Classical Numismatics Discussion
  Welcome Guest. Please login or register. 10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! Expert Authentication - Accurate Descriptions - Reasonable Prices - Coins From Under $10 To Museum Quality Rarities Welcome Guest. Please login or register. 10% Off Store-Wide Sale Until 2 April!!! Explore Our Website And Find Joy In The History, Numismatics, Art, Mythology, And Geography Of Coins!!! Support Our Efforts To Serve The Classical Numismatics Community - Shop At Forum Ancient Coins

New & Reduced


Author Topic: C S for S C on a probably cast GERMANIA CAPTA sestertius of Domitian  (Read 718 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline curtislclay

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 11155
IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM - COS XII CENS PER P P Bust laureate r. with aegis on shoulders

GERMANIA - CAPTA around, C S in exergue, Trophy, at base of which mourning German woman seated l. on crossed hexagonal shields; and German warrior standing r., head turned l., hands tied behind back, l. leg bent and touching ground with toes, on ground to r. helmet and hexagonal shield.

34-35.5 mm, 25.43 g, axis 7 h; dealer's picture below.

The seller called this coin a "medallion in Paduan style, imitating a sestertius". But these dies are not in Klawans' book on Paduans, and stylistically they closely resemble Rome-mint originals, for example the two formerly in the Mazzini Collection that are shown in the second picture below. The obverse of my coin is almost a die match for Mazzini's first coin; while the style and details of its reverse are closely similar to those of Mazzini's second coin, which however has the correct S C in exergue. So I think these dies must go back to the mint of Rome, yet the coin perhaps lacks the sharpness to be a struck original; maybe it is only a good modern cast of such an original.

In that case other cast twins might be expected to exist, though there are none in Forvm's Fake Reports, nor in CoinArchives Pro, and Carradice and Buttrey apparently knew of no such piece, for otherwise they would probably have reported its engraving error C S for S C on reverse in their revised RIC II of 2007, no. 463. Has any Forvm member seen a cast twin of my piece, or a similar genuine COS XII sestertius with this C S error on reverse?

Curtis Clay

Offline Jay GT4

  • Tribunus Plebis 2021
  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 6987
  • Leave the gun, take the Canoli!
Re: C S for S C on a probably cast sestertius of Domitian
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2019, 06:56:44 am »
Very interesting Curtis.  While I can't shed any light on a matching die from either a cast or struck original,  the CS mistake is not unknown as an engraver error on other coins.  I await to see what others may know.

Offline FlaviusDomitianus

  • Procurator Caesaris
  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 1766
    • My gallery:
Re: C S for S C on a probably cast sestertius of Domitian
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2019, 10:55:15 am »
Curtis,

this is very interesting.

I have never encountered such an error, nor is it mentioned in the RIC 2.1 A&C by Carradice and Buttrey.

I'll keep an eye on outcoming specimens.

Alberto

Offline Tacitus

  • Caesar
  • ****
  • Posts: 628
The coin has weird wear.... the bumps along the edge show almost no wear except next to the ANIA
Same on the Obverse...

Offline maridvnvm

  • Tribunus Plebis Perpetuus
  • Procurator Monetae
  • Caesar
  • *****
  • Posts: 4440
Perhaps the result on an uneven strike.

 

All coins are guaranteed for eternity