FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board
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Please look at this Julia Maesa denarius. 20.51 mm 3.07 gr.
On the reverse there are three irregular raised areas in the left field: just in front of her hand, a larger area SE of the D, and one SE of the V. There also is a small raised area in the exergue. There is a less noticeable one in the obverse left field just SW of the bun, so with 180 degree die axis that is opposite the reverse left field, in case that’s a clue.
This coin came in an ANACS slab and I just didn’t see these areas until I broke it out.
Does this look like a cast coin— I’ve seen the term wavey field used with reference to casting? Or could this coin have been struck with a damaged die and these areas are metal in-flow into the damaged areas? Is there another potential cause? Thanks in advance.
Ken
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Meant to add, the coin does verify on the ANACS site.
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Doubtful it's cast. By the time this coin was minted in the late Severan dynasty, silver content was down around 50% so you often see silver coins with this porous surface look if they were buried in more acidic soil that attacked the copper content of the flan. It's probably a bit underweight as well - I'm guessing 2.5g or less - because of the selective phase corrosion affecting the copper.
Not sure about the bulges, but I've seen similar issues on limes denarii from the era where a copper or bronze core is corroding and swelling the coin. It could also be some concentrated copper impurity swelling in the flan - it's clear the copper content in that flan did not fare well.
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Looks good to me too. Though outside my real area of expertise.
SC
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Thanks guys. It weighs 3.07 grams. Bulging is how I initially started to
describe it; swelling is a better description, and might explain it occurring on both sides generally opposite. But I had seen the term wavy fields used to describe a sign of casting. Having never seen that in hand I thought I’d ask. Thanks again.
Ken
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Those cracks should make it easy to determine if it cast. A crack is rough and sharp inside. A cast of a crack cannot copy the internal detail. The coin does not look cast in the photos.
Raised spots like these can be from die damage. Dents in the die produce raised spots on the coins.
The sort of bulge you have in the left field does often indicate corrosion of base metal within. With those edge splits, if it is a fourree, I would expect to see some bronze in the cracks. If you don't see any bronze in the cracks, it is probably an official coin. Perhaps the alloy was not mixed well enough and there is an internal lump of bronze that has some corrosion. Or perhaps it was a dent in the die.
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Thanks Joe. Where not obscured by dirt, the inside of the cracks are
silver in color and have irregular surfaces. Wish I had seen the bulges bf but I’m ok with this coin. I now have a good reason to upgrade when I find a nicer one within my budget. I like the PUDICITIA reverses, not that the designs are spectacular, but that the Romans celebrated the concept.
Fake Coins and Notorious Fake Sellers => Topic started by: Ken W2 on April 17, 2021, 12:31:04 am