AN INTERESTING COLLECTION OF ROMAN REPUBLICAN COINS FORMED BY AN ENGLISH AMATEUR SCHOLAR
Quadrigatus, Apulia circa 214-212, billon 5.39 g. Laureate Janiform head of Dioscuri. Rev. Jupiter, holding sceptre and hurling thunderbolt, in fast quadriga r. driven by Victory; below, ROMA in relief in linear frame. Sydenham 64c. RBW –. Crawford 28/3 and cf. pl. IV, 8. Historia Numorum Italy 334.
Very rare and an interesting issue. Surface somewhat porous, otherwise very fine
Whilst late quadrigati weighing around 5 grams are relatively common, the colour and surface of this rare billon issue reveal its unusually low silver content; examples struck in bronze – not plated – are also known. This was likely an emergency issue from Apulia, at around the same time as the introduction of the new denarius coinage, cf. RRCH 86 Canosa that contained both quadrigatus and denarius coinage.