FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board

Numismatic and History Discussion Forums => Biblical & Judean Coins Discussion Forum => Topic started by: Nemonater on November 05, 2016, 12:13:38 am

Title: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Nemonater on November 05, 2016, 12:13:38 am
I recently added this coin to my gallery.  Does anyone have a clue what the under type might be?

Thanks

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-132870

PHILISTIA (PALESTINE), Uncertain mint. Mid 5th century-333 BC. AR Drachm (15mm, 3.95 g, 12h). Imitating Athens. Overstruck on uncertain type.
O: Helmeted head of Athena right, with profile eye
R: Owl standing right, head facing; olive sprig left; all within incuse square.
-Gitler & Tal IX.1D; HGC 10, –.
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Nemonater on November 07, 2016, 06:04:40 pm
The answer was in front of me all along, simply the same die rotated 145 degrees.
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Sam on November 07, 2016, 06:29:24 pm
You just love over struck coins , don't you  :) .

Added **  By the way it is on acsearch 2014
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Jay GT4 on November 07, 2016, 06:33:22 pm
That's really cool.
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Nemonater on November 07, 2016, 06:49:54 pm
You just love over struck coins , don't you  :) .

I do love overstruck coins but they drive me absolutely crazy trying to figure them out! I need to remind myself to consider the most obvious possibility before trying to find a more exotic solutions!

I wonder why in the world they would have struck the coin twice like this?
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Molinari on November 07, 2016, 07:44:30 pm
I'd imagine it was an accident, right?  Like maybe a struck coin fell back into a basket of blanks.
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Nemonater on November 07, 2016, 08:30:15 pm
I'd imagine it was an accident, right?  Like maybe a struck coin fell back into a basket of blanks.

I would have to think that's it, just a simple mint error. 
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Jay GT4 on November 07, 2016, 08:40:13 pm
Too much wine
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Nemonater on November 07, 2016, 08:55:58 pm
 ;D
Too much wine

That might explain it as well. I have seen a number of rotated overstrikes that appear to be very intentional, creating interesting designs.  It's hard to imagine a more boring job than striking coins all day.  Maybe they did this every once in a while to break the monotony.
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Sam on November 07, 2016, 09:04:15 pm
Among this beautiful mess , let us look for (an) Aramaic letter(s).

PHILISTIA  type usually have them on.
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: curtislclay on November 07, 2016, 09:42:40 pm
If the two rev. dies are different, then it would be a "Kraay" overstrike, where those two rev. dies were being applied alternately at the same obv. die, and a finished coin was not removed fast enough, so was mistakenly overstruck with the second rev. die.
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: n.igma on November 07, 2016, 10:00:44 pm
Unless I'm mistaken the obverse appears to be similarly over struck, albeit by the obverse die, with the same rotational component as the reverse, suggesting the coin remained on the anvil after the initial strike, but rotated on the anvil before being struck again.
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: Nemonater on November 08, 2016, 07:14:54 pm
If the two rev. dies are different, then it would be a "Kraay" overstrike, where those two rev. dies were being applied alternately at the same obv. die, and a finished coin was not removed fast enough, so was mistakenly overstruck with the second rev. die.

Very interesting! I do believe the reverse it a die match however, they seem to aline perfectly.

Unless I'm mistaken the obverse appears to be similarly over struck, albeit by the obverse die, with the same rotational component as the reverse, suggesting the coin remained on the anvil after the initial strike, but rotated on the anvil before being struck again.

Yes, I agree. I believe you can see the remnants of the crest in front of Athena's face and remnants of the neck on top of her head.   If the coin mistakenly remained in the anvil after the first strike, wouldn't we expect another flan to have been placed on top resulting in a flattened owl? 
Title: Re: Overstruck Philistia Drachm
Post by: n.igma on November 09, 2016, 12:12:04 am
..... If the coin mistakenly remained in the anvil after the first strike, wouldn't we expect another flan to have been placed on top resulting in a flattened owl?  

Not necessarily. It may have been an oblique initial strike that only partially imprinted the design on the flan (note its off-centre reverse) which remained on the anvil and rotated as the punch was lifted. Seeing the result of an imperfect imprint the mint workers simply gave it another bash overprinting the rotated imperfect initial off-centre design imprint, not that the final result is any better but they tried!