Summary
Copper Sextans issued by the Roman Republic, 241-235 BC
Cast in Rome
Obverse Description
A scollop shell; below, two beads
Reverse Description
A caduceus with a bead on left and right; to right side, a sickle
Edge Description
plain
Significance
The earliest copper coins of the denomination 'as' weighed one Roman pound (about 329 g.) and were produced by casting from about 280 BC. There were 12 Roman uncia in a Roman pound and 12 uncia coins to the as. This coin, a sextans or sixth of an as was worth 2 uncia, hence the two dots for the denomination on each side. Cast coins were not produced with exact weights but the average weight of a large sample would have been close to the desired standard.
More Information
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Transfer from National Gallery of Victoria (NGV), 15 Mar 1976
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Date Issued
241-235 BC
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Issued By
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Denomination
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Series
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Material
Copper
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Axis
6
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Classification
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Dimensions
36 mm (Outside Diameter), 44.08 g (Weight)
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Shape
Off round
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References
Crawford 25/8
[Book] Crawford, Michael H. 1974. Roman Republican Coinage., 141-142 Pages
