Don't wanna die that bad?

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ryro, Mar 3, 2021.

  1. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Sorry for the click bait, but come on. The pun was just begging to be made.
    I was really excited about the last CNG auction as they had a wonderful Roman republic reverse die. I've wanted an ancient die for some time, they don't come up for sale often and being RR just made it too sweet to pass up!
    (NOT MY DIE. My apologies if a coin talk pal won this)
    4-1S6GS6.jpg
    [​IMG]

    L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus and Q. Servilius Caepio. Circa 100 BC. Æ Denarius Reverse Die (27x25x10mm, 35.93 g). Blank / Incuse design for reverse: Two quaestors seated left between two stalks of grain. Cf. Crawford 330/1a; cf. Sydenham 603; cf. Calpurnia 5 (all references for denarius). Dark brown and green patina, verdigris on edge, corrosion. Fair. Possible contemporary counterfeit die, circa 1st century BC to 1st century AD. Extremely rare.

    I was ready to push things to the limit and even surpass the $300 estimate if needed.
    Day before the auction I was out bid and things went from bad to nuts when it sold for $1,300! $1,000 over the estimate!!!
    Does anyone collect dies? And if so, do they usually go for that much over estimate or is this just due to the COVID spending spree so many folks are on?
    Oh, and if you have any dies to share I would LOVE to see them!
     
    Last edited: Mar 3, 2021
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  3. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    ..dies are a lot less abundant than coins...methinks i've only seen one or two for sale in 15 years...
     
  4. Evan Saltis

    Evan Saltis OWNER - EBS Numis LLC Supporter

    An ancient die?
    :jawdrop:
    interesting
     
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  5. Mammothtooth

    Mammothtooth Stand up Philosopher, Vodka Taster

    That would be something to die for
     
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  6. David Atherton

    David Atherton Flavian Fanatic

    Is there a picture included of the die? If so, I don't see it.
     
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  7. YoloBagels

    YoloBagels Well-Known Member

    If I owned these I'd have a field day making restrikes (Would make sure they get counterstamped to tell though)

    Imagine seeing an unc red roman coin!
     
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  8. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Sorry. I've had the same issue when others have copied and pasted images versus uploading.
    I just uploaded it and so you can enjoy it's splendor I'll upload here:
    4-1S6GS6.jpg
    L. Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus and Q. Servilius Caepio. Circa 100 BC. Æ Denarius Reverse Die (27x25x10mm, 35.93 g). Blank / Incuse design for reverse: Two quaestors seated left between two stalks of grain. Cf. Crawford 330/1a; cf. Sydenham 603; cf. Calpurnia 5 (all references for denarius). Dark brown and green patina, verdigris on edge, corrosion. Fair. Possible contemporary counterfeit die, circa 1st century BC to 1st century AD. Extremely rare.

    I can certainly see why they hypothesize it being a contemporary imitation.
     
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  9. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Exactly why I was ready to go to battle for it... but the battle turned into a massacre!:hungover:
    kalinga-war.png (I'm the fella who full on has dropped his gear and is fleeing)
    Here's what the coin type of the die looks like... sneak peak:
    image00449.jpg

    Did Ryro actually bank on winning this die and buy a cherry example of the type in the last Nomos auction?...
    NauticalPopularIslandcanary-small.gif
     
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  10. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    its good to be king.jpg
     
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  11. otlichnik

    otlichnik Well-Known Member

    Not Roman, but a die for a silver rupee of the East India Company, Bengal Presidency, mint of Murshidabad, 1818-1819 (Mitchiner 774a).

    SC

    Indian die 1.jpg Indian die 2.jpg
     
  12. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Mama, oooh ...
    I don't wanna die;
    I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all!

     
    zumbly, Zebucatt, Alegandron and 2 others like this.
  13. Sulla80

    Sulla80 Well-Known Member

    While I don't have a die - I do have this RR oddity that was listed as an "AE squeeze" - perhaps made for jewelry. Shown with a denarius of the type that it squeezed. Squeezed on an official die?
    Clodius AE Squeeze.jpg
     
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  14. SensibleSal66

    SensibleSal66 U.S Casual Collector / Error Collector

    I thought they were funny on the light side but you darksider's are unique to say the least . :smuggrin:
     
  15. Ocatarinetabellatchitchix

    Ocatarinetabellatchitchix Well-Known Member

    Not mine but maybe yours after the next Roma auction:

    3EEAA3AB-2ED5-4797-BEA3-23D8A32798AC.jpeg

    Description:
    A Counterfeiter's Reverse Die for a Vespasian Denarius. Circa 1st century AD. Negative impression: AVGVR TRI POT, augural and pontifical emblems: simpulum, aspergillum, guttus and lituus. For prototypes, cf. RIC II.2 43, 356, 698 and 1553. 22.11g, 23mm.

    Condition as seen. A well-preserved die face.

    From a private European collection
     
  16. Everett Guy

    Everett Guy Well-Known Member

    These dies, were they all about the same dimensions besides the coin measurements? I am courious, I seen a video of a guy making hand made ancient roman coins and the die was molded on the end of a chisele like bar So I wonder if the dies that come up for sale are cut off a metal bar or if that's their normal size they used to pound out the coins?
     
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  17. Zebucatt

    Zebucatt Well-Known Member

    You and half of Bulgaria. Lol
     
  18. Alegandron

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

    MY CHINESE POUR-CAST MOLD:

    [​IMG]
    China
    Wu Zhu coin clay mold
    unearthed in SanMenXia City in HeNan Province
    full obverse impression partial second impression
    probly H-8.6 110-90 BCE
    Ex: @TypeCoin971793
     
  19. TypeCoin971793

    TypeCoin971793 Just a random guy on the internet

    That seems cheap for an official ancient coin die. I’d have paid that if official. A counterfeiter’s die would be worth far, far less
     
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  20. otlichnik

    otlichnik Well-Known Member

    I suspect it too may be some sort of press rather than a proper die. It is rather small. This is a reverse and as someone else noted they were apparently long bar-like items as they needed to be held above the blank an lower die while struck and as they too the brunt of the force. Can't see that small item fulfilling either role. Maybe it was tucked into some sort of chuck but given stresses that would be much worse than a one-piece item.

    The Indian one I posted above is from an early milling device introduced by the British East India Company. Not for a hand striking process. And it is still quite hefty and solid.

    SC
     
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  21. Numisnewbiest

    Numisnewbiest Well-Known Member

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