Was perusing an auction. Wont say which as there was discussion recently about talking about active lots. Anyway, I spotted an interesting coin, the same type I had sold before. Looking at the images I realized they were both the same obverse and reverse dies! Very cool. We've all see die matches, but obverse and reverse matches are less common. Post any you have or have seen.
I have always been a fan of Die studies. I even had a little article published in the Celator back in 1995 on the subject. However, I try not to get too many die duplicates since I consider die links (matching on one side only) more educational. However, this pair of coins is very interesting and serves well to show the obverse centration dot which was part of the die in the same place on both coins between portraits but the flan preparation 'pits' in quite different spots proving they were not on the die. Cool coins! http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/dielink.html Other parts of my opinions on die link studies appear on my page above which ends with a little quiz to see if readers understood the concept. The photo below has coins that are die duplicates (both sides), die links (one side) and not related coins thrown in to make the test harder. Answers are on my page if anyone cares to play. Of my die duplicate coins my clear favorite is the pair of denarii of Julia Domna shown below. Both dies are the same but one was before and the other after a die clash ruined the reverse. This is the only example of this I have.
It really depends on the series. For something super common, like denarii of Hadrian, a die link is a little surprising. Nothing that really adds value, just makes you go, "Huh, neat." For rarer series with smaller issues, I'd actually be concerned if I didn't find a die match.
Pretty cool...but I have none to offer---not surprising since I tend to look for variety within a series and only returned to collecting a year and a half ago.
I just noticed another cool feature of the OP coin. The obverse legend starts in exergue with Autokrator Caesar Marcus AVTKM and the continues around the edge with the rest. Far more common are coins of this general style that start around the edge and finish underneath.
Bought in the order shown below. The second not being as nice as the first in terms of some detail but allowing the confirmation of the reverse legend not possible from the firs. Septimius Severus denarius Obv:– IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, Laureate head right Rev:– MONET AVG, Moneta seated left, holding scales and cornucopiae Minted in Emesa, A.D. 194 - 195 References:– RIC -, RSC -
I really agree with this. An example is the somewhat more rare Legionary denarius of Septimius Severus for LEG XXII PRI which I was always told all came from one obverse and two reverse dies. Recently there have been coins of another dieset showing up which are all better centered than the old group. I would have severe doubts about the coins were it not for the fact that the new obverse is a die I have seen used with another legion reverse. Still, I would feel a lot better about the new coins if we had a coin using one of the new dies with one of the old dies or even examples that shared the characteristic dumpy fabric of the old dies examples that usually made coins with scanty legends. I don't have a new one but you can pick out the two old reverses from my group below that all share the same obverse.
2 Brutus/Lentulus Spinther examples, both with linked reverse dies. One thing I find interesting with this is the one on top is provenanced to Glendinging's Edward Nordheim/Evans collection 1931 and the one of the bottom I bought from the big hoard of basically mint state examples that came on the market in the last decade. I wonder which was struck first?
Carthago... Can I come over to your house to play? I watch your postings with interest. You really have some cool coins that are either in my collection (not to the quality you have, but are place-markers of history for me...), or are definite targets of mine! Fun stuff!
Thanks Alegandron! My wife says generally no more play dates for me because my friends drink too much and scare the children. I've never had a coin play date, though!
Die links are purty cool, ya'lls are no exception. Crazy links Carthago, you goin' to a FL show anytime soon?
I'd like to. I go to NYINC every year and used to go to the San Fran Bourse. Most other shows come at a bad time of year.
I've found die matches for a decent portion of my RR collection, even some of the larger issues with some diligence. First, my example of a Cr. 379/2 "L. Procilius" serrate denarius and below it, a die match from CNG e-auction 279 lot 344 and a nice .gif to illustrate(it is obv. and rev. match but I only made a gif of obverse): Here's another, a die match from Gorny & Mosch 204, lot 1986, for my Cr. 383/1(though these are easy to find given they have numbered dies): I have a few others in my notes that I might post later if I can dig up pictures
Nice work on that gif, @red_spork ! Very smooth. I don't go out of my way to look for die matches, but I happen to come across quite a few of them in the Levantine Provincials I like to collect. Some series had such short runs and were meant for such localized circulation that only a few dies are known, and it's a surprise not when you find coins with matching dies, but when you find new die combinations... Gallienus. AD 253-268 Æ21, 8.24 g, 6h; Coele-Syria, Heliopolis. Obv.: IMP CAES P LIC GALLIENIVS avg; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Rev.: COL IVL AVG FEL; Caduceus between crossed cornucopias // HEL Reference: Sawaya – (D110/R280 [unlisted die combination]).
