"C" Denarius, Crawford 107/1b (var)

Denomination: Denarius

Era: C. 209-208 BC

Metal:  AR

Obverse: Helmeted head of Roma R,;  X behind. Border of dots

Reverse:  Dioscuri on horseback right, each holding spear, star above each head; "C" above; ROMA in  3 line frame.   

Mint: Uncertain (Etruria?)

Weight: 4.36 g

Reference: RRC 107/1b (var)*

Provenance:  NAC 125, Lot 372 Ex De Nicola Fixed price list June 1967, 229.  

*This variety is not seen in the RRC plates, but it is depicted and differentiated in Grueber.  (See Grueber II p. 188, #186, Plate LXXXIV 8.). Style only seen on 107 ("C"), not on 106 (staff).  Crawford doesn't speculate on the meaning of the "C", or whether it is a mintmark or a moneyer's symbol.  Sydenham notes that the bronze coins with C are sometimes overstruck on Sardinian coins, suggesting a mint in Sardinia.  Grueber speculates that the C is a minmark for Canusium.   

Collection : Symbols -Early anonymous Roman silver coins with symbols and Mintmarks