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Author Topic: Weird and Unusual coin stories: Tell us your strange connections with the past  (Read 1748 times)

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Offline T B2

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How about we make a thread for unusual coins, strange stories, and out-of-the-ordinary discoveries?

Have you had any coins that were damaged or altered on purpose? Did someone scratch a mustache onto Caesar? What about that one time when you found a coin in an old Roman toilet?

Let's hear these stories.



Anyway, I'll start.

I got this coin mixed in along with a bunch of other uncleaned coins. I didn't think much of it at the time, and I originally thought it was a worthless metal slug, since it was misshapen, and clearly broken up.
However, after I'd soaked it in olive oil for 6 months and brushed it off, it became clear that at some point 1700 or so years ago, some ancient person had cut the image of the emperor out of the coin!


Who knows why they did it. Was it an art project? Were they removing the bronze, but were afraid to cut the image of their ruler? Were they just bored? Their reason is forever lost to history.


Feel free to move this thread if you think it belongs elsewhere

Offline djmacdo

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You like odd stories.  Many years ago when I was about fourteen I attended my first coin auction in person.  Of course, I had little money but at least I could look on.  The auction included some very early and very choice large cents.  Among the bidders were two men in their seventies, both long-time collectors and rivals.  It transpired that they had made a secret agreement about bidding--not legal but I have subsequently learned not uncommon.  They agreed that one would bid on a certain lot and the other would not, and in exchange the other man would get to bid on another lot while the first fellow would not.  The first man duly bought the first lot, but then he broke the agreement and bid on the other lot also.  In righteous (well, maybe not so righteous considering the illegal deal) indignation, the fellow who felt he had been cheated used his cane to beat the cheater to the ground.  He was taken away in an ambulance and the man with the cane was taken away by police.  This was my introduction to the passion of coin collecting.

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All the Best :), Joe
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I remember an old collector, who collects paper money, and he looks after a
very nice (FDC) quality paper money which one is very expensive, he got it and bought it...
When he left and make a very intensive discussion another collector.
Then, he slowly folded the unfolded first-class very expensive paper money and put it in his pocket.
A few steps later, he stopped abruptly and horrorly took out the expensive paper money which, when folded, meant much less.
He suddenly turned pale and fainted.
The poor one was taken by the ambulance.

 ::) :-[ :'(

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Offline SC

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    • A Handbook of Late Roman Bronze Coin Types 324-395.
TB2.  Your coin is very cool.  However, I doubt it was done on purpose.  Cutting ancient coins with ancient technology was not easy and when done tool marks are clear - and they are not one your coin - at least in the photos posted.  I think that your coin was damaged through corrosion and brittleness.  What survived was the thickest part which was the bust.

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(Shawn Caza, Ottawa)

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A coin of Constantine the Great, a miliarense that was cut in two, though which would have been worth a better fate.

136 Constantinus I. (306-309 A.D. Caesar, 309-910 A.D. Filius Augustorum, 307-337 A.D. Augustus), Sirmium, RIC VII 014, AR-Miliarense, -/-//SIRM, CRISPVS ET CO(NSTANTINVS C C), Cripus and Costantinus-II, Bare head right.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-105268

Regards

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