Having some trouble properly attributing this coin (my new glasses wont be in for a week!). Is this obverse laureate or radiate? Based on the reverse it should be this coin here: http://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/4/7069/ But the obverse looks kind of in-between laureate and radiate. Cant tell. Opinions?
Well, it certainly doesn't look like the photo in RPC, but I see a hint of spikes on a radiate crown:
That is exactly what I see. Honestly I do think it is a radiate of some form (maybe just a bad celator?). I have only been able to track down one other example, from Peus: I think the same obverse die for sure but not the same reverse. Peus avoids the issue by not giving a good description, just "head" as the obverse!
Well, it's interesting! At first glance I was sure it was radiate but as RC and Ken noticed, there are hints of spikes in the head gear. Maybe it is just the product of a confused engraver.
This could be the likeliest possibility. There are countless examples of where a celator began to do one thing, then ended up in a different direction leaving some interesting results. I am just not sure if it worth submitting or not.
So here it may take on this one. Could those lines be part of a metal band / frame to which the laurel leaves were attachedon the model being used here? They would be a continuation of the structure I started to highlight in yellow.