Numismatic Enjoyment with Damaged and Corroded Roman Bronzes

Let us see before and afters of the Verdicare...

 

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OTACILIA SEVERA
Æ Sestertius
OBVERSE: MARCIA OTACILIA SEVERA AVG, diademed and draped bust right
REVERSE: SAECVLARES AVGG, SC in ex, Hippopotamus standing right, head raised
Struck at Rome, 248 AD
18.6g, 30mm
RIC 200a, Cohen 65
ex Warren Esty

 

In keeping with Sestertius here is a cheapie I picked up earlier this year.

Julia Mamaea

 

Thank you all for posting your damaged but still loved coins!

To comment on just a few:
gsimonel, any Ae as of Vitellius is an interesting coin in my opinion, and worth adding to a collection. The legend on that example and most of the bust still clear. I am a fan of Vitellius so I would have no skipped by that one.

Mikey, your Caligula sestertius is still quite lovely, with a very distinct reverse. Yes, I would certainly take that example in my collection.
Amazing what that other example brough that you posted (you could buy a house for that much!)

Ancient Aussie, thank you for your comments about the A. Pius Ancilia as. I was afraid the patina may start flaking off at the borders - hopefully it doesn't as it is still a nice enjoyable coin.
Your Augustus denarius is quite appealing and the part which broke off luckily did not affect the main devices. The bust and the reverse are still intact and that is what counts. I think you did well on that one.

 

As for corroded bronze, most of the bronzes in my collection would qualify. I just got this in the mail yesterday. Paid $12.23.






Marcus Aurelius
Æ Sestertius - Rome Mint
(168-169 A.D.)
M. ANTONINVS. AVG. A[RM. PARTH. MAX] Laureate head right. / [TR POT X]XII IMP V COS [III], S-C. Aequitas seated left, holding scales & cornupiae.
RIC 969; Sear 5012. (25.03 grams / 29 mm)

 

beter example so hard to find
titus mars

 

Sorry I missed this thread while it was fresh. I see several levels of lovable, damaged coins.

First are coins we collect because they are cheap compared to the better ones. We would rather have a nice one but some of us are on a bit more of a budget than others. This class is exemplified by Bing's hippo. Someone just bought the X6 specimen of this coin but they paid more than some of us (I, anyway) were comfortable paying. I'm not always proud of these coins in my collection but I love them anyway. From my collection, this class is represented by this ugly fourree denarius with Caesar and Octavian facing each other and reverse inscribed M AGRIPPA COS / DESIG. Triton XIX sold a nice one for only $25000 + fees. I did not bid.


Second are rare coins that do exist better but come up rarely so we may not find one for a while. My Divus Caracalla sestertius below with four tiered pyre was the only one I saw for two decades. A better one showed up in a fixed price sale a couple years ago but I decided I did not need to specialize in them so I did not go for it. I guess that turned this #2 into just another #1. Bronze disease survivors need love, too.


Third are coins that survived antiquity in very small numbers. When that number is one, we call the coin unique. Some unique coins are mint state; some are not. All the money in the world will not buy a better specimen that does not exist. The problem with 'unique' coins is that another might turn up making the first one 'best' or 'worst' of two. If yours is still best, no problem. If the other is better, yours becomes a class 2 above. My example here is an Alexandria mint denarius of Septimius Severus with INVICTO IMP trophy of arms reverse. These are common from the Syrian mint known as 'Emesa' but otherwise not seen for Alexandria. I would love for another one to turn up but meanwhile am happy to have this one.


Fourth are coins that actually benefit from their fault and have added interest because of, not in spite of, the problem. There is always room for opinion on what faults fall into this category but I'll show a Stratonicaea AE31 of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna that once had a countermark between their busts. Exactly how and why it was removed is not fully clear but the coin, like most Damnatio Memoriae coins, gained some interest when it departed. I do have a matching coin with the c/m in place but I like this one better.


That is four types. Are there more?

 

Here is an interesting Commodus that fits your decription:
COMMODVS. Laureate bust of Commodvs r. [IMP CAI M A]V COM - A[VG],Rev:.Tetrastyle temple of Apollo Smintheus r. Between two columns, Statue of Apollo holding bow over basis of a tripod." CO[L AVG / T]ROA[D]".Mint: Alexandria, Troas.184-192 AD.AE23 (6,4gr./23mm.).RARE. VF.ref.: SNG Righetti 775. Kapossy GM 58, same dies) SNG vA1470 (same dies) BMC.65 (same dies)pl.V,5 (reverse only).

 

Here is an Hadrian bronze bought for its ship on the reverse !
HADRIANVS. Laureate, draped bust r.seen from behind ”HADRIANVS AVGVSTVS”, Rev.: ”FELICITATI AVG / COS III P P / S – C”. War Galley r.with pilot and six oarsmen, with legionary ensigns. Mint: Rome, 117- 138, AE AS. VF (10,0 gr./ 26 mm) RIC 719, C.660, RCV 3662,

 

Caius and Lucius Caesars, AE17, circa 4 AD, Mysia BMC. 246.
Sorry for this late disclosure concerning Augustus'relatives-