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Research Coins: Electronic Auction

 
436, Lot: 454. Estimate $200.
Sold for $1200. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

C. Sulpicius C.f. Galba. 106 BC. Æ Quadrans (17.5mm, 8.14 g, 12h). Rome mint. Head of Hercules right, wearing lion-skin headdress; ••[•] (mark of value) to left / Prow of galley right; C • SVLP[I] above, palm frond and ••• (mark of value) to right. Crawford 312/4; Sydenham 573b; RBW 1157 (this coin). VF, dark brown patina with thick green deposits. Extremely rare.


From the Andrew McCabe Collection. Ex RBW Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica 61, 5 October 2011), lot 1152; Baranowsky FPL 2001 (second half), lot 96.

Symbols additional to the moneyer’s name are a feature of semuncial bronze coinage, where they vary in a manner suggestive of some mint management process. This Sulpicia quadrans is an early example with an additional symbol, but fixed as a palm branch on all denominations, thus without any mint management implications. The palm branch was omitted (not noticed) on all denominations published by Cohen, and then by Babelon. Bahrfeldt notes the palm and corrects Babelon, but doesn’t discuss what it means. Grueber cites Bahrfeldt. Crawford says nothing more. We don't know what the palm branch means. [Andrew McCabe]