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Crawford 039/2, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Collateral Semilibral Struck AE Quadrans
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Rome, The Republic.
Semilibral Reduction, 217-215 BC
AE Struck Quadrans (37.12g; 33mm)
Obv: Youthful hd of Hercules in boarskin r; three pellets (mark of value=3 unciae) behind
Rev: Bull leaping right, snake below; three pellets (mark of value = 3 unciae) above; ROMA below
Reference: Crawford 39/2; Sydenham 94
Provenance: Dr. W. Neussel Sen. (d. Dec. 1975) Collection [Peus Auction 420/421 (1 Nov 2017), Lot 65]
This coin is part of a short-lived series struck collateral to 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. The Series 39 types and their relationship to contemporaneous Second Punic War events are interesting to ponder. Hercules is an important figure, appearing on two of the 10 available sides of the series. Likely this is a paradigm of Roman stregnth and heroism during the War. While Crawford attributes the 39 series to the Rome mint, I believe the types and fabric of the coins are inconsistent with the contemporaneous, Crawford 38 prow types which are also attributed to Rome.
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![Crawford 039/2, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Collateral Semilibral Struck AE Quadrans
Rome, The Republic.
Semilibral Reduction, 217-215 BC
AE Struck Quadrans (37.12g; 33mm)
Obv: Youthful hd of Hercules in boarskin r; three pellets (mark of value=3 unciae) behind
Rev: Bull leaping right, snake below; three pellets (mark of value = 3 unciae) above; ROMA below
Reference: Crawford 39/2; Sydenham 94
Provenance: Dr. W. Neussel Sen. (d. Dec. 1975) Collection [Peus Auction 420/421 (1 Nov 2017), Lot 65]
This coin is part of a short-lived series struck collateral to 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. The Series 39 types and their relationship to contemporaneous Second Punic War events are interesting to ponder. Hercules is an important figure, appearing on two of the 10 available sides of the series. Likely this is a paradigm of Roman stregnth and heroism during the War. While Crawford attributes the 39 series to the Rome mint, I believe the types and fabric of the coins are inconsistent with the contemporaneous, Crawford 38 prow types which are also attributed to Rome.](albums/userpics/34967/151042538908771083813.jpg "Crawford 039/2, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Collateral Semilibral Struck AE Quadrans
Rome, The Republic.
Semilibral Reduction, 217-215 BC
AE Struck Quadrans (37.12g; 33mm)
Obv: Youthful hd of Hercules in boarskin r; three pellets (mark of value=3 unciae) behind
Rev: Bull leaping right, snake below; three pellets (mark of value = 3 unciae) above; ROMA below
Reference: Crawford 39/2; Sydenham 94
Provenance: Dr. W. Neussel Sen. (d. Dec. 1975) Collection [Peus Auction 420/421 (1 Nov 2017), Lot 65]
This coin is part of a short-lived series struck collateral to 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. The Series 39 types and their relationship to contemporaneous Second Punic War events are interesting to ponder. Hercules is an important figure, appearing on two of the 10 available sides of the series. Likely this is a paradigm of Roman stregnth and heroism during the War. While Crawford attributes the 39 series to the Rome mint, I believe the types and fabric of the coins are inconsistent with the contemporaneous, Crawford 38 prow types which are also attributed to Rome.")
