Very interesting coin @TIF - I'm feeling hungry this morning and I have some Eggo waffles in the freezer. Hmmm...I'm becoming inspired!
I think @TypeCoin971793 may be right about the reverse design weakening the die. When you have cuts in the face of a piece of metal that run off the edge of the face you are just asking for it to fracture along those lines. A full die face all the way around with a design incused into the middle would be much stronger. John
Yes, I like the "banana bread" eggo waffles, with melted butter and buckwheat honey Sometimes when i run out of my homemade cinnamon buns I go for the eggo waffles.... sample of my cinnamon buns, I eat 4 for breakfast, yummy.
Excellent coin and writeup @TIF Never seen that before, very interesting investigations ant theories about the "why a reverse design" to be created at first. Your reverse reminds me of a (much) later reverse featuring a kind of waffle design, but on the sail of a galley made for naval battle Bigus Dickus would have called that a naval waffle I guess Q
You think its funny when I say that name? You know I have a good fweind in Wome named Bigus Dickus...
I really enjoyed the numismatic and culinary approach here - two of my favorite things. Until TIF came along, I never made the connection - thanks, TIF! Not ancient, but the waffles topic gives me a chance to show off what must be my best eBay purchase ever, a Scottish counterstamp on an Spanish American 8 reales that has been cancelled with a waffle pattern. I got it for $22.50; the seller apparently just considered it damaged, but Scottish counterstamps like this are quite scarce (and normally way outside of my budget): The counterstamp on this coin is from the Scottish firm of McFie Lindsay & Co. Greenock. On the reverse, the counterstamp has been cancelled with a grille (or waffle!) pattern, which has the effect of obliterating most of the obverse counterstamp. Here is what is visible of the counterstamp: Obverse: “McFIE” and the “G” in Greenock Reverse: “McFIE” and “LIN” of Lindsay, “GRE” of Greenock Host coin is a Mexico 1797 FM 8 reales. This countermark is well-documented. According to a Stack’s auction listing, this is “Manville 57…described at length on page 112 of H.E. Manville, Tokens of the Industrial Revolution, Foreign Silver Countermarked for use in Great Britain, C. 1787-1828.”
Dammit! I didn't realize how cool this coin was! Spreading the design all the way to the edges doesn't move the metal where you want it: in the centre. Yours has a better strike than most, congrats!! Great coin. (And the prices just went up...)
Interesting thoughts! You did not mention Etruscan coins with flat reverses. @Alegandron can post a few of his. I have used framing hammers with a waffle head (the pic below says milled). They make an interesting pattern on your thumb when you miss the nail. The waffle pattern holds nails and lets you use lots of force. You might have a problem with the waffle pattern showing on the obverse.
FLATBACKS Etruria, Populonia (pronounced Fufluna) 2-½ asses , AR 0.85 g 3rd century BCE Obv: Radiate female head r.; behind, IIC (retrograde). Rev: Blank. Ref: EC 104 (misdescribed, Female head with an Attic helmet). Historia Numorum Italy 179. NAC Comment: Of the highest rarity, apparently only the SECOND specimen known. British museum is where the 2nd one resides.
What is so special about the cheesemakers? Its a metaphor representing all makers of dairy products! John
Hi TIF! In my new research (for this moment in russian, sorry...) I have connect a "random" lines reverces with a private lydian stamps, one example of which made in terracota was founded at domestic Sardes district in VII BC context...
Chicken and waffle combo....that is a great little coin @TIF ! I don't have much in the waffle field for ancients, I do have several modern coins with a "waffle" edge. Not sure what the point was on these copper coins if it wasn't just decorative. Sweden Russia, I have a few Russian coins from the 18th century with this pattern on the edge.
I live in the South, but I've never understood why someone would combine chicken and waffles, but that coin could change my mind @TIF