I write to ask CT colleagues for their opinion of the auctioneer’s description of ‘scratches to portrait’ on this solidus of Anthemius. Here’s my photo of the coin itself For reference here’s a closeup of the face compared to a group of three other fifth century solidi from my collection And finally a close-up of the face Rather than present my guesses, I’d appreciate your comments. Many thanks for your consideration. D
It looks like the nose was flattened somehow and someone later tried to re-etch back in some rough lines to recreate the nose and lips...? Not sure if it was done over the ages or more recently to make the portrait look better...? That would be my guess. The cut marks along the nose and across the lips to re-establish the facial features are pretty clear. Not that that's necessarily a bad thing, it's just part of the timeline and story of this particular coin... gives it its own character, if you will...
I'm with Donna on this. Seems deliberate, rather than accidental. That said, nice coin! I'm attracted to the bulbous nose because of the size of the nose, not the deformities....
Many thanks to CT colleagues for your comments. Like some have written, I believe the ‘scratches’ are deliberate cuts (or perhaps a sharp punch) for enhancement. In my opinion the dealer ought to have been more forthright in his description, since the auction photo didn’t show enough detail. Of course I’m complicit as well since I could have asked for an enlargement, or just not bid. I appreciate the help.
This is also late Western Roman...mint quality was anything but exceptional. I wonder if this would have done at the mint to compensate for a worn die? I don't know if any precedent exists for such an action though...either way, that is an awesome solidus of a rare and interesting ruler. Congrats!
