Anonymous, Didrachm, 225-212 BC
Rome - Silver - VF(30-35) - Crawford:28/3
Sold
Janiform head of Dioscuri, laureates, within a grenetis.
Quadriga galloping to the right driven by winged Victory; before her, Jupiter draped at the waist holding a scepter in his left hand and hurling thunderbolt with his right hand; incuse legend within a rectangle below; all within a circle.
Didrachm with good centering, revealing the full iconography on both sides, covered with a gray patina with golden tones. It does, however, have a few metal flaws on the rim and edge and a few scratches on the observe, which may be graffitis. Our coin was minted during the period when Rome defeated the Gauls at the Battle of Clastidium in 222 B.C. and at the start of the Second Punic War. The quadriga led by Victory and Jupiter preparing to hurl his thunderbolt testifie to the warlike context in which Rome found itself at the time. Their dynamic position, bent forward, and the speed of the quadriga moving to the right, represented by the horses' raised front legs in full run, attest to the vigor of the scene and a future victory. Janus, an important deity in the Roman pantheon, is represented by two heads, one looking to the past and the other to the future. He is responsible for peace and war, and his temple, whose doors are open in times of conflict, bears witness to his military role. A well-struck didrachm, with an iconography intimately linked to war, victory and the future. HN Italy 334; HGC 1, 238; Crawford 28/3 and Sydenham 64. Faune d'Argent Collection.
ROMA
6.35 gr
Silver
Silver can fall into your pocket but also falls between copper and gold in group 11 of the periodic table. Three metals frequently used to mint coins. There are two good reasons for using silver: it is a precious metal and oxidizes little upon contact with air. Two advantages not to be taken for granted.
Here is thus a metal that won’t vanish into thin air.
It’s chemical symbol Ag is derived from the Latin word for silver (argentum), compare Ancient Greek ἄργυρος (árgyros). Silver has a white, shiny appearance and, to add a little bit of esotericism or polytheism to the mix, is traditionally dedicated to the Moon or the goddess Artemis (Diana to the Romans).
As a precious metal, just like gold, silver is used to mint coins with an intrinsic value, meaning their value is constituted by the material of which they are made. It should be noted that small quantities of other metals are frequently added to silver to make it harder, as it is naturally very malleable (you can’t have everything) and thus wears away rapidly.
The first silver coins probably date back to the end of the 7th century BC and were struck on the Greek island of Aegina. These little beauties can be recognized by the turtle featured on the reverse.
The patina of silver ranges from gray to black.
The millesimal fineness (or alloy) of a coin indicates the exact proportion (in parts per thousand) of silver included in the composition. We thus speak, for example, of 999‰ silver or 999 parts of silver per 1 part of other metals. This measure is important for investment coins such as bullion. In France, it was expressed in carats until 1995.
