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Author Topic: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!  (Read 15650 times)

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Offline Jochen

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #25 on: October 26, 2018, 08:08:21 am »
I hope these overstrikes are noteworthy!

Theodosius II, barbaric overstruck on official coin: Barbaric overstruck of an official SALVS REI PVBLICAE coin by a VIRTVS EXERCITI type

AE 4, 1.1g, 14mm
struck ca. 395-401
obv. Uncertain corrupt legend
       Bust, draped, perl-diademed, r.
rev. corrupt VIRTVS EXERCITI
       Emperor with spear and shield crowned by Victory
ref. Imitation of Theodosius SALVS REI PVBLICAE RIC X, 70-71
      depatinated

This overstruck type is usually linked to the Codex Theodosianus edict from Apr.12th, 395 AD. The connection is probably not valid, though the coins can certainly be dated to ca.395-401 AD. The more likely explanation is that the counterfeiters were attempting to take advantage the lack of familiarity of the people with the newly issued VIRTVS EXERCITI type by converting the old SALVS REIPVBLICAE AE4’s (with an average weight of around 1.1 to 1.2 grams) into the new VIRTVS EXERCITI AE3’s (with an average weight of about 2.3 to 2.4 grams). The obvious advantage to such fraud would be the doubling of the nominal value of the coin, the profit belonging, obviously, to the “moneyer” (from Ancient Coins Canada).

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Offline Jochen

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #26 on: October 26, 2018, 08:12:29 am »
Another example:

Valentinian II, barbarious overstruck on an official coin 
 
AE4, 1.36g
struck 383-392
obv. [DN VA]LENTINI[ANVS PF AVG]
        bust, draped and diademed, pearl-diademed, r.
 rev. [SALVS REI] - PVBLIC[AE]
        Victory advancingl., holding trophy and dragging captive
        overstruck by HONORIVS rev. VIRTVS EXERCITI

 The explanation of this phenomena is, that devaluated issues were used to struck new barbarious coins.
 Thanks to Beast Coins!

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Offline stevex6

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #27 on: October 26, 2018, 06:39:32 pm »
Wow, there are some fricken amazing over-strikes on this thread (including my ol' coin shown by Jordan => the Prow with a snout!)

=> I'm glad that it went to a great coin-home (cheers)

Ummm, I have another cool example that is still in my stock ...

The obverse shows an amazingly sweet horse wrapped around a dudes's face ... brilliant over-strike

Plus, the reverse is also a complete numismatic-gem ... Poseidon standing among the head of Herakles (pretty awesome, eh?)

Yah, this coin is a total stallion

Cheers

BOEOTIA, Federal Coinage (Overstrike), Æ18
Circa 220s BC
Diameter: 17.5 mm
Weight: 5.11 grams
Obverse: Head of Demeter or Kore (Persephone) three-quarter face right, wearing corn-wreath
Reverse: Poseidon, naked, standing left, resting right foot on rock and leaning on trident; to right, ΒΟΙΩΤ[ΩΝ] downward
Reference: BCD Boiotia 108 (this coin); HGC 4, 1182. VF, dark brown patina. Overstruck on Æ of Antigonos Gonatas of the type SNG Cop. 1214-1221
Other: 12h … the overstrikes are reversed on this coin, which is quite rare
Ex BCD Collection (Triton IX, 10 January 2006), lot 108.
CNG 346 – Lot #81
The natural thing to expect, bearing in mind the concavity of the Macedonian coins, would be that the heated coin to be overstruck would be placed with its obverse on the anvil die where the new obverse was engraved. Apparently there were exceptions to this rule, probably due to the speed and the carelessness of the operation.





Offline OldMoney

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #28 on: October 30, 2018, 11:48:50 am »
Thanks n.igma,
that is an excellent overstrike, with some other similar ones also occasionally
identifiable from this island. Seems a few more have turned up lately.

Thanks Jochen,
some more great overstrikes. Their 'noteworthiness' is in the eye of the beholder,
but I had hoped to get a few more like the Byzantine Anonymous Follis that was
struck over a Gordian III sestertius, with both over- and under-types clearly
identifiable.

Thanks Steve P,
as you may have seen from my above message: This particular Boiotian Federal
coinage appears to have been overstruck almost exclusively on this type of coin
of Gonatas. Not every example shows signs of being overstruck, but any example
that does show signs of being overstruck has these depictions identifiable as the
undertype. I'd be very interested to hear if anyone knows of this coinage being
struck on any other type of coin
.
________________________________________________________________

Overstrikes can often tell us a lot, such as the discovery - or confirmation - of the
bronze coins of Alexander II, the uncle of Alexander III the Great. Westermark's
1989 work showed conclusively that some of the coins that were in the name of
"an" Alexander were in fact of the earlier one, and not his more famous nephew.
This is just one example of many hundreds.

Our Forum friend djmacdo (also see his posts above) will attest to the importance
of such overstrikes, and not just those mentioned in his book on the subject.

I have now picked up another intriguing little overstrike, but that is for another
topic, as I am seeking the help of this board to properly identify it (I bought it
simply because it was an overstrike - pure folly
).

- Walter
Coins of Ephesus
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/ephesuscoins
Walter Holt's Old Money - Ancient Coins
https://www.oldmoney.com.au
Sydney, Australia

Offline OldMoney

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #29 on: October 30, 2018, 01:34:24 pm »
I have just been reminded of a wonderful overstrike that sold very recently.

Auctioneer's description:
ISLAMIC, Umayyad Caliphate. 'Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, AH 65-86 / CE 685-705. Fals (Bronze, 20 mm, 3.08 g, 6 h), overstruck on a clearly visible follis of Constantine I, minted in Rome in 317, Homs, c. AH 72-77 / 692-697. 'abd allah 'abd al-malik amīr al mu'minīn Standing figure of bearded Caliph facing (overstruck on the original coin's reverse). Rev. lā ilaha illā allah waḥdahu muḥammad rasūl allah. Tall Φ on base and three steps; in field to left, star of six points; in field to right, mint name, bi-ḥimṣ (overstruck on the original coin's obverse).

With this illuminating note:
While the standing Caliph issues of 'Abd al-Malik are well-known, an example overstruck on a Roman coin, issued over 350 years earlier, is quite simply spectacular! With most coins that were struck on flans made from earlier coins it is usually difficult to identify the under-types, since, at best, they are only partially visible. Sometimes all we can say is that there are traces of original types underneath the present ones (perhaps the best known series of coins that are over-struck on other issues are those of Bar Kochba: the under-types range from invisible/unidentifiable to perfectly clear). The present coin not only has a very visible under-type, but that type can be fully identified: it is a follis struck in the name of Constantine I in Rome in 317 (as RIC VII, p. 307, 78; obverse: IMP CONSTANTINVS P F AVG Laureate bust of Constantine to right; reverse: SOLI INV[ICT]O [C]OM[ITI] /*/RP Sol). Most interestingly, Goodwin's research has revealed that during this period the mint of Homs (more properly Ḥimṣ used a number of Constantinian folles as flans: mostly for the Imperial Bust type, but also for Standing Caliph issues (Standing Caliph 437 - overstruck on a follis dating to 316/7 from Arelate - is the only other known example). This would suggest that the mint must have acquired a fairly substantial hoard of Constantinian folles to use as flans: such a hoard might well have been hidden during the civil war between Constantine I and Licinius I in 324. The writer would like to thank A. Goodwin for his invaluable help with this coin. Any mistakes or misinterpretations in this description are wholly my own.

Over 350 years from original striking to later reuse and overstriking. Remarkable!

Enjoy!

- Walter
Coins of Ephesus
https://groups.yahoo.com/group/ephesuscoins
Walter Holt's Old Money - Ancient Coins
https://www.oldmoney.com.au
Sydney, Australia

Offline n.igma

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #30 on: August 22, 2019, 06:33:09 am »
Cyprus, Kition AR Stater. Azbaal, circa 449-425 BC

The clearest under type of the Aegina tortoise I've ever seen on one of these .... follow the cracks, creases and folds on the rotated reverse image (the top one) to see the complete outline of the tortoise: legs, tail, head and shell all neatly outlined, if a little deformed by the over strike.

Before these overstrikes came to light, it was thought that the Aegina tortoise was only struck in the 4th century BC.

The identification of the Aegina tortoise beneath the Kition coinage of Azbaal resulted in the updating of the Aegina tortoise coinage into the 5th century BC.
All historical inquiry is contingent and provisional, and our own prejudices will in due course come under scrutiny by our successors.

Online Jay GT4

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #31 on: August 22, 2019, 07:35:33 am »
That's pretty cool!  Not only the over strike but also the updated timeline for the tortoise.

Offline djmacdo

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #32 on: August 25, 2019, 05:53:56 pm »
It is not clear to me that is a tortoise rather than the earlier turtle.  Please explain to me what identifies it as a toritoise.

Offline n.igma

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #33 on: August 25, 2019, 10:08:05 pm »
The differentiation is based on the outline of the shell (broad at the rear on the tortoise versus tapering to the tail on the turtle), the disposition of the legs versus fins in the case of a the Aegina turtle (particularly apparent on the hind legs, and the outline of the head (lacking a beak and a stumpy form on the tortoise vs. more elongate and narrower on the turtle). Note also the shape of the left rear leg which is clearly visible on the under type, bent and angled away from the corner of the shell. You won't find this bent and angled form on the fins of an Aegina turtle (refer images below). Rather the fins are always concave towards the tail.
All historical inquiry is contingent and provisional, and our own prejudices will in due course come under scrutiny by our successors.

Offline n.igma

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Re: Dramatic Overstrikes: the Extraordinary, Remarkable and Outstanding!
« Reply #34 on: November 09, 2019, 09:24:48 pm »
It is not clear to me that is a tortoise rather than the earlier turtle.  Please explain to me what identifies it as a toritoise.

Further to my preceding explanation, here is the best example yet of an over struck Aegina turtle, in contrast to the Aegina tortoise noted my earlier post.

The difference between the under type forms of the tortoise and the turtle is night and day, due to the shell and fin/leg geometries noted in the previous post.
All historical inquiry is contingent and provisional, and our own prejudices will in due course come under scrutiny by our successors.

 

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