Unique Geta / Harpokrates and a legend-error riddle

[archivum]

Unique Geta / Harpokrates? Geta AE 18, 3.43 g, Antiochia ad Maeandrum, Caria, Laur. hd. r., AYT K P SE FETA [sic] / Harpokrates stg. nude l. holding cornucopiae, r. hand to mouth, ANTIOCHEWN, not in Isegrim; note the close connection between this obverse and another unpublished Antiochia Geta sold by Naumann.

[OldMoney]

I think the obverse of the Naumann piece is what yours used
to look like before someone hacked at it with some implement
(plus there are some old surface/corrosion problems too).
The things people do to poor innocent coins! Sad.

Walter

[curtislclay]

I would read ΓETA.

Might be from the same obv. die as the Naumann piece.

[archivum]

Thanks, Curtis; I am looking at the second transverse bar on the character circled -- looks like someone began to carve and then realized he needed a . Walter, where do you see any hacking? Coin looks worn to me, nothing more.

[OldMoney]

IMHO The coin probably had some surface corrosion and/or adhesions
which have since been substantially removed.

There now appears to be a significant amount of smoothing/tooling in the
obverse fields around the bust and in the areas around the lettering. This
is where it seems the extra line in the Gamma has been produced.

I am confident that these share an obverse die. I overlaid the images and
almost everything lines up. The places where there are minor differences
can be explained away with the above reasons. Take a look at the K that
is behind the bust, it is awkward and out of place, I expect you will find
signs of tooling/smoothing/etc. in this area as well as around the Γ. Note
also the apparent scratch marks above the head and in other areas.

I am only going by the images supplied, and you may see things better in
hand. I hope you don't mind me offering an honest opinion.

All the best,

Walter

[archivum]

You are naturally entitled to an honest opinion, but if reputable sellers could uneuphemistically call this a case of old repatinated light cleaning or even omit it completely I'm not sure of your brief to rechristen it hacking, of all things. The obverse is intact in essentials; that's why we can all note the good chance that it's from the same die as the Naumann coin.