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Author Topic: Curious double type from Nikopolis  (Read 1772 times)

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Offline Jochen

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Curious double type from Nikopolis
« on: May 16, 2018, 01:12:48 pm »
Dear friends of Nikopolis!

Recently I got a coin of Commodus from Nikopolis, that differs only by 1 detail from another coin in my collection: the old one has a palm branch in the left field, the new one not.

#1 old coin:
Commodus, AD 177-192
obv. AVT KAI M AVR - H KOMODOC
       laureate head r.
rev. NEIKOPOLE - ITWN PROC ICTRON
       Nike in long double chiton, stg. l. on globe, holding wreath in raised r. hand; in l. field long  
       palm branch
ref. a) not in AMNG
      b) not in Varbanov (engl.)
      c) Hristova-Hoeft-Jekov (2017) No. 8.10.9.1
scarce

#2 new coin:
Same description, but without palm branch in left field

I have never seen such incidence. Anyone who can imagine an Explanation?

Best regards
Jochen

Offline shanxi

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Re: Curious double type from Nikopolis
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2018, 01:28:33 pm »
There are more examples:


A CNG example with a branch which is nearly gone.

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1152419


and a members gallery example with possibly faint traces of the branch.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-313


beside the obvious possibility that the branch was cut later, this makes it IMHO possible the the cutting of the branch was to delicate.

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Curious double type from Nikopolis
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2018, 01:47:45 pm »
I would agree with Shanxi's suggestion that the branch was probably added by a modern tooler.

The two coins Jochen shows might even be from the same rev. die. A palm branch in field before Nike is unusual; one expects her to carry it over her shoulder in her left hand.
Curtis Clay

Offline shanxi

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Re: Curious double type from Nikopolis
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2018, 01:54:16 pm »
I would agree with Shanxi's suggestion that the branch was probably added by a modern tooler.


I did not mean modern tooler, and I don't think that this is the case. The branch is visible on Jochens example and on the die match from CNG. This makes an invention by a tooler IMHO unlikely.

I meant that the branch was either added later by the die cutter, or that the cutting of the branch was to delicate to survive many strikes. (my guess)

Offline Jochen

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Re: Curious double type from Nikopolis
« Reply #4 on: May 16, 2018, 02:29:57 pm »
HrHJ (2017) has altogether 3 coins depicted with palm branch in field and no one without! On one coin the branch is present but difficult to recognize.

It is well known that coins for Commodus from Nikopolis sometimes have strange and unusual depictions that you can't find somewhere else.
My working hypothesis is that the earlier coins have had the branch in field. Later, possibly because of technical difficulties, the branch was omitted.

Jochen

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Curious double type from Nikopolis
« Reply #5 on: May 16, 2018, 02:44:01 pm »
There are three examples illustrated in my 2012 edition too, presumably the same three coins.

The palm branch is faint in the picture of the first coin, though absolutely clear in your picture above of the same coin.

I see no traces of a palm branch in the printed pictures of the other two examples. Can you post better photos of them too, which show the palm branch?
Curtis Clay

Offline Jochen

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Re: Curious double type from Nikopolis
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2018, 03:36:56 pm »
Here are the 3 pics from HrHJ (2017). I think they are the same like yours.

The left and the right one (my coin) show clearly the branch. On the middle coin the branch is visible only faintly.

Best regards

 

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