Crawford 26/4, ROMAN REPUBLIC, Anonymous, AE Half Litra

Rome, The Republic.
Anonymous. 234-231 BCE.
AE Half Litra (1.58g; 12mm).
Rome Mint.

Obverse: Head of Roma in Phrygian helmet, facing right.

Reverse: Dog prancing toward right; ROMA in exergue.

References: Crawford 26/4; BMCRR (Romano-Campanian) 44-48.

Provenance: Ex NAC 84 (20 May 2015), Lot 765; purchased privately from Or Gestion Numismatique (Paris) in 2009.

The pose of the dog is unusual, as it appears to be prancing in some way, and the dog is rendered somewhat differently between dies. On many dies, its snout is clearly upturned, perhaps honing a scent. On some dies, the dog is rendered skinnier than others, with ribs visible. All things considered, I believe the coins show a Laconian or Vertragus hound, two popular breeds of Roman hunting hounds.