Ancient Errors: Major off center Arcadius

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by hotwheelsearl, Jun 24, 2020.

  1. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    This tiny little guy is struck almost 40% off center! Crazy.
    IMG_5830.JPG
     
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  3. toned_morgan

    toned_morgan Toning Lover

    I guess they let it fly because they needed the money in circulation and they might not have had the time to remelt it and strike it again. But in any case, whoever struck it knew they were way off.
     
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  4. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I can picture some merchant being like "sorry, sir, it's only worth half a nummus because it only has half a portrait"
    and laugh all the way to the bank, for whatever a half nummus could buy haha
     
  5. happy_collector

    happy_collector Well-Known Member

    A double struck coin with double buying power! :happy:
     
  6. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    This is the most off-center coin in my collection:

    [​IMG]
    Gallienus, AD 253-268.
    Roman billon antoninianus, 1.89 g, 18.5 mm, 11 h.
    Rome or Mediolanum, AD 260-268.
    Obv: GALLIENVS AVG, radiate head, right.
    Rev: PA[X AVG?], Pax standing left, raising branch in right hand and holding long transverse scepter in left.
    Refs: Too off-center to attribute precisely.
     
  7. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Double-Strike...ooops.

    upload_2020-6-25_12-15-52.png
    RR M Furius ERROR DOUBLE-STRIKE AR Den119 BC Janus Trophy Carnyx S 156 Cr 281-1
     
  8. Cucumbor

    Cucumbor Well-Known Member

    Off center, but the whole snout is still there :

    [​IMG]
    L. Aemilius Lepidus Paullus, Denarius
    Rome mint, 62 BC
    PAVLLUS LEPIDVS [CONCORDIA] diademed and draped bust of concordia right
    Trophy with Lepidus Paullus on the right and three captives on the left (king Perseus of Macedon and his sons). TER above and PAVLLVS at exergue
    4.00 gr
    Ref : RCV # 366, RSC, Aemilia # 10

    Q
     
  9. SorenCoins

    SorenCoins Well-Known Member

    It is cool to see all of these ancient errors! Any reasoning as to why the obverse it more off center than the reverse?
     
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  10. seth77

    seth77 Well-Known Member

    It was Friday and a cold one (or ten) was waiting.
     
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  11. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Mine is like @Cucumbor ... off-center, but made it by a NOSE!

    Additionally, mine is an oblong flan, AND the nose made it on-flan on the NARROW side.

    upload_2020-6-28_11-51-11.png
    RImp Marc Antony & Octavian AR Quinarius 1.58g Military Mint Gaul 39BCE Concordia r Hands clasped caduceus Cr-529-4b Sear 1575 Syd-1195
     
  12. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

    I've got a similar one to the OP coin. Except the ruler was Constantius II.
     
  13. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    I'm not sure. My example has the same level of off centering on both sides, which suggests to me that the obverse and reverse dies were aligned to each other, and the encapsulated flan was struck by a hammer on the upper die, pressing the metal in between.

    If only one side is off center, I think this might suggest that one die was fixed-in-place, while the other die was part of the hammer. As the hammer-die struck the flan, it was off center on one side, while being more centered on the other side.

    Just my guess. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
     
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  14. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    Nice stroke of luck there! I am fortunate in that my little Arcadius has both the ruler's name and the mintmark intact.

    With your coin, so many things could have gone wrong! Lucky break :)
     
  15. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Perhaps. However, if the coin not appealed to my eye, I would not had bought it. So, no luck involved on my part.
     
  16. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    This is one thing the Byzantine mints did "well." This one's both off-centre and an overstrike:

    Screen Shot 2020-06-28 at 2.32.26 PM.jpg
     
  17. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    Off-centre on both sides and an uneven strike.....

    [​IMG]
    Look at the edge of the coin and note the varying thickness. Thick = little or no force from strike, thin = most force from strike
    [​IMG]
     
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