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Mule

A mule is an official mint issue Roman coin that is a hybrid, meaning it has the obverse of one emperor and the reverse of another. The numismatic term mule is derived from the animal mule, the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, due to such a coin having two sides intended for different coins, much as a mule has parents of two different species. Coins of this type are generally scarce or rare. A modern day comparison would be the obverse (heads) of a US Penny and the reverse (tails) of a US Dime. Most ancient Roman hybrids are unofficial, ancient counterfeits and an should not be described as mules. Curtis Clay explained on the Classical Numismatic Discussion Board:

"The term "hybrid" has become tainted in my mind, because so many of the coins so described in the earlier RIC volumes and in Roman Silver Coins are nothing but ancient counterfeits. Therefore I prefer to say "mule" for coins struck at the mint from mismatched official dies. The distinction official/unofficial is crucial. Official mules are for the most part vey rare, and interesting as error coins and for showing a chronological connection between dies that we otherwise wouldn't have known were in use at the same time. Unofficial hybrids are very common and teach us nothing about the chronology of the official coinage."

Mule

A mule is an official mint issue Roman coin that is a hybrid, meaning it has the obverse of one emperor and the reverse of another. The numismatic term mule is derived from the animal mule, the hybrid offspring of a horse and a donkey, due to such a coin having two sides intended for different coins, much as a mule has parents of two different species. Coins of this type are generally scarce or rare. A modern day comparison would be the obverse (heads) of a US Penny and the reverse (tails) of a US Dime. Most ancient Roman hybrids are unofficial, ancient counterfeits or imitatives, and an should not be described as mules. Curtis Clay explained on the Classical Numismatic Discussion Board:

"The term "hybrid" has become tainted in my mind, because so many of the coins so described in the earlier RIC volumes and in Roman Silver Coins are nothing but ancient counterfeits. Therefore I prefer to say "mule" for coins struck at the mint from mismatched official dies. The distinction official/unofficial is crucial. Official mules are for the most part very rare, and interesting as error coins and for showing a chronological connection between dies that we otherwise wouldn't have known were in use at the same time. Unofficial hybrids are very common and teach us nothing about the chronology of the official coinage."