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Crawford 34/1, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Anonymous, AR Didrachm-Quadrigatus
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Rome. The Republic.
Anonymous Series, 225-212 BCE.
AR Didrachm-Quadrigatus (6.63g; 22mm).
Uncertain Mint.
Obverse: Laureate Janiform head of the Dioscuri.
Reverse: Jupiter and Victory in fast quadriga galloping right; ROMA incuse on raised tablet in exergue.
References: Crawford 34/1; RBW 82; Gentilhomme pl. 1, no. 13.
Provenance: Ex Italo Vecchi Coll. [Roma XX (29 Oct 2020) Lot 390].
The last few series of Roman silver didrachm coinage, produced from 225-212 BCE, are nicknamed "quadrigati" because of the common reverse type of Jupiter and Victory in a fast quadriga. Crawford's arrangement of quadrigati into distinct series requires a great amount of study to understand. Collectors and dealers alike often misattribute quadrigati among Crawford's series.
The Crawford 34 series of quadrigati, to which this example belongs, is a scarce series. The coins are generally of good style and metal. Stylistically, the series 34 quadrigati typically display a broad, single sideburn, wide faces and the hair at the very top center of the Janiform heads show a distinct horizontal pattern. Neck truncations are typically straight. On the reverse, Jupiter's thunderbolt extends beyond the line border, the front legs of the horses have a strong “connect-the-dots” character, and ROMA is always incuse on a semi-trapezoidal tablet. These coins are often misattributed as Crawford 30 which share the broad, single sideburn; however, the Crawford 34 Janiform heads are much broader with distinct hair patterns at top center.
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