and the horse's tail extends straight-out on Cr. 198. The variety is rarely so well centered as this specimen which clearly shows that the ROMA legend is within a three-sided frame (most examples showing only two sides of the frame).