I didn't want to keep ya hangin' out there by yourself, randygeki .... => ummm, but these are as close as I get to halvsies ...
I don't have any coins that were intentionally halved to create smaller denominations, but I will take this opportunity to post some of my precious and decrepit Nabataeans. These are all bronzes issued by Aretas IV (9 BC - 40 AD). The obverse of the top coin features jugate portraits of Aretas and his queen Shuqailat. Over the queen's head is the inscription שלם, signifying "whole" - this Nabataean word is identical to the Aramaic root s.l.m., from which the modern Arabic Shalom and Hebrew Shalem derive. When these larger bronzes were first issued, it was apparently necessary to differentiate them from from smaller coins already in circulation. This may seem superfluous to the casual observer, but prior to their issue, there had been a shortage of silver, and bronze coins had been minted as substitutes for drachms, which caused considerable confusion with respect to denominations. In the case of the top coin, the inscription שלם was likely intended to signify that the coin was a bronze whole, rather than a silver substitute, and at the same time define the six coins below it as halves.
These coins were all stuck on planchets that have missing parts. The incomplete planchets or "clipped planchets" were then struck into coins. They are not ancient but perhaps you folks will find them interesting.
"They are not ancient but perhaps you folks will find them interesting." I have no doubt that my (community college) students consider anything from 1978, such as the quarter above, to be ancient.
L CALPURNIUS PISO CAESONINUS & Q SERVILIUS CAEPIO ROMAN REPUBLIC; GENS CALPURNIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: Head of Saturn facing right, harpa and legend PISO behind, CAEPIO and symbol below, Q below chin REVERSE: AD FRV EMV EX SC, the two quaestors seated left between 2 grain ears Struck at Rome 100 BC 3.6g, 20mm Crawford 330/1a; Syd 6031 IBERIAN AE Semis OBVERSE: Young male head right, Phoenician letter before REVERSE: Bull right, crescent above, two Phoenicial letters below. Struck at Castulo Late 1st century BC 15.6mm, 1.8g Burgos 897
M. AEMILIUS (POMPEY Victory v ARETAS ); GENS AEMILIA AR Denarius OBVERSE: M . SCAVR / AED CVR above king Aretas kneeling beside a camel r., EX on ,S . C on right, REX ARETAS in ex. REVERSE: HYPSAE (vs) / AED CVR above Jupiter in quadriga left, CAPTVM on right, c. HYPSAEVS cos PREIV (ER) in ex. scorpion below horses Rome 58 BC 3.1g, 17mm Cr422/1a; Syd 912 JULIUS CAESAR AR Denarius OBVERSE: Elephant advancing right. CAESAR REVERSE: Simpulum, sprinkler, axe and apex. No legend Gaul 49 BC 3.2g, 18mm CRI 9, Sydenham 1006, RRC 443/1, S 1399
AUGUSTUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: AVGVSTUS DIVI F, bare head right REVERSE: Bull butting right IMP X in exergue Lugdunum 15-13 BC 3.7g, 18mm RIC I 167a, BMC 451. C 137, CBN 1382 TITUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: IMP TITVS CAES VESPASIAN AVG PM - Laureate head right REVERSE: TRP IX IMP XV COS VIII P P - Table, thunderbolt atop Struck at Rome, 80AD 2,3g, 17mm RIC 23b, BMC 56, BN 45, C 314
HADRIAN AR Denarius OBVERSE: HADRIANVS AVG COS III P P, laureate head right REVERSE: ADVENTVS AVG, Roma, standing right holding spear and clasping hands with Hadrian standing left. Struck at Rome, 134-138AD 2.8g, 17mm RIC, 225, RSC 84a FAUSTINA Sr AR Denarius OBVERSE: DIVA FAVSTINA, draped bust right REVERSE: AETERNITAS, Juno standing left, hand raised, holding scepter Struck at Rome, 141 AD 2.9g, 17mm RIC 344
FLORIANUS Antoninianus OBVERSE: IMP FLORIANVS AVG, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right REVERSE: CONCORDIA MILITVM, Victory standing right presenting wreath to Florian standing left. Q in ex. Struck at Cyzicus, 276 AD 2.9g, 21mm RIC 116q MAXIMIANUS AR Argenteus OBVERSE: MAXIMIANVS AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: VIRTVS MILITVM, four tetrarchs sacrificing before walls with 8 turrets Struck at Ticinum, 295 AD 2.6g, 18mm RIC VI 18b
A croc and a half worth of half dupondii of Nemausus Julius Caesar from Vienna, Gaul. I do not have the Augustus half or a whole one.
