Post Your Favorite Damaged Ancient

I'll just sit back and watch until I get home tonight.

 

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Test cuts and banker's marks qualify as damage right? This one has some deep cuts & punches on the owl and what looks like a cool little bucranium on Athena's cheek.


ATTICA, Athens,
AR Tetradrachm. (Owl)
440-404 B.C.
16.94 grams, 22 mm
Obv: Helmeted head of Athena facing
rt in crested ornamented helmet
Rev: Owl standing right, head facing;
olive sprig & crescent to left and
AΘΕ to right all in incuse square.
Grade: VG with fairly good strike and
a plethora of test marks and
banker’s marks from antiquity.
Other: Good silver. NGC grades VG with 4/5 for strike and 1/5 for surface. Private purchase 1-18-14.

 

Yea. What counts as 'damage'? I'd say anything which changes its original state. I've shown these before, will do again:

 

Although I rarely go after seriously damaged coins, this one probably qualifies since it's holed and a fourree and of a very scarce issue of Domitia the wife of Domitian.

 

I desperately want to believe that this is a damnatio of Licinius. The Senate issued a damnatio memoriae decree for Licinius shortly after his execution ca. 324/325 A.D. The scratches are quite intentional and patinized, suggesting they were made in antiquity. Perhaps it's just romantic wishful thinking for a really ugly coin.

 

I normally don't go out hunting for damaged coins, but these three are scare to rare, especially in their condition so I just couldn't pass them up:

Empire of Nicaea: John III Ducas-Vatazes (1222-1254) Trachy, Thessalonica Mint (Sear-2124; LBC 445-47)

Obv: AP X/M in field; Bust of St. Michael nimbate, wearing divitision, and panelled loros of simple type; right hand hold sword, resting over shoulder; left hand holds globus cruciger
Rev: IШ ΔЄCΠOTHC in two columnar groups. Emperor seated upon throne without back wearing stemma divitision and jeweled loros of traditional type; right hand holds scepter cruciger; left hand holds anexikakia; In left field, an outstretched wing; Manus Dei in upper right field




Bulgaria: Konstantin I Asen (1257-1277) Æ Trachy (Raduchev & Zhekov 1.4.3-6; Youroukova & Penchev-39; DOC-1)

Obv: IC XC in field; Bust of Christ, bearded and nimbate, wearing tunic and kolobion; right hand raised in benediction, holds Gospels in left; ✝ on either side of Christ
Rev: Full-length figure of tsar, wearing stemma, divitision, paneled loros of traditional type, and sagion(?); holds in right hand labarum-headed scepter, and in left, globus cruciger




Sogdiana, Chach: Unknown Ruler (3rd-5th c.) AE Unit (Shagalov & Kuznetsov-1)

Obv: Portrait of a ruler in profile facing left surrounded by a linear rim. The ruler has an almond shaped eyes, a large nose, sloping forehead, pointed chin with a forked beard, and small mustache. Hair is flowing down to his shoulders and individual strands of curly hair is intercepted by a tiara, which ends tied behind his head with two loops back down to his head. The top of the tiara has a crescent-shaped pommel attached. On the neck of the ruler is a jewelry with a round medallion in the middle.
Rev: Tamgra surrounded by Sogdian legend - c'c'n n'pn'c wnwn xw b - Chach people ruler - King Vanvan.

 

This must have been a really pretty coin before it was lost and corroded severely through the centuries:

TRAJAN. 98-117 AD. Æ Dupondius. Struck circa 106 AD.
Obv: Radiate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder
Rev: Trajan on horseback right, throwing javelin at Dacian falling before horse. RIC II 545

 

I'm going to post a coin without mentioning what the damage is because I'm wondering if anyone will notice it. For some context, I have never seen this type of damage(which is almost certainly intentional and ancient) mentioned in a dealer's listing or an auction listing, and I don't ever know that I've seen collectors mention it either but my research indicates it is a common phenomenon:

 

half as

 

RImp Spain Lepida-Clesa Lepidus - mon C Balbus L Porcius Colonia Victrix Ivlia Lepida Victory - Bull holed RPI 262 plate 19

 

I'm guessing you're referring to the area below Jupiter's chin/beard...or the hairline crack running along the top of his head????

 

Bankers Marks:


Persian Achamenid Type III spear over shoulder Darius I to Xerxes II Ca 485-420 BCE AR Siglos Bankers Marks Incuse rev


Egypt Ptolemy I Soter Tet Obv-Rev Delta bankers marks


RImp Marc Antony 32-31 BCE AR Legio X Equestris - Caesar Denarius B bankers mark Eagle Galley Standards


India Matsya AR Vimsatika 650-600 BC stamped bankers




Athens Owls

 

We will not all agree on the question of what is included in 'damage'. I can accept test cuts as damage although they were part of normal use for many coins. Countermarks are quite another matter. They were what made the coin the coin it was. 'Damage' implies something negative that happened to the coin. In a few rare examples like Damnatio Memoriae slashes defacing Nero, there could be question as to whether the coin gained interest/demand/value along with the 'damage'. Being cut in half to make a smaller denomination does not strike me as damage. Being broken in half by being crowded into an overfilled stock box --- that is damage. Weight adjustment file marks or Stannard scoops are not damage. Don't even think of calling the centration dimples on Ptolemaic or Provincial coins 'damage'.

A few samples.
This coin of Caracalla and Plautilla of Stratonicia was not damaged when it was countermarked even though the head of Zeus on the reverse was lost in the process.


The same countermark was most likely on the Stratonicia of Septimius and Domna. When someone decided that it need to be removed, that might be considered damage.


My favorite broken (damaged!) coin is this Caracalla of Pautalia with busts of Serapis and Isis.


I agree test cuts are damage but sometimes they are bad enough that they add a level of interest all their own. Ken posted an owl in this category. My owl wishes they had hit him harder so he could be more interesting, too. As it is, he is just damaged.


Another owl, this an obol, has damage on both sides I really wish I could prove to be teeth marks from being carried in a mouth. Fantasy? Is there a dentist in the house?

 

Nope. Those are just scratches in the patina. I've seen plenty of descriptions call those out.

 

My damaged 8 Prutot Mattathias Antigonus.

 

I almost sold this coin but I'm glad I did not. My only "ancient test cut".

 

Widow's Mite:



Erin

 

I'll reveal the answer. The damage on this coin is the test punch at 1 o'clock on the shield. Many victoriati exhibit these little test marks on the shield but I have never seen it referenced in an auction or dealer listing or the phenomenon mentioned in literature. I'm not sure if the very early denarii exhibit these or not but I haven't seen one that did, and given the proportion of victoriati I've seen these on it seems like it's all least much less common on denarii.

 

my favorite damaged coin ..