Crawford 039/4, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Collateral Semilibral Struck AE Uncia

Rome, The Republic.
Semilibral Reduction, 217-215 BC.
AE Struck Uncia (10.88g; 24mm).
Uncertain Mint.

Obverse: Facing draped bust of Sol; pellet (mark of value) to left.

Reverse: Crescent, two stars and pellet (mark of value) above; ROMA below.

References: Crawford 39/4; Sydenham 96; BMCRR (Romano-Campanian) 125-135.

Provenance: Triskeles 5 (27 June 2013), Lot 95; ex RBW Collection (not in prior sales); purchased privately from Ed Waddell in 1994.

This coin is part of a short-lived, collateral series struck contemporaneously with the standard prow types (Crawford 38) in 217-215 BC. The economic hardship on Rome imposed by Hannibal’s invasion led to a rapid decline in the weight of Roman bronze coins, resulting in the adoption of a semi-libral bronze standard (AE As of ½ Roman pound) and eventual elimination of cast coins.

In attributing the 39 series to the Rome mint, Crawford relied on the earlier analysis of Rudy Thomsen in “Early Roman Coins”. However, Thomsen’s analysis of the hoard evidence was flawed, in my opinion, because he included temple deposits north of Rome which deceptively widened the apparent circulation dispersal of this collateral series. Eliminating these temple deposits shows a clearer circulation focus south of Rome, in Campania. Also, the types and fabric of the coins are inconsistent with the contemporaneous, Crawford 38 prow types which are similarly attributed to Rome (and which do have Roman prototypes in the prow series Aes Grave). However, some of the unusual collateral types are copied by Campanian towns after their defection to Hannibal. Further study is needed.