NCAPR countermark on Roman coins

A recent acquisition



Tiberius (14-37). AE Sestertius, 36-37.

D/ Augustus in quadriga of elephants left; holding branch and scepter.

R/ Large SC surrounded by legend. On reverse, counter-mark NCAPR

RIC 68

Although this is a common countermark, there seem to be 3 alternative
explanations for its meaning :

Most references attribute it to Nero - per Richard Baker https://www.accla.org/actaaccla/Baker1984.pdf

"Here we have the commonest of all the early Imperial countermarks. However, not all the authorities agree on what the letters mean. It was struck upon the base metal coinage during the first eight to ten years of Nero's reign when only gold and silver was minted in his name from the mint of Rome. Speculation as to why it was used and what its translation is varies according to which theory one adheres to.

These are the two most common translations :

1. Nero Claudius Augustus Probavit. Roughly, "with the approval of Nero Claudius, the Augustus."

2. Nero Claudius Augustus Populo Romano. Roughly, "from Nero Claudius, the Augustus, to the people of Rome."

In the first case it is the revalidation of the coins of Nero's three immediate predecessors (Tiberi us. Caligula and Claudius).

But in the second instance it is a "congiarium." or public dole given by Nero sometime after his succession to the throne. Originally in the form of wine or grain it later developed into the custom of monetary donations given by the emperors to the populace of Rome.

Since the greater majority of those specimens found to date are from either the mint of Rome or Lugdunum. and also show very little wear to necessitate countermarking, I hold with the second of the two translations."

My coin is very worn however. The Museum of Countermarks on Roman Coins http://www.romancoins.info/Countermarks.html
has an alternative explanation :

"Another possibility would be to read NCAPR as "Nerva Caesar Augustus Probavit". This hypothesis is supported by a Vespasian dupondius with the "NCAPR" countermark, making an attribution to Nero very unlikely."

Please post any examples and information you may have

 

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It seems more likely to me that a single Vespasian might be a fake countermark than that it was the only coin after Nero so marked.

I have two sestertii.
Nero Claudius Drusus


Claudius

 

Mine has a TICA, an AVG, a round “I don’t know”, and a dolphin.


Augustus As four countermarks 25-23 mm 9.8g TICA AVG probably for Tiberius Augustus CE14-37 Dolphin
Ex: @Valentinian

 

Here are some of my countermarked coins:



Claudius (Augustus)
Coin: Brass Sestertius
TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP P P - Laureate head right with NCAPR countermark behind head.
NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMAN IMP, S C - Arch of Nero Claudius Drusus: triumphal arch consisting of single arch & decorated piers set on raised base with four columns supporting ornate attic.
Exergue:



Mint: Rome (42AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 24.20g / 35mm / 180
Rarity: Scarce
References:
RIC 114
Cohen 48
BMC 187
Acquisition/Sale: shpadoinkle24 Ebay $0.00 8/17
Notes: Jan 9, 19 - NCAPR Countermark

The Gary R. Wilson Collection




Claudius (Augustus)
Coin: Brass Sestertius
TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP P P - Laureate head right, NCAPR counterstamp behind bust
EX S C / P P / OB CIVES / SERVATOS - Legend within wreath
Mint: Rome (50-54AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 23.42g / 36.39mm / 180
Rarity: Scarce
References:
RIC² 112
Cohen 38
BMC 185
Sear 1850
Provenances:
Marc Breitsprecher
Old Roman Coins.Com
Acquisition/Sale: Ancient Imports Internet $0.00 8/17
Notes: Jan 9, 19 -
The Gary R. Wilson Collection

 

Two of my favorites on one coin, Antony and Vespasian



ANT AVG III VIR R P C
Galley r. mast with banners at prow
IMPVESP counter mark above galley

LEG X?
Legionary eagle between two standards IMPVESP countermark


Patrae mint 32-31BC

3.01g

Ex-Incitatus

Obverse countermarked IMPVESP during Vespasian's reign showing this denarius was in circulation for well over 100 years! In hand I can make out X for the legion number but can't be sure if any other numerals appear after it. This countermark appears mostly on late Republican and Imperatorial denarii, although denarii of Augustus and denarii of the Flavians struck at Ephesus are also recorded. The MP VES countermarks circulated specifically within the province of Asia Minor. Martini noted that the output of silver coinage in relation to the civic bronze for this region was much smaller during the Julio-Claudian period. This suggests the denarii were countermarked to validate locally circulating silver coinage at an acceptable weight while the regional mints opened by Vespasian were gearing up production, a theory which the countermarking of cistophori with the contemporary MP VES AVG countermarks seems to support. The similarly countermarked Flavian denarii struck at Ephesus can be accounted for then as examples accidentally countermarked by unobservant mint workers during the transition.

 

Tiberius Sestertius

 

i looked at this one over and over and by the time I decided I wanted it, it was gone. Glad it found a good home.

 

I just thought it was cool, also. And, I really enjoy @Valentinian 's site. Great stuff, great guy to work with!

 

I scored this example last year from the Richard Baker collection .



Claudius, AD 41-54, Rome Mint, AE Sestertius, 21.84 gm, 42 mm.

 

Great countermarks. I really need one of those NASCAR countermarks

Here's Galba on Nero. One of my better ones...



Nero / Galba Æ As
(63 A.D.; c/m 69 A.D.)
NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS, laureate head right / [GENIO AVGVSTI], Genius, naked to waist, standing half-left, holding cornucopiae,
[altar left]. RIC 125
Countermark: [Γ]AΛBΛ (GALBA in Greek) Howgego GIC 526
(9.77 grams / 27 mm)

Galba Countermarks:

"GALBA in Greek Letters (Martini Pangerl Collection 92). This countermark occurs also on Provincial coins and is Howgego as GIC 526. (These) coins are in the grey zone between official coins (so called Thrakian mint) and provincial coins of the Balkan region" (Museum of Roman CM)

 

Well, I finally got one of these NCAPR countermarks, so I thought I'd revive this thread.

The host coin is a Claudius sestertius with Spes hoisting her skirts on the reverse. This one has the NC connected, which apparently indicates coming from Italy.





Claudius Æ Sestertius
CM for Nero or Nerva
(c. 41-54 A.D. host)
[TI CLAVDIVS CAES]AR A[VG PM TR P IMP (P P?)], laureate head right / [SPES
AVGVSTA], SC in exergue, Spes walking left, holding flower and lifting hem of skirt.
RIC 99 (no PP) or RIC 115 (PP)
(24.36 grams / 32 mm)
Countermark: NCAPR (11 mm x 3 mm rectangle). NC is joined (Italy) Pangerl 60.

"Nero Caesar Aug. Populo Romano"
"Nummus Caesare Augusto Probatus"
"Nero Caesar Augustus Probavit"
“Nerva Caesar Augustus Probavit”

“Three distinct production centers can be identified for this issue, in Spain, Gaul, and Italy. The Italian type is distinguished by...joining of the letters NC at the base." CNG's Dec 2018 Elec. Auction 434

***

I bought this by accident - I was watching it on eBay and on closing night forgot the seller was in Greece, an area I avoid because of horror stories I've heard about the post office, customs, etc. on CT. But it was going so cheap that I got in a feeding frenzy and forgot to check the geography and placed my bid. I got it for under $25 and then I saw it was in Greece and figured I'd never see it.

Will wonders never cease: I won the auction on Sep. 5, 2020. It was delivered to my (Midwest USA) house on Sep. 22, 2020! The seller put tracking on it, and it was in NY on Sept. 13, 2020. Shipping charge was $6, Customs never got involved so far as I can tell. So go figure!

Nothing goes smoothly, of course. The seller handwrote my address and screwed up the ZIP code. Therefore it got in a feedback loop between a couple of post offices in Indiana (Sep. 16-22). I phoned one of them, got a helpful employee who got the ZIP fixed, and it made it to me just fine a couple days later (thank you USPS!).

The envelope was a hot mess, but the coin somehow didn't fall out or get damaged during the mangling:



So that's my only buying-coins-from-Greece story.

 

How common are Claudius sestertii with the mark on the reverse? I find it interesting that most seem to be marked in the same place for the type but that location is different with each type. Does the location vary with the 'production center'?

 

An interesting question, for which I do not have an answer, but would really like to know. When I first got the coin, I was worried that the countermark was on the reverse, since so many seem to be on the obverse.

But I felt better after a little research. Interestingly, many (not all) of the Claudius Spes type sestertius have the countermark on the reverse. In every example of the reverse countermark I found (6, without breaking a sweat - I used a Google image search), the countermark is very neatly placed behind Spes running vertically to the axis of the coin, like mine.

Here is the Victoria Museum (Australia) example (note the N and C are not connected):


https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/items/66397

Here's an mashops example (NC are connected):



https://www.ma-shops.com/poinsignon/item.php?id=64029

Auction lot, I think the NC are connected, but I am not positive:



https://www.collectors.com/coin/ad-...estertius-ngc-good-ncapr/-8569832755629285541

 

I cataloged the Baker collection and learned way more about countermarks than I ever wanted to! This example with a GALBA mark applied after the NCAPR also calls into question Pangerl's chronology, but having not seen that example I can't condemn it.

https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=381308

 

I could be wrong, of course, but the "round IDK" appears to be an "emperor's head" type. The coin isn't old enough for it to be the "Cleopatra's head".

 

Thank you!

 

Looks to be Serbian story , the last two letters of the tracking ID
I don't understand why they hide their location(with Greece , Austria etc..), I would rather buy from Serbia than from Greece.

 

Interesting! The eBay info said Greece, but I don't know my postal tracking codes. I just looked at the return address handwritten on the back of the envelope and...it is from Serbia.

Thanks for noticing this.

 

The undertype is very worn here, but it's identifiable as (at least this is what I've recorded for it - I think the seller's description and I didn't find a better fit).

Sestertius of Tiberius
Obv. [CIVITATIBVS ASIAE RESTITVTIS] - Tiberius seated left on throne, holding patera and sceptre
Rev. TI CAESAR DIVI AVG F AVGVST PM TR POT XXIIII - Large S C - NCAPR counterstamp
Mint: Rome (22-23 AD)
Wt./Size/Axis: 24.77g / 34mm / 0h
References:

• RIC 48

ATB,
Aidan.

 

NCAPR I handled today