Crawford 25/1, ROMAN REPUBLIC - AR Didrachm

Rome. The Republic.
Anonymous, 241-235 BCE.
AR Didrachm (6.62g; 19mm).
Rome Mint.

Obverse: Beardless head of Mars wearing crested Corinthian helmet decorated with gryphon, facing right.

Reverse: Bridled horse head facing right; sickle to left; ROMA below.

References: Crawford 25/1; Sydenham 24; BMCRR (Romano-Campanian) 57.

Provenance: Ex Ed Waddell inventory #7484 (c. 1985).

This didrachm series is the first Roman silver coinage to bear the inscription ROMA, a change from the earlier ROMANO inscriptions. The early ROMANO inscriptions may have been either an abbreviation of the genitive plural ROMANORVM (“of the Romans”) or dative ROMANO (“by the Romans”) either of which would be similar grammar to Greek coin inscriptions. The move to the nominative case ROMA, may have been a simple shift to Roman/Latin usage consistent with the coinage taking on a more “Roman” character, as minting activity had moved from southern Italy to Rome many years before. The sickle symbol on the reverse, as well as common devices across denominations, links this didrachm issue to contemporaneous Roman bronze coinage also bearing the sickle. This marks the first time in the emerging Roman coinage that a clear-intentioned, bi-metallic series emission can be established.