Dies for a Dupondius or As of Augustus

Sale: Triton XIII, Lot: 309. Estimate $20000.  Closing Date: Monday, 4 January 2010.  Sold For $14000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Augustus. 27 BC-AD 14. Iron dies for Æ Dupondius or As. Dimensions of obverse die: die face 31 mm in diameter and die shank 37 mm. Weight: 148.40 grams. Bronze face of cast impression of reverse of dupondius (RIC I 381) or as (RIC I 382) for the moneyer Cn. Piso Cn. f. mounted to iron shank. Dimensions of reverse die: die face 30 mm in diameter; die shank 39 mm at the face, tapering to 30 mm in diameter at mid point and widening to 42 mm at the base. Weight: 320.20 grams. Bronze face of cast impression of reverse of dupondius (RIC I 381) or as (RIC I 382) for the moneyer Cn. Piso Cn. f. mounted to iron shank. Cf. N. Lupu, “Aspekte des Münzumlaufs im vorrömischen Dakien,” JNG XVII (1967), pl. 7; cf. C.C. Vermeule, “Some notes on ancient dies and coining methods,” NumCirc LXII.2 (February 1954), pp. 53-4; cf. W. Malkmus, “Addenda to Vermeule’s catalog of ancient coin dies: Part 1,” SAN XVII.4 (September 1989) -. VF for type, die faces well-preserved with green and light olive patina, worn from striking. Extremely rare set with both obverse and reverse die .

Based on the dies themselves, it is impossible to tell whether they were used to strike dupondii or asses, since both issues of this moneyer were of the same type. This remarkable set of dies was undoubtedly employed to strike local coinage in one of the Balkan provinces along the Danube frontier.