Hadrian AS Roma 134-38 AD Africa with markings XLII

[okidoki]

Hello Coin friends,

can you tell me more about this markings?
OSTROGOTHS. Uncertain king. Follis circa VI cent.?

Reference.
RIC 841; C 147. BMC 1714. MEC I, 66 for countermark.

Obv. HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P
Laureate and draped bust right.; in front XLII .

Rev. AFRICA
Africa reclining left, wearing elephant-trunk, holding scorpion and cornucopia; in front, basket of corn.

12.22 gr
26 mm
h

From the E.E. Clain-Stefanelli collection.

[okidoki]

Found it
Info from Auctiones
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2464230

These value-marks of 42 (Nummi) on re-used Roman imperial bronzes are usually attributed to the Ostrogoths, but they may also have been applied by the Vandals in North Africa. Most of these marks are found on 1st Century bronzes, usually Nero, Galba and the Flavians.

[quadrans]

Hi Eric,

 Interesting idea,  I never heard it before...

  Regards
 Q.

 p.s.

 Nice coin anyway ..
 Q.

[okidoki]

Thanks Q,
Never seen it myself

[curtislclay]

The old sestertii in this series are countermarked LXXXIII = 83, the old dupondii or asses, including your coin, XLII = 42.

Cambridge has a good collection of them, 2 sestertii and 25 middle bronzes, all published and illustrated in Medieval European Coinage I, pp. 424-427.

[okidoki]

Ah i see,
Thank you Curtis, but what would be the difference between say MAC 1, 65 and my coin?
A different former ruler?

[curtislclay]

MEC 65 is simply Cambridge's first coin in the countermarked series: a sestertius of Titus Caesar marked LXXXIII.

The Cambridge collection contains no countermarked middle bronzes of Hadrian; however possibly one of Aelius Caesar, in such poor condition that the attribution is uncertain.

[Joe Sermarini]

See Countermarked in Late Antiquity in NumisWiki.

[okidoki]

Thank you both,

Very interesting to me, recycling in the most cheapest way.
and that centuries later after minting under Hadrian.