[ancients] Showing my crack... how does it look?

No, it's not what you think.

I bought this low grade trichalkon of Thessaly, Pharsalos and just received it in the mail. My concern with it is that the crack, visible on both sides, which appears to be rather shallow or filled in. The crack does sort of run past the edge to the other side as well, but again, shallowly. So, my question is... does my crack look right?





THESSALY, Pharsalos
Circa 4th - 3rd century BC
AE Trichalkon (7.1g, 23x20mm)
BCD 672.4
O: Helmeted head of Athena facing slightly right, wearing plain necklace with central medallion.
R: FA to l., upwards, P in field r., SA below r., armoured Thessalian horseman in short chiton and wearing Boeotian helmet above which crescent with its horns upwards, brandishing bifurcate flail and riding right on prancing horse decorated with a beaded necklace, Corinthian helmet below.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

I don't find your crack indecent

Her facing portrait with triple crested helmet makes me think of a jester's cap for some reason so it seems somehow undignified. I want one though. A drachm from Lucania with three-quarter facing, triple-crested helmet with Skylla would be nice.

 

Nice!

 

Oh, I forgot to add, if anyone has a particularly pretty or handsome crack, please do feel free to show it!

 

There's definitely a jester's cap look to it, and on my coin Athena's mouth and nose are worn to the point that she looks like she's a wearing a ninja's mask. So, she's like some sort of... ninja jester ?

 

I have a tight crack ... not exactly a plumber's variety

 

I missed why the crack struck you as questionable.

Crack!

 

Decent coin even with the crack.

 

I haven't spent that much time looking at cracks, but have read that wide, shallow cracks may indicate a fake. I don't think this coin is a fake as everything else about it looks and feels right, but the crack struck me as a little odd. Was it filled in, or is this how it should naturally look?

 

Thanks! I've been growing really fond of Greek silvers, but seeing as how pricey those tend to be, I've been adding to my small Greek collection with some affordable bronzes as well. I was able to give this one a new home for just under $12.

 

I'm doing the same when I can something I like I can afford.

 

A shallow, filled-in crack is by no means an indicator of forgery all by itself. Many collectors of ancients see cracks as post-mint damage, but that's not always the case. Any number of factors can contribute to a cracked coin: an uneven strike, a non-homogenous alloy, an improperly annealed flan, etc.

When I see a crack like that, it looks to me like it was created at the time of the strike. The flan cracked under striking pressure, but the hot metal inside the coin glued itself back together, somewhat - not enough to erase the crack but to fill the inside.

I have this denarius of Glabrio, and I believe the crack on this coin was caused by the strike...

 

Here's an Sicily, Agrakas hexas which clearly cracked during strike.

 

Thanks, JA, that theory makes alot of sense to me.
Also, isn't "annealed" just such a great word?

 

Akragas seemed to have a lot of trouble with cracks. I believe this hemilitron cracked on the first striking rather than on the countermark.


The Rhegion tetras has several smaller cracks.


Silver cracks, too. This is a Syracuse hemilitron.


The pattern here suggests Italy/Sicily had a problem with cracks.

 

It really makes you look like you know what you're talking about.

 

=> however, in my coin's case, I'm pretty sure that the crack was caused bt the coutermark!!

 

You guy's Crack me up.....

Constantius ll..282-350..AD..
Mint Siscia..
Dot BSIS star
24mm x 25mm x 5.05 g.

 

did someone say crack?







here's some byzantine crack...