Many of us have in their collections examples of coins with legend’s errors. Why did the engravers made such mistakes ? An opinion is that these workers (slaves ?) were not terribly literate. They often had to do their job under pressure. And we have to remember that the ‘quality control department’ was not super effective in some cases. The Friday afternoon beer could also have played a role. Here is an example : AETETNITAS instead of AETERNITAS... But I’m surprised when I discover modern ‘legend’s errors’. The new 50$ Australian banknote hides a misspelling error . On it we can recognize the portrait of Edith Cowan, the first woman elected to the Australian parliament. The image is actually made of lines of text from her first speech. Just over her shoulder we can notice that the word ‘responsibility’ is misspelled ( responsibilty). Over 46 millions copies have been printed before the mistake was found ! The Reserve Bank of Australia, which is responsible for printing banknotes, has admitted its mistake and will correct the shot the next time it prints. But the question remains : why such errors ? Non-literate workers ? Pressure of the job ? Friday’s afternoon beer ? Do you have coins with ‘legend’s errors ?
...haha..oops..on ancients is an oddity..but on modern bills...totally unacceptable...but, these are errors and those bills will be worth something someday..i have this Caracalla provincial with a error in the legend on the reverse
To err has always been a human prerogative. Misspelled ruler's name: VETRANIO AE2. 4.93g, 24mm. Thessalonica mint, AD 350. RIC VIII 126 var (obv. legend); Hirsch 258, lot 2707; CNG inv. no. 161220. O: D N VERTAN-IO (sic) P F AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. R: VIRTVS EXERCITVM, Emperor standing left, wearing military attire, holding labarum and shield; TSA in exergue. Misspelled deity's name: GORDIAN III AR Antoninianus. 4.02g, 22mm, Rome mint, early AD 239 - early 240. RIC IV 67 var (rev legend misspelled, error not recorded in RIC; cf. Gemini Auction IV (8 Jan 2008) lot 460 for another example from same rev die). O: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right. R: LIBERATAS (sic!) AVG III, Liberalitas standing front, head left, holding counter in right hand and cornucopiae in left hand.
I have this Constans where the engraver has got a bit carried away and he has put not one but two 'extra' letters into the Emperor's name on this coin. See CONSTATANS (for Constans). (Beer helps one to repeat oneself.) CONSTANS RIC VIII. Arles 58 (Error)
On this coin the name of the emperor is misspelled did the emperor notice it? Domitian, As, Rome, ca. 85 AD Ref.:RIC II 308 var (using var because of the misspelling) 28 x 29 mm, 10.38 g Obv.: IMP CAES DOMITAN AVG GERM COS X I laureate bust right with aegis on l. shoulder Rev.: S-C across field, Victory advancing left, holding shield inscribed SP QR
Sometimes you can get past Quality Control by engraving over your mistake, as in this INVIVTO IMP which was corrected with a "C over V" before striking to read INVICTO IMP (Septimius Severus, a very dark AR denarius).
IVNO REGINA (Juno the queen)?? Think again; this one says VINO REGINA (wine the queen): Salonina, AD 253-268. Roman billon antoninianus, 4.64 g, 23.3 mm. Antioch, AD 264. Obv: SALONINA AVG, diademed draped bust right on crescent. Rev: VINO REGINA, Juno standing left, holding patera and scepter; peacock at feet left; star in left field. Refs: RIC 92 var.; Cohen 67 var.; RCV 10641 var.; Göbl 1619f var. ~~~ The engraver forgot a letter on the obverse inscription of this Domitian denarius: Domitian, AD 81-96. Roman AR denarius, 3.44 g, 17.2 mm, 7 h. Rome, AD 91. Obv: IMP CAES DOMIT AVG GERM P M TR XI (error; should read TR P XI), laureate head, right. Rev: IMP XXI COS XV CENS P P P, Minerva advancing right, brandishing a javelin and holding a shield. Refs: RIC 156; RIC² 724; BMCRE p. 336, note; Cohen 269; RCV --.
@Ocatarinetabellatchitchix I have one of those 47 Million 'error' notes. (I just checked with my microscope.) I am going to hang onto it and wait to see how quickly it appreciates in value. (Lol.)
