'Off With His Head!'

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by David Atherton, Feb 18, 2021.

  1. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    ... or some such fate may have met the poor engraver who made this die error under Domitian.


    D88error.jpg
    Domitian - Engraver's Error
    Æ As, 12.69g
    Rome mint, 81 AD
    Obv: IMP CAES DIVI VEP (sic) F DOMITIAN AVG P M; Head of Domitian, laureate, bearded, l.
    Rev: TR P COS VII DES VIII P P; S C in field; Minerva adv. r., with spear and shield
    RIC 88 (C). BMC 269. BNC 280.
    Acquired from Marc R. Breitsprecher, January 2021.

    It wasn't often that the very professionally run Rome mint made mistakes during the Flavian era, especially so during Domitian's tight reign. Here we have a rare example of a blundered obverse legend on an early bronze As of Domitian struck in late 81: DIVI VEP instead of DIVI VESP. It's a common enough type, but perhaps unique featuring this engraver's error. I wonder how many were struck before the mistake was noticed?

    The engraver almost redeemed himself with the fine style portrait. Let's hope that was enough to avoid any severe punishment that would've normally been meted out!

    Please share your errors.
     
  2. Avatar

    Guest User Guest



    to hide this ad.
  3. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    There are many who argue that portraits were engraved by master celators while the inscriptions were added later by less skilled trainees. Your coin certainly supports this interpretation. Nice example of an interesting coin.
     
  4. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Maybe it's the same dyslexic die-engraver who omitted the P in TR P from this one. If so, he held the job for more than a decade:

    [​IMG]
    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 --.
     
  5. Alegandron

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

    Cool errors, Guys!

    Oops...

    [​IMG]

    RR M Furius ERROR DOUBLE-STRIKE AR Den119 BC Janus Trophy Carnyx S 156 Cr 281-1
     
  6. curtislclay

    curtislclay Well-Known Member

    David,

    Interesting error!

    Who first noted the omitted S, Marc B. or yourself?
     
  7. The Trachy Enjoyer

    The Trachy Enjoyer Well-Known Member

    Marc always has a nice selection.
     
  8. I believe that the portraits were done separately from the legend, so, I guess maybe the text guy was having a rough day.

    Here's one of my errors, not very impressive, it's more common to have errors than to not. 149334589_451025543006798_5726055727650076617_n.jpg 149486580_1529686563893356_742771048056475205_n.jpg Here's my trachy of Manuel I Comnenus, with the reverse double stuck and rotated. The full ID is;

    Manuel I Comnenus, Constantinople, Billon aspron trachy. IC-XC, Christ bearded, seated facing, wearing nimbus; Gospels in left hand. Eight-rayed stars on each side, double linear legs to throne / MANYHΛ ΔECΠ, Manuel on the left, holding labarum and cross on globe, being crowned by Mary, both standing facing, M above Marys outstretched hand. (One jewel on emperor's loros between waist and collar piece. Loros waist has 5 pellets in diagonal cross arrangement. The collar piece has 3 jewels; the centre one round, flanked by 2 square jewels. All other pellets are round.) Sear 1966.
     
  9. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Marc had listed it as an error.
     
  10. curtislclay

    curtislclay Well-Known Member

    Well spotted by both of you!
     
    Bing and David Atherton like this.
  11. cmezner

    cmezner do ut des Supporter

    On this As, instead of DOMITIAN the minting master misspelled the emperor's name leaving out the second "I"- he probably got fired because of that, but the coin was already struck and put into circulation ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Rome, ca. 85 AD
    28 x 29 mm, 10.351 g
    RIC II 308 var(misspelled name);

    Ob.: IMP CAES DOMITAN AVG GERM COS XI laureate bust right with aegis on l. shoulder
    Rev.: S-C across field, Victory advancing left, holding shield inscribed SP QR

    upload_2021-2-18_23-37-1.png upload_2021-2-18_23-37-14.png
     
  12. hotwheelsearl

    hotwheelsearl Well-Known Member

    Imagine an American coin with a full on missing letter engraving error. The world would go nuts
     
  13. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    Probus
    Obv:– IMP C PROBVS • P • F • AVG, Radiate, cuirassed bust right
    Rev:– COMITI PORBI(sic) AVG, Minerva standing left, holding olive-branch and spear and resting left hand on shield
    Mint – Lugdunum (I in exe) Emission 7 Officina 1. A.D. 280
    Reference:– Cohen -. Bastien 315 (example c). RIC 69 Bust type F var (PORBI in error not listed in RIC)

    One of the examples cited by Bastien of 315 - the standard PROBI coin, 315c - Voetter, is also PORBI from the same reverse die. No examples cited in Bastien Suppl. II.

    3.76 gms

    RI_132xk_img.jpg

    Probus
    Obv:– IMP C M AVR PROBVS AVG, Radiate cuirassed bust right
    Rev:– ORIES (sic) AVG, Sol walking left between two captives, right hand raised, left holding globe.
    Minted in Lugdunum (I in exe) Emission 2 Officina 1. from November to December A.D. 276
    Reference:– Cohen -. Bastien 164c. RIC 44 Bust type F.

    4.16 gms

    RI_132so_img.jpg

    Septimius Severus denarius - wrong deity for the legend
    Obv:– IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, Laureate head right
    Rev:– BONI EVENTVS, Spes standing holding flower and lifting skirt
    Minted in Emesa, A.D. 194 - 195
    References:– BMCRE -, RIC -, RSC -
    Die axis 0 degrees. Weight 2.58g

    A mix up with the reverse legend and reverse type. The reverse legend should match with the Fides type instead of Spes. Bartosz Awianowicz has the opposite error with a BONA SPES reverse legend and a Fides reverse type.

    RI_064tl_img.jpg

    Septimius Severus denarius
    Obv:– IMP CAE L SPE (sic) SEV - PERT AVG COS II, Laureate head right
    Rev:– TR P III IMP V COS II, captive seated right with peaked cap, hands bound behind, quiver and shields behind, curved sword in ex
    Minted in Emesa. A.D. 195
    Reference:– RIC 432 var (obv legend). RSC 660 var (same)

    RI_064sb_img.jpg
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page