Ugly worn mounted coin

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Orfew, Sep 29, 2017.

  1. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    So, I just bought this ugly coin at auction. I always wanted one of these ducats of Venice so I bought it. Besides, it has almost 3.5 g of gold. I know it is worn and has a loop attached but it still had a great deal of charm to me. It did not hurt that the cost, including BP and taxes was 120.00. I think this must be near the melt value, so why not.

    Here is my new "ugliest" coin. Please post your own ugly coins that for one reason or another you had to have.

    Italian States, Venice. Antonio Vernier (1382-1400) Gold Ducat Fr.1229

    Venier ducat.jpg
     
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    These coins are ugly to begin with, but a slip of the hand by an ancient selator (probably distracted by impure thoughts of Ivlia, the girl down the block) and he botched the nose and made it a little uglier.

    Servilius M.F. Rullus denarius (100 BCE).jpg
    ROMAN REPUBLIC. P. Servilius M.f. Rullus, 100 BC. AR Denarius. (3.90 gm).
    Helmeted bust of Minerva / Victory driving biga.
    Servilia.14. Cr.328/1. VF.
     
    Ajax, Multatuli, RAGNAROK and 5 others like this.
  4. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    There are many ugly coins at my place but this one has an excuse. It was my first Septimius Severus legionary denarius. I got it at a show in New Carrolton MD in 1987 for $10. I had studied the coins enough to know I could ID it from the remnants of legend and even then $10 was not bad for the rarest legion in the Septimius series. LEG XXII PRI coins often have part legends an this one has the PRI at reverse right which is more than you can say about many of them. It got me interested in collecting the other legions and I even 'upgraded' this one but will never part with this one despite the hole, crack and 'patina' (from being hoarded with copper coins, I assume). I don't think there is anyone else here who cares about the SS legions (Bing is our Antony man) let alone getting the set. I might not have had the first one I found not been the 'rare' (Reka Devnia 0) one albeit ugly. From here, the rest were easy.
    ri3900bb0035.jpg
     
  5. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    I'm afraid you have a silver grosso there instead of a gold ducat. The ducats would have Christ standing and the Doge kneeling
     
  6. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    Thanks @FitzNigel

    Oh well, since it was not as advertised and attributed...back it goes.
     
  7. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
     
    7Calbrey and Marsyas Mike like this.
  8. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    No need to be sorry at all. In fact I appreciate the heads up very much. I will contact the auction house.
     
  9. dadams

    dadams Well-Known Member

    Although this thread did not turn out as I expected I have enjoyed the few coins posted. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. I have this old US Lincoln wheat cent that's not worth much at all, but priceless to me as my Uncle had it in his pocket the day he passed away in 2012.
    [​IMG]

    Perhaps @Orfew can start us up a new Ugly Coin thread.

    -d
     
    Ajax, Sallent, Multatuli and 9 others like this.
  10. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Okay, I'll post my ugliest:
    [​IMG]
    Vitellius
    Bronze As
    Spanish (Tarraco?) mint
    Obv: A VITELLIVS - IMP GERMAN
    Rev: VICTORIA AVGVSTI - Victory, with shield inscribed S P Q R, between S and C
    RIC 46
    29mm, 8.4g.

    I keep it because it would be too expensive to upgrade. I've been looking for a bargain Vitellius for many years, but anything decent is out of my price range. Someday, maybe . . .
     
    Ajax, Multatuli, RAGNAROK and 5 others like this.
  11. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Ugly coin that I keep because I might have the only one of its kind (I know it's unlikely, but ... ).

    Severus Alexander and Julia Mamaea.jpg
    Severus Alexander and Julia Mamaea
    Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis
    AE Pentassarion 10.1 g; 25.7 mm
    Obv: ΑVΓ ΚΜ Α[VΡ CΕVΗ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟC ΚΑΙ] ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΜΑΜΑΙΑ, confronted busts.
    Rev: ΗΓ Ȣ [ΤΕΡΕΒΕΝΤΙΝΟV ΜΑΡ]ΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤ-ΩΝ, Dikaiosyne standing l., holding scales and cornucopiae, E (5) in field, r.

    Not listed in: AMNG, Moushmov, Varbanov, Hirstova and Jelov, BMC Greek, Sear Greek Imp, SNG Cop, SNG von Aulock.
     
    Ajax, Multatuli, RAGNAROK and 6 others like this.
  12. akeady

    akeady Well-Known Member

    This is a very ugly, but fairly rare, sextans - Crawford 134/6 LPLH. It was worth £22.50 I paid for it :D

    [​IMG]
     
    Ajax, Multatuli, RAGNAROK and 7 others like this.
  13. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    I like ugly, holed, mounted coins. Mostly because I can afford 'em, but sometimes they have a certain charm because of the damage. I posted this one a while back, a RR denarius with a hole and "love token" engraving

    https://www.cointalk.com/threads/roman-republican-denarius-love-token-c-1800.298286/#post-2771456

    Antestia Gragulus - 136 BC denarius holed my photos (2).JPG

    Roman Republic Denarius
    L. Antestius Gragulus (136 B.C.)

    Helmeted head of Roma rt; monogram XVI below chin, behind, GRAG / Jupiter in quadriga left w. thunderbolt; below, L·ANTES; ROMA in exergue. Antestia 9; BMC 4029; Syd. 451; Craw. 238/1
     
    Multatuli, RAGNAROK, Ajax and 4 others like this.
  14. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio

    I like the love token denarius too.
    I bought a love token dime at a coin club auction. It had the initials of a club member. My wife made me give it to her husband so he could give it to her. It was a modern coin (18-something), so no pics.
    I have plenty that fit here. Some I like, like my half As collection:
    DSCN0280.JPG DSCN0281.JPG DSCN0762.JPG DSCN0764.JPG
    I am less pleased with some, like a recent to be attributed RR bronze lot that included:
    DSCN1137.JPG
    fouree cores of a denarius of C VIBVS PANSA and an anonymous Victoriatus.
     
    zumbly, Alegandron, Multatuli and 6 others like this.
  15. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    Here is my holed Constantine. Not totally ugly because the helmet is kind of nice, but still basically ruined.

    constantine1.jpg

    constantine2.jpg
     
  16. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio

    I think the hole adds something to a coin in this grade. It adds character. You can try to guess who wore the coin and where.
     
  17. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

  18. FitzNigel

    FitzNigel Medievalist

    My Caesar Fouree is pretty ugly:
    01-R2-Caesar-FR-DE-01.jpg
    Roman Imperitorial
    Julius Caesar, (49-48 B.C. Original)
    Traveling Mint in Gaul, Fouree Denarius, 18.32mm x 3 grams
    Obv.: CAESAR in exergue, elephant right, trampling on serpent
    Rev.: Simpulum, sprinkler, axe and priest's hat
     
  19. Multatuli

    Multatuli Homo numismaticus

    Correct! I believe that’s a silver Matapan (grosso) which was gold plated (jewelry) perhaps still in medieval times.
     
  20. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    Thanks to all for posting your "ugly" coins. These coins need a good home too.
     
  21. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    My two ugliest are probably my Cleopatra VII and my Theodosius III of Adramytium:

    Screen Shot 2017-09-30 at 11.28.58 AM.png
    Screen Shot 2017-09-30 at 11.28.39 AM.png
     
    GerardV, Ajax, Bing and 4 others like this.
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page