Update 10-25-21:
Definitely a forger’s die. (or a modern forgery of such an object) Most likely created using hubbing. This is made obvious by comparison with specimens in the Schaefer Archive. A huge shame current location and details of discovery of this unique object are not known.
Original Post:
The idea of a real republican die for the main mint surviving seems completely improbable. I just can’t make up a story whereby this would happen. This must be an imitation, but a nice one… Hubbed? There are imitations known but not this fine (and another example). Just reacting. But the control mark isn’t one detailed by Crawford 1974: p. LXVIII-LXIX (not that those sketches are perfect, but their usually pretty good). The rightly catalogue says: “Für das Symbol vgl. 148.” But this clearly isn’t Crawford’s 148 as that is a pair of animal heads. There is a small chance that it matches Crawford’s 86: a lamp hook and a lamp. Helps if I look at the right plates…. Strangely the odd symbol makes me think it is more genuine. Hmm.. Must think more: Papius is on my list of future projects.
(in the Princeton museum)
The sort of object needed to hang up one of these (or as Crawford says, a cooking pot):
Liv Mariah Yarrow 