Die Clash Antoniniani

[manpace]

One thing I am noticing is the high quality of Claudius II Gothicus radiates.  Hardly any silver in them, but the official ones are extremely sharp in feature and countenance.

What's puzzling is the enormous number of die clashes these coins display.  Other than the famous Julia Domna, I'm not sure I've ever seen a die clash on any but the Claudii, and I see them all over the place, it seems like.

If the mints were casual and desultory, why don't we see them on the Tetricii, Gallienii, or Postumii as well, since they were made during the same period and (for Gallienus) in the same mints and by the same people even?  Maybe I haven't seen enough Gallienii, but I've seen a ton of Tetricus and Victorinus, and their quality control was very low.  So where are the die clashes?

Were their dies so fragile that they had to be more careful?  Or the quality on the Tetricii was so low that such a modest feature would not survive?

Examples.

[manpace]

More examples.  Spend any time on ebay and you'll see a handful.

[OldMoney]

The last of these is actually an overstrike, perhaps
a flip-strike, not a die clash. FYI

Walter

[manpace]

The last of these is actually an overstrike, perhaps
a flip-strike, not a die clash. FYI

Walter

You're right, thanks.  Head is facing the wrong way for a die clash.

[manpace]

Two of the coins above are double die clashes, even...

[Robert_Brenchley]

I once went through all my coins of the period, and found that about 2% were clashed. There was no difference between Gallic and Central Empires.

[manpace]

I once went through all my coins of the period, and found that about 2% were clashed. There was no difference between Gallic and Central Empires.

Interesting.  Do you have a gallic example or two available?  I'd love to see.

[Christopher H2]

Two of the coins above are double die clashes, even...

Yeah that middle genius! I couldn't see the forest for the trees at first because the double clash takes up so much of the field. Quite a coin. Is it yours? If not, you should get it!

[manpace]

Two of the coins above are double die clashes, even...

Yeah that middle genius! I couldn't see the forest for the trees at first because the double clash takes up so much of the field. Quite a coin. Is it yours? If not, you should get it!

Nope.  The Spes double up there I got, but the Genius went out of my price range.  I'm glad someone else out there liked it enough to bid it up.

A better shot of my Spes.  See the two noses to the left of her waist.

[dougsmit]

Few are as strong as the 'famous Julia Domna' but there are other clashes out there.  On my page
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/brock.html
I have Clodius Albinus as Augustus, Septimius Severus and Constantine I as well as two different Domnas.   I consider the Constantine quite special because it is a double strike with the clashed dies.   The Albinus looks like the damage was severe with a chunk missing but the lettering and dotted border are definitely clash evidence.  

I have no idea why Claudius II is so common but they certainly are.   The ones I have seen other than those on my page are all weaker.  I have not tried to assemble a set of clashes so really can't say who else had the problem.  I wonder if some reigns used harder reverse dies, were just more careful or threw out damaged dies with even smaller damage.  

[manpace]

Ha ha!  A "double die clash" the old fashioned way.  I saw your excellent Brockage/die clash page some months ago but forgot about that one.  Thanks for posting it, Doug.

[manpace]

One thing I notice is how many of the die clashes have extremely sharp details.  I marveled at that contrast - the mint creating such high quality work and then being so sloppy in striking.

But the more I think about it, it makes sense for a striker to rationalize using a clashed die if the die is still in really good shape.  Where as if the die were worn out, an accidental clash might have been taken as a indicator to start with a new one.

[Fides]

*Rookie question alert* What exactly is a die clash? I know what brockaging is, so is this similar?

[manpace]

*Rookie question alert* What exactly is a die clash? I know what brockaging is, so is this similar?

The link to Doug's page above is very useful:

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/brock.html

A die clash is where the dies are accidentally struck without a flan between them.  Usually it leaves an impression of the obverse on the reverse, a little bit of an outline.

[Fides]

Thanks manpace!