Re
scyphate coins:
In addition to all the already noted information, it needs to be added that the original question has not been answered. That question was HOW they were made, and the answer, quite frankly, is one we do not KNOW.
We speculate that the flans were
cast in
cup form, and the
reverse die (for the convex coin) was on the bottom. It's usually the other way around, but these are unusual coins. As has been noted, the coins were struck twice with the upper/obverse die being larger than the lower die/planchet combination so that the coin and two dies would not jam together and stick. A previous respondent suggested that the dies were rocked, left side struck first, right side second. Recent research by Simon Bendell has suggested that actually two different dies were used for right and left side strikes. However it was done, there is frequent doubling in the center of
scyphate coins, especially the crude billon/copper trachea.
As to WHY
scyphate coins were struck, I believe that there is some connection to the cupping which first appears with
Byzantine gold just about the same time the
quality of the gold is being debased. I wonder if it might have been started as an indication of gold content similar to the arrows on 1853 silver US coins? Whatever the reason for its introduction, it was certainly NOT to make coins easier to stack. Anyone who has ever
had the opportunity to stack a large number of scyphates will confirm that their
cup shape is no advantage at all. That answer is pure speculation with no substance in fact. What we do know for certain is (1.) The technology needed to accomplish
scyphate coins was high, thus discouraging counterfeiting. (Bullion scyphates did encourage clipping, but that is another story). (2.) The
cup shape enabled a large yet thin coin. This meant less metal used to make a coin that was difficult to loose or misplace, and strong enough to carry or survive in the bottom of a vault bag.
Finally, it needs to be admitted that
scyphate coins are difficult to collect. They are hard on mylar
flips, and they take up lots of space, which makes them difficult to store. They are impossible to encapsulate (goody!)! The
billon ones are really difficult to attribute, because needed inscriptions are frequently unstruck or illegible.
That being said, they are a wonderful concentration for a
collection. Because so many of the
billon coins are crummy, nice ones can be found in the market very
cheap! If a collector takes the time to learn the series, and has the patience to look through a lot of junk scyphates, he or she will come up with an
abundance of
rare coins in remarkable condition for very little
money. As the series is yet to be discovered, learning it NOW before it IS discovered, can put a collector in the advantage.
Suggestions: look for full strikes and readable legends, especially on the
reverse (convex). For the
billon coins, look for original silver: this is not "
silvering," as it was not
added before after the coin was struck. The silver
comes from the silver in the
billon, which would, given a good
alloy and a hot
planchet, rise to the surface in a good strike.
Because there is so much potential to this series, these coins are worth seeking. But, you will have to look hard because they have been so unpopular that many dealers just don't bother to bring them to shows or carry them in stock. Talk about diamonds in the rough!
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