Here's the coin of the month...


Last month's Coin of the Month was an Empress, so this month, let's get even more unusual.

This is an example of an "anonymous quadrans."

Not much is know about these small coins. There are about 16 varieties known. They were probably minted from Domitian to Antoninus Pius, or from about 81 to 161. There is speculation about their purpose, but nothing is known for sure.

The obverse is a helmeted bust of Minerva, the Roman goddess of poetry, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, and magic. In her spare time perhaps she collected coins.

This coins weighs about 1.4 grams, and is less than 15 mm across. It's bronze, as most smaller denomination early Roman coins were.

The only inscription is on the reverse, S C, for "Senatus Consulto."