Got a replacement owl!

My favorite owl coin is (of course) RR:
This type is often poorly struck: off center, uneven strike (like this one), dies worn, high points not fully struck, etc. I like this one because it has a reasonably good owl. The coin was probably struck for one of Julius Caesar's triumphs. I have two of the three denarii issued by this moneyer, and am looking for Cupid on a dolphin. My standards have crept up and I have not found a good example for a good price.
Roman Republican Denarius, 46 BC
Mint - Rome; Moneyer - MN,CORDIVS.RVFVS (Manius Cordius Rufus)
Obv - Corinthian helmet with crest on which an owl stands, behind - RVFVS
Rev - Octagonal Aegis of Minerva with head of Medusa in the center. Around - [MN.C]ORDIVS
Cr 463/2 (51 obv dies / 57 rev dies)

 

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She arrived today! The graffiti appear to be a few light scratches in front of the bust. Not bad at all!

 

Wonderful example !!! Wish my obverse was as good.

 

It's a great coin, to be sure. But I wonder what you all think of the term "graffito," because to me it denotes a mark that was clearly and intentionally made by a human hand, be it a letter or number, or some sort of symbol. In my book those are scratches on the OP coin. Of course, they could have been done by a human hand, but they could also be damage from the coin rubbing up against some sharp objects. They just don't look intentional enough to be called graffiti.

 

I don't know enough about coin graffiti, but I have to agree. These "scratches" don't look to be anything other than that. Scratches.

 

Looks like unintentional scratches to me.

 

I'm in the scratches camp. Unless someone I respect offers a compelling reason to consider otherwise.

 

I cannot make anything of them either. It is odd that there are several of them, and they all start at the edge of the face though.

 

From what I have read, JA is correct in stating that 'intentional scratches' are grafitto---and I suppose NGC indicated this on the side of caution???

But, they look merely like scratches to me too LOL

 

Yes, probably from cleaning. Under the chin it looks like they tried to pick away some deposit. There are also some smaller but similar scratches on other areas of the portrait.

sorry to say but this lowers the value of the coin. Unless someone can discern letters or symbols, this looks more like cleaning marks then graffito.

 

Ooowww, fantastic coin jwitten ... great photos!!

Oh, and hey, I'm no expert but I think the scratches are trying to say "give this sweet coin to a random coin-bro"

... but again, I'm not a true expert, so I may be off by a shade or two ...

 

Sorry to kinda side-track your thread (again), but I have occasionally mentioned that I didn't think that I had any coins with graffiti on 'em, yet I always seem to forget about this sweet ol' sexy gal ...



... ancient graffiti is kinda interesting, eh? (sure, it's a coin-flaw, but it's also a bit of history regarding the coin's life-travels ... a bit like a banker's mark)

Anyway ... congrats on your new coin, jwitten (glad you're happy with it)