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Roma, 24.3.2020
Dear Reader,
I report below the significant elements concerning the
coin of the figure:
Denarius1,
mint of Carthage(?), 43-42 a. C., Crawford
509/2 (pag. 519), Sydenham
1353 (pag. 212),
rarity index "(9)"
Summary description:
D. Head of Jupiter Ammon left. Border of dots.
R. Q•CORN-VFICI•AVGVR•IMP2 ᴗ
attorno. Q. Cornuficius standing left, wearing weil
and holding lituus in right hand; on right, Juno
Sospita, with crow perching on shoulder, holding
spear and shield in left hand and with right hand
crowning Q. Cornuficius.Border of dots.
The search on the web for coins of the type of
figure gave rise to the following results:
- http://davy.potdevin.free.fr/1%20Roman%20coins%200%20(Repubican)/crawford%20500-599/cr509-2.jpg
British Museum Q. Cornuficius; Denarius, African
Mint, 42 BC. 3.51g, 8h. Head of Jupiter Ammon to
left. Rev: Q. CORNVFICI. AVGVR. IMP. Q.
Cornuficius standing l. wearing veil and holding
lituus in right hand; Juno Sospita stands on r.
with crow perching on shoulder holding spear and
shield in l. hand and crowning Q.
- http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/rsc/cornuficia/Cornuficia2.jpg
Republican coinage. Q. Cornuficius. AR Denarius,
mint in north Africa, 42 BC, 3.32g. Bearded and
horned head of Jupiter Ammon left. / [Q.
CORNV]FICI AVGVR IMP, Q. Cornuficius, veiled,
standing front, and holding lituus, being crowned
by Juno Sospita with goatskin headdress, standing
left, holding shield and spear with crow on her
shoulder. Babelon Cornuficia 2; BMCRR II, 26; Syd
1353; Sear Imp. 228; Cr 509/2.
- https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b10432523f
Formato: Denarius (3,56g) : argent ; 19,5mm.
- https://www.forumancientcoins.com/fakes/displayimage.php?pos=-20072
Modern copper copy of Cornuficia 1 (aureus) or
Cornuficia 2 (denarius. Republican coinage. Q.
Cornuficius. AV aureus, mint in north Africa, 42
BC. 19.9mm, 7.89g.)
- https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1757450
3’500 SF Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG
http://www.arsclassicacoins.com/ Auction 73 237
18.11.2013 Description: The Collection of Roman
Republican Coins of a Student and his Mentor Part
II Q. Cornuficius. Denarius, North Africa 42, AR
3.32g. Head of Jupiter Ammon 1. Rev. [Q.
CORNV]FICI AVGVR IMP Veiled Q. Cornuficius
standing l. and holding lituus, crowned by Juno
Sospita who stands behind holding shield and
spear; on her shoulder, crow. Babelon Cornuficia
2. Sydenham 1353. Sear Imperators 228. Crawford
509/2. Of the highest rarity and one of the rarest
issues of the Roman Republic series. A fragmentary
specimen (approximately 20% missing) of this
interesting issue bearing a spectacular portrait
of great style, flan cracks, otherwise very fine
Ex NFA XXVII, 1991, 649 and Sotheby’s 27-28
October 1993, 1423 sales.
Coming to the conclusions. The Crawford catalog which
classifies all Roman republican coins does not provide
for the existence of bronze coins of the type of
figure, but only of an aureus of exceptional rarity
(Crawford 509/1, weight 7.91g, see http://www.coinproject.com/coin_detail.php?coin=288592)
or a silver denarius, also quite rare, of which I have
produced above some examples, mostly from museums, all
weighing less than 3.72g. The coin in the figure,
compared to the authentic samples shown above, shows
differences in style and inaccuracies in the drawing.
A coin very similar to the one in question is inserted
among the
fakes of forumancient coins and is reported in
the link 4 above as well; the
aforementioned coin differs from that in the figure
only in its physical characteristics (19.9mm, 7.89g),
closer to those of an aureus than of a denarius,
probably because it was intended as imitative of the
aureus. In essence, the reader's coin is undoubtedly a
fake, imitative of a denarius or of an aureus, both of
exceptional rarity.
Best regards.
Giulio De Florio
-------------------------------
Note:
(1) Denarius
(Silver). According to the site https://numismatica-classica.lamoneta.it/moneta/R-G36/1,
the range of physical characteristics of the
denarius Crawford 509/2 are so indicated: Diameter
18-20mm, Weight 3,04 - 3,78g. I collect in a table
the physical characteristics of the coins found on
the web and above described:
| Riferimenti |
Peso(g.) |
Diametro(mm) |
Asse di conio(H) |
| Link1 |
3,51 |
- |
8 |
| Link2 |
3,32 |
- |
- |
| Link3 |
3,56 |
19,5 |
- |
The table shows that the physical characteristics of
the denarius in the figure (4.70g, 15-25mm) fall
outside the margins of variability of the authentic
coins found in the web. Apart from that, the coin in
question has a bronze flan, which means it is to be
considered a modern reproduction.
(2) Q•CORN-VFICI•AVGVR•IMP2
(Quintus CORNUFICIus AVGVR IMPerator). I extract
from link5 above the following
historical notes concerning the coin under exam:
"By the time Q. Cornuficius was appointed governor
of Africa Vetus (the ‘old’ province) in 44 B.C., he
already had enjoyed a distinguished career in
government and as a poet and orator. He counted
among his friends Catullus and Cicero, and had been
a loyal ally of Julius Caesar in his struggle
against the Pompeians. After the murder of Caesar,
Cornuficius voiced his opposition to the Triumvirs:
he sided with the senate in the War of Mutina (43
B.C.), refused to allow Antony’s nominee to replace
him as governor, and thus was named in the
Triumviral proscriptions. From his base in Africa,
he aided Sextus Pompey and allowed many of those who
also had been proscribed to take refuge in his
territory. Cornuficius’ vocal opposition to the
Triumvirs, however, proved to be his undoing, for in
42 B.C. he was attacked by Titus Sextius, governor
of neighbouring Africa Nova (the ‘new’ province).
The fact that Cornuficius was hailed Imperator and
was able to produce an intriguing coinage with his
title suggests his defence was initially successful
before, late in the year, he was defeated and killed
near Utica. His coin designs are highly personal,
and the few dies used to produce them were engraved
in unusually fine style. He chose for the obverse of
his coins the portraits of Ceres-Tanit, Africa and
Jupiter Ammon, all of which celebrated his province.
These were paired with a single reverse type that
showed Cornuficius being crowned by Juno Sospita.
The fact that he is veiled, holds a lituus and
includes AVGVR in the inscription underscores the
pride he held in the augurate to which he had been
appointed by Julius Caesar in 47 B.C. Since he is
crowned by Juno Sospita, we should assume that is a
reference to his Lanuvine origin." |
