Cr 25/5 Dioscuri/Mercury / sickle Æ Cast Semis

c. 241-235 b.c.e. Rome
o: Head of Minerva left, wearing Corinthian helmet; below, S
r: Female head left; behind, sickle; below, S.
Vecchi ICC 49

118.20 gm., 51.00 mm.

These are the cast bronze accompanying the silver didrachm with Mars/Horse/sickle. The reverse female head is not as certainly identifiable as helmeted Minerva on obverse, perhaps she is Juno, who is surprisingly unrepresented on the early Republic coinage. There are other theories, of course.

As with all the earliest cast bronze coins, the number of surviving specimens seems relatively low compared to the relatively long period of issue, c. 280-226 b.c.e.; of course, the same is true with the silver coins prior to the quadrigatus. As I do not have the As, I note that the weight standard is about 272 gm for the As, thus this specimen is a bit light. The surface is a bit rough, but the elements are all sharp and in high relief.