If you collect Lincoln cents no one would think a 1914-D and 1931 plain were duplicates, similar though they are. Here is an ancient-coin parallel. This coin came recently (from our member @Victor_Clark ). Some of you might call a duplicate when you see the others I have: Constantius, Caesar of the First Tetrarchy 293-305 and Augustus of the Second Tetrarchy 305-306. 27 mm. 9.35 grams. CONSTANTIVS NOBIL C, laureate, cuirassed bust right. GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left with patera and cornucopia S F left and right fields. PTR in exergue. RIC VI Trier 594a, struck as Caesar c. 303- 1 May 305. Why might someone call it a duplicate? Well, look here: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/tetrarchy/Constantiusfolles.html To me, the portraits are different at different mints, and different obverse legends and bust varieties are interesting too. In this very common series, it doesn't take much to make me think a nice coin is not a duplicate. Show us a coin of this type or show us some coins that others might regard as duplicates that are not duplicates to you.
Keeping with the Tetrarchy, I have a Diocletian SACRA MONET and a Diocletian SAC MON VRB. Same emperor, same reverse image, somewhat different reverse legend, different mint.
My favorite is this Septimius Severus with INVICTO IMP - trophy of arms reverse. "Emesa" mint - quite common - I have two dozen with various die vartiations This is the same reverse from Alexandria - I have one. Who else has one? If they do, theirs is better. I feel lucky that there is MP legible at the lower right of the reverse confirming that this was the INVICTO IMP reading rather than the INVICTO IMP TROPAEA also used at "Emesa".
What is fantastic about ancient coins to me is how every die engraved by hand. Modern coins, with master hubs, machine strikes with collars, etc try to chase tiny little details like mintmark location, etc and say they are "different". In my view, nearly every ancient coin is unique. There are almost no duplicated if you want to chase it down to the obverse/reverse die level. My avatar I own maybe 8-10 of, and do not consider any a duplicate, though some would consider more than one Sasanian a duplicate, others two of Vahran II as duplicates, while others two of the Vahran King and wife with Prince 4 to be duplicates. But it goes down further, to mints, then further to dies, etc. At a certain level, most ancients other than 1 are duplicates, all the way down to unless its a two sided die match its not a duplicate. This is where I live, if only to allow me to buy group lots of 100 hunnic coins of the same basic type if I feel like it.
Maybe these two: - AE4 16x15mm 2.98g - AE4 15mm 1.98g According to RIC these should be AE3 but by 387 when these were minted the measurements fit better with a "large module" AE4, in contrast with the small module AE4 of the age that was around 12mm.
My "duplicates": Constantine I ("the Great") Siscia mint, A.D. 319-320 RIC 95, variant Obv: IMP CONSTANT-INVS AVG Rev: VICT[dot] LAETAE PRINC PERP - Two Victories, facing each other, holding shield inscribed VOT/PR over altar ΓSIS✳ in exergue; S in altar. 20 x 18 mm, 3.2 g. (Note: This coin has the obverse inscription of RIC 101, albeit with an unrecorded inscription break, and the mint mark of RIC 95. RIC 101 is part of a group of coins labeled "Irregular." One possible explanation is that these "irregular" coins are part of the same series as RIC 93 - 99.) Unknown mint, 4th century A.D. Barbarous imitation of Constantine the Great, VICTORIAE LAETAE PRINC PERP reverse type. Obv: (CONSTANTIN-VS AVG) - Bust, left, in high-crested helmet, spear over right shoulder, shield over left. Rev: Gibberish - Two Victories, facing each other, holding inscribed shield over altar. •SIS in exergue. 17 mm, 2.1 g.
The style on that imitation is really cool, reminds me of Anglo-Saxon paintings depicting the coming of the vikings.
Here is a similar follis from the London mint: RIC Volume VI, Londinium, Group I, (ii), folles, Class II, (b), No. 17-22, c. 300 onward, larger, laureate elongated head on shorter neck (10.8 - 9.0 gm). No. 20 - Constantius - Caesar of the west: FL VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C ..................... GENIO POPV -- LI ROMANI Laureate, cuirassed, bust facing right
Great thread @Valentinian . Thanks for posting this. Thanks also to those who have posted so many great coins. This area is not my specialty and I love seeing the passion that others have in areas I have not studied.
Or these three: - Heraclea 49a 6.38g 310 - Heraclea 49a 6.73g 310 - Heraclea 54a 5.68g 310-311 All of them are of the same type, two are the exact same variation and all three are very close emissions, with the very interesting MAXIMINO PF INV AVG obverse legend.
Definition of duplicate: 1: consisting of or existing in two corresponding or identical parts or examples. (Websters' Dictionnary) Not the same guy but...maybe duplicate ?
The first coin is RIC 3. The second coin is RIC 3 var. The difference? There is an object called a lituus under the frame on the second coin.
Interesting thread Warren. I can relate to your proposal in my interest in early anonymous denarii. Many collectors would consider More than one or two of these early anonymous peaked visor denarii as duplicates for their collection. Crawford distinguished variations of his early peaked visor 53/2 group with 8 variations in his plates depicting them. Through die studies and hoard evidence, we now know that these variations were almost certainly products of different mint locations and/or times. Here are some different RRC 53/2 anonymous denarii in my collection. Group 1, Trapezoidal frame around legend, Flag cape of 3 lines, horses "distant" with rear legs extended and forelegs high in the air. RRC Plate X.13. Group 3, Trapezoidal frame around ROMA legend, Hatched tail on 2nd horse, rear legs of horses bent at hock, streaming cape. RRC Plate X.14 Group 4, Rectangular frame around the legend. Flag cape of four diverging lines. This group also positions the stars above and between the dioscuri rather than directly above each of their heads. RRC Plate X.18. This is the most common variety of 53/2 Group 9, Griffon tufts on Roma's helmet widely divided, Legend in 3 line rectangular frame, streaming cape. RRC Plate X.20. Note that this variety is later than the others, near the end or after the 2nd Punic war. It is found in later hoards and is lighter, with an average of 3.88 gm in a sample of 230 coins compared to > 4.1g for earlier varieties.
DUPES AH AIN'T GIVEN UP! RR AR Denarius 214-208 BCE Roma R X behind - Dioscuri R ROMA linear frame stars Sicily RARE Cr 68-1b RR Anon AR denarius Roma 211-206 BCE ROMA incus Dioscuri single horn-helmet Sear-- Craw 68-1b SICILY ISSUE RARE was cr 44-5
