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Crawford 114/2, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Rostrum Tridens Series, AE As
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Rome, The Republic.
Rostrum Tridens Series, 206-195 BCE.
AE As (30.7g; 34mm).
Rome Mint.
Obverse: Laureate head of Janus; I (mark-of-value) above.
Reverse: Prow facing right; rostrum tridens and I (mark-of-value) above.
References: Crawford 114/2; Sydenham 245; BMCRR (Rome) 451-3.
Provenance: Ex Dr. Hans Neussel (d. 1993) Collection [Peus Auction 420/421 (1 Nov 2017) Lot 73]; purchased from Dr. Kurt Deppert Kunsthandlung, Frankfurt (July 1958).
Shortly after the introduction of the denarius coinage, the Romans began adding symbols and letters to their coins. In many cases both anonymous coins and coins with symbols/letters can be linked by identical styles, suggesting they were near-contemporaneous issues by the same mint. Symbols were frequently re-used on subsequent series; see, for example the three separate Anchor Series of coins produced in the late third century and second century BCE.
This particular bronze As bears the symbol of a rostrum tridens – the bronze ramming prow of a Roman galley. This symbol had been previously used on an earlier issue of denarii (Crawford 62). The rostrum tridens was an important symbol to the Romans, representing both the strength of their navy, which had become a powerful force in the Western Mediterranean from its start in the First Punic War, and the trophies of naval victories. Rostra were often taken from captured vessels. The Romans used six captured rostra to decorate the speaking platform, thereafter referred to as the Rostra, in the Comitium. Even today, a speaking platform is called a rostrum.
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