The Semilibral “Collateral” Series in Context

Caroline WazerANS Summer Seminar

2012

Collateral Series (Crawford 39/1-5)

Also known as:

• la série défective (Zehnacker, Moneta)

• the "struck aes series inscribed ROMA" (Thomsen, ERC)

Background: Republican Weight Standards

Traditional chronology:• "Heavy" libral (289 BC - 245 BC): ~324 g as• "Light" libral (245 BC - 217 BC): ~270 g as• Semilibral (217 BC - 215 BC): ~135 g as• Post-semilibral (215 BC - 212 BC): various• Sextantal (c. 212 BC - 207 BC): ~54 g as• Uncial (c. 207 - 146 BC): ~27 g as

Background: Aes Grave iconography

“The iconography of these pieces is of particular historical interest (compensating for their frequently clumsy artistry), since they represent in its earliest known stage of development the unrivalled Roman instinct for using coins as a medium of communication and propaganda. Messages of religious symbolism, national pride, superstition, and hortatory common sense all find their place right from the start.”

-Thurlow and Vecchi, 1986

Background: The Prow types

Background: The Prow types(Crawford nos. 35, 38, 41, 56, 338-9)

Denomination Deity on obverse Function and/or patronage (after Scheid, p.155-157)

As Janus Beginnings, esp. of commercial enterprises

Semis Saturn (or Jupiter?) Sovereignty; patron of the state

Triens Mars (or Minerva?) War and agricultural bounty; patron god of the city of Rome

Quadrans Hercules Success in heroic activities; patron of entrepreneurs; in S. Italy, patron of farmers

Sextans Mercury Journeys; patron of merchants

Uncia Bellona (or Roma?) War; patroness of Rome

Semuncia Mercury Journeys; patron of merchants

Background: The Prow types

Background: The Second Punic War

• 218: Rome declares war after Hannibal crosses the Ebro

• Winter 218 - 217: Hannibal crosses Alps

• 217: Semilibral standard introduced?

• June 217: The defeat at Lake Trasimene - 15,000 killed on Roman side

• August 216: The defeat at Cannae - up to 75,000 killed on Roman side; Italian allies in Campania and Apulia start to defect

• 213: Hannibal takes most of Southern Italy

Collateral Series

Collateral series types

Denomination Obverse Reverse

Triens Woman with diadem -- Juno? Hercules with centaur, ROMA

Quadrans Hercules (?) wearing a boarskin Bull and snake, ROMA

Sextans She-wolf suckling twins Eagle with flower in beak, ROMA

Uncia Sol with radiate crown Crescent with two stars, ROMA

Semuncia Female bust with mural crown Equestrian with whip, ROMA

Triens

Quadrans

Sextans

Sextans - comparison

Uncia

Semuncia

Collateral Series

Archaeological finds

Green = hoards; blue = single finds

Hoard evidenceHoard (RRCH #) # of

semilibral collateral

# of semilibral Prow series

# of libral aes grave (heavy and light)

# of post- semilibral Prow series

# of other coins

Campana (#49) 1 11 0 0 51

Capua (#56) 7 46 31 0 1

Termoli (#70) 23 192 51 10 1

Mandanici (#71) 1 3 0 0 37

Castagneto (#77) 2 11 2 13 23

Isernia (#78) 15 34 4 5 149

Tortoreto (#101) 1 170 6 13 57

Fontanarosa (#141)

1 0 0 440 2

Collateral Uncia

Triens?, Velecha, c.216 - 211

Hannibalic imitations

Collateral Semuncia

Biunx, Capua, 216 - 211 BC

Hannibalic imitations

Some conclusions about the collateral series

• Its iconography is fundamentally different from that of the Prow series, both in content and in meaning.

• It circulated alongside the Prow series, in both space and time.

• It must have been first minted at the early end of Crawford’s dating-- 217 or early 216-- when cities like Capua were still under Roman control.

Open Questions and Further Research

• Were the two semilibral series actually struck at the same time, or just so close together in time that the obsolete one was still in circulation?

• Why was production of the collateral series stopped?

• How big was the issue of the collateral series?

Hercules/Bull Quadrans

Marsic Confederation denarius, Social War (90 - 88 BC)

Denarius of L. Thorius Balbus, 105 BC