Sale: Triton V, Lot: 4. Estimate $5000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 16 January 2002.  Sold For $4500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

ETRURIA, Populonia . After 211 BC. Æ 25 Centesimae - Quadrans (11.93 gm). Helmeted head of Menvra right, XXV before; all within a circle of dots which is surrounded by a wreath / Incuse dolphin left, between two smaller incuse fish, all on a raised circle; waves around. Vecchi, "The Coinage of the Rasna. A Study in Etruscan Numismatics. Part IV," in SNR 72 (1993), 31/1 (O14/R29 - this coin). VF, dark green and brown patina. Extremely rare, only this specimen cited by Vecchi! ($5000)

Ex Spink Auction 82 (27 March 1991), lot 431 @£4500.

This unique coin is part of a remarkable of series and shares the same obverse die as the other 25-unit with a cock reverse type.

A centesimal series on the sextantal bronze as standard is an almost predictable Etruscan rationalisation of the prevailing Roman monetary system and that consists of 100, 50, 30, 25, 20, 12 1/2, 10, 5 and 2 1/2 unit or centesimal denominations. The so-called Roman numerals were in fact derived from the Etruscan numbering system based on decimal and centesimal numerals and their subdivisions. Etruria, central Italy and Rome had also adopted the Italiote-Greek uncial-pellet mark of value system, which in this case was disregarded. The dies of the whole of this short-lived series are carefully cut and are characterised by a wreathed border on the obverse and an incuse reverse, perhaps associated with a victory during the Second Punic War.