The Worst Flans of the Ancient World

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by hotwheelsearl, Aug 4, 2020.

  1. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    Here's a fun topic, maybe. Post the worst, most misshaped, most ragged or ugly flans you have!

    This example is from @tenbobbit. The flan is just really gross all around, very uneven and quite sharp.
    However, it is a MASSIVE flan as well, a full 3mm or so wider than most comparable Gallienus ants. One of the few Gallienus ants with a full strike, with no missing components due to the extra large flan.
    IMG_E6355.JPG
    Gallienus AE Antoninianus, ~23mm
    Siscia RIC 572
     
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  3. furryfrog02

    furryfrog02 Well-Known Member

    I don't think that's ugly at all. I like that it was large enough to show the whole coin. That's pretty rare, especially for a Gallienus.
     
  4. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I agree! I have gone through a dozen more so of gallienus, and NONE have had a full strike like this !
     
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  5. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    For a Gallienus that's pretty high quality! I love it when the entire dotted border fits on the flan.

    Here's flan that looks like it may have been three flans mashed together. It's roughly three times thicker and three times heavier than the usual of its type.

    [​IMG]
    Tetricus antoninianus, 17 x 19 mm, 3 mm thick, 6.4 gm
    RIC 90?
     
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  6. octavius

    octavius Well-Known Member

    Does a cast coin flan count? Here is a very irregular AE uncia of the republic c. 270 BC.

    m53862.jpg
     
  7. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    Here's another rather ragged flan, on a C-Gall this time. This is quite thick, so I don't know why it couldn't have flattened out a bit more
    Constantius Gallus RIC VIII 137A.JPG
     
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  8. TypeCoin971793

    TypeCoin971793 Just a random guy on the internet

    Oh boy, I just got a few..
     
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  9. zumbly

    zumbly Ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana

    That broad flan is pretty neat. Here's another Gallienus, but on the other end of the scale... cute as a button, but missing alot of the legends.

    Gallienus - Zoo Antelope ex Stefanelli 4045.JPG

    And more typically raggedy:

    Gallienus - Diana - Baron Chaurand new 2017.jpg

    You've seen this last one already, but it fits the thread request.

    Tetricus II - Barbarous radiate ex Clain 4058.JPG
     
  10. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    Thanks for sharing! 99% of the gallienus coins I’ve seen are missing most if not all the legend; they seem to be a victim of criminally undersized flans. My example above is one of the very few I’ve seen with a full strike, albeit on a ragged flan.

    that Tetricus of yours is truly savage! I like it!
     
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  11. Spaniard

    Spaniard Well-Known Member

    Here's a couple of non Roman...
    Kashmir JayaSimha...
    FLAN4.jpg
    India Kasu of Sasivarnadeva...
    IN3-removebg-preview.png
     
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  12. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Wow, I am surprised the all time winner has not made an appearance. While I grant you late 3rd century Roman can be rough, especially coins of the breakaway Gallic Empire, and 5th century can just be tiny, do any of them really hold a candle to 7-8th century Byzantium? They regularly look like Rorschach metal blobs, or quartered from previous coins, or simply just a mess. Sasanian copper pieces could get an honorable mention.
     
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  13. ernstk

    ernstk Active Member

    Nothing can beat my hadrian on flan shape

    4-80WA0.jpg
     
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  14. Clavdivs

    Clavdivs Well-Known Member

  15. medoraman

    medoraman Supporter! Supporter

    Well, here is a pic of a random Byzantine, (not mine). For certain periods this is representative.

    byz random.jpg
     
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  16. svessien

    svessien Senior Member

    Fals 1.jpg

    I love this coin because of its flan, but it can’t be described as perfect.
     
  17. Mr.Q

    Mr.Q Well-Known Member

    Man a lot of diversity back then. Weird shapes but they are what they are huh! Good show thanks all.
     
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  18. Edessa

    Edessa Well-Known Member

    And occasionally flans are clipped with determination. Celtic, Southeast Gaul, Rhone Valley. Allobroges (?). Circa 70-10 BC. Potin Unit (15mm, 2.10g, 11h). Potins Au Long Cou type. Obv: Celticized head left with single headband. Rev: Horse left with raised tail, two pellets before. Ref: CCCBM III 373-377.

    zzz.jpg
     
  19. Valentinian

    Valentinian Well-Known Member

    Byzantine flans from the period of the 600s are often so bad it is almost cheating to show one. This example is not very unusual:

    SB1108ConstansII0649.jpg

    Constans II, 641-668.
    29 - 24 mm. 4.89 grams.
    emperor standing facing with long beard
    Large M with "SCL" below (for Sicily).
    Sear 1108. Struck 652/3.

    Overstruck on another type of Constans II with a standing emperor (visible on the reverse) Sear 1107.
     
  20. kanga

    kanga 65 Year Collector

    I'm not familiar with ancients at all.
    I assume that the often raggedy look is because there was no collar used when the coins were struck.
     
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  21. Pavlos

    Pavlos You pick out the big men. I'll make them brave!

    This one is not necessarily ugly, but the flan shape does is very weird!

    [​IMG]
    Islands off Troas, Tenedos. AR Hemidrachm, circa 550-470 B.C.
    Obverse:
    Archaic janiform head of Zeus and Hera.
    Reverse: T-E-N-E Labrys; all within linear square within incuse square.
    Reference: SNG Copenhagen 506-7 var. (differing legend arrangement).
    1.81g; 16mm
     
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