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Denomination: Quinarius
Era: c. 211-210 BC
Metal: AR
Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma r. with splayed visor; “V” behind; Border of dots
Reverse: Dioscuri r.; Below, MT monogram; Between two exergual lines, “ROMA”.
Mint: Apulia, possibly Mateola (see comment below)
Weight: 2.24 gm.
Reference: Crawford 103/2a
Provenance: Purchased from Barry Murphy, December, 2013
Crawford 103/2a, Quinarius. Mint location in Apulia. Unusual obverse style. There is no trace of a curl on the left shoulder so this should be classified as 2a. This series is found with a variety of obverse styles, apparently the work of a few uniquely skilled engravers. Quite common, it often comes in high grade, this specimen being no exception.
Crawford doesn't speculate on the meaning of the MT monogram. Both Sydenham and Grierson suggest Mateola, the modern Matera in Apulia, west-north-west of Tarentum. Debernardi argues in his recent discussions of the victoriatus, that the two letter monograms more probably symbolize two nearby cities representing the military operation defined by them and for which the issue was to have financed. Following this logic, the MT may stand for Mateola/Tarentum. This is one of the few early issues of quinarii without an issue of the denarius. There are later denarius issues with this monogram but they are of crude but distinctive style and undoubtedly not from the same issue.
Colección : Symbols -Early anonymous Roman silver coins with symbols and Mintmarks