THE COIN CHALLENGE

I believe that this is my coin with the the longest legend—44 letters on the obverse.

Trajan (AD 98-117)

AE Sestertius (33mm, 27.84 g). Rome mint. AD 114-116. IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GER DAC P M TR P COS VI PP, laureate and draped bust right / Trajan in military dress, seated on platform, haranguing soldiers; by his side two officers and in front of him on the ground another officer with four soldiers. In the background, three standards. In exergue, IMPERATOR VIII S C. RIC III 658.

Ex Ploil Collection.
Ex Naville Numismatics Live Auction 70 (12 December 2021), lot 435.
Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 125 (24 June 2021), lot 689.
Ex Numismatica Ars Classica 101 (24 October 2017), lot 254.
Ex Numismatica Ars Classica Auction 23 (2002), lot 1544.

 

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We've seen lots of coins with very many letters. Naturally, I looked at my Trajan pieces to see if I had any with many letters per millimeter. Well, I could not top what has already been shown, but this one struck me as of interest for being the opposite extreme. It is 12 mm in diameter and has only two letters, total, on both sides, with none around the edges at all.



Trajan, 98-117. Possibly an "uncia". Probably a product of Rome minted for use at Antioch.
12 mm. 1.02 grams.
Sear II 3250. McAlee 526 "rare" ("half quadrans" or "chalcous"). RPC III 3681 "chalcous". old RIC II Trajan 443 "semis" (I doubt it is a semis. It is smaller than other semisses.)

12 mm x 3.14 x 2 [sides] = 75 mm of rim and 2 letters makes 37.5 mm per letter.

I'd say, "Top that!" except "top" is not the right word. Bottom that!

 

In the first part of his reign Hadrian copied the long legends of his predecessor Trajanus. But later he changed the legend in a very short one. Like Hadrianus Augustus

 

I like what you did and can... BOTTOM it!
I see your two lettered T rage and will raise you a no letter Trajan!

 

In the letters-around-the-circumference category, I doubt the double-row Islamic coins can be topped, see this obverse for example:


Buwayhids (Buyids). 'Adud al-Dawla Abu Shuja' Fanakhusraw, AH 367-372 / AD 977-983. Dirham (Silver, 28 mm, 4.19 g, 6 h), citing Abud al-Dawla, Arran (Caucasus), AH 367 = AD 977/8. Album 1550.1.

But I'm not about to try to count them!!

 

No legible letters is not the same as no letters. That type has a Trajan legend like this:

 

It actually isn't that coin. Though, I can see how you were confused. I even have that type with Trajan's head and not Herc and the boar:


However the Alexandrian dichalkons that I have, have no legend.
I suppose I should've posted this one to avoid any confusion. In the description they even intentionally put that it has, "no legend"... that is unless you consider the Hemhem crown a legend

Trajan
25 Jan 98 - 8/9 Aug 117 A.D. dichalkon Alexandria mint, 1.660g, 14.3mm, die axis 0o obverse no legend, laureate head right; reverse no legend, Hemhem crown, date in lower field divided by ram horns; Emmett 707, F, a bit rough, ragged flan
from the Ray Nouri Collection
The Hemhem crown, also known as the triple Atef crown, was symbol of Pharaonic power and authority credited with magical abilities that would protect Egypt from any enemy. It originated during the 18th dynasty was first seen in an image of the pharaoh Akhenaten in a tomb at Amarna. A Hemhem crown is worn Tutankhamen on the back of the gilded throne discovered in his tomb. No examples of this type of crown are known to have survived.

 

But but but... don't they all have two letters indicating the year?

Which type is your animal example? I don't see any rhinos looking up. There's one on acsearch labeled an "elephant" but it sure doesn't look like one...

Best I can do is match the two letter bottom (assuming archaic Greek coins are cheating):

 

After reviewing other types on AC search I concede. I forgot about the date and it wasn't on my tag.
It's a hiphopipotamus:

 

I am there! No legend on my Trajan... just a year number...


Roman Provincial
Trajan
Egypt
AE Dichalkon
Laureate hd L
Rhinoceros walking L LI-Z yr 17
CE 113-114
12.9mm 1.25g
Emmet 719 var. rhino right
Ex: SteveX6 collection

 

Who is this rhino named Liz and why is she on so many coins?

 

Maybe the Greeks, at least the archaic ones, were less chatty than the Romans when writing their legends on coins

No letters at all:
AR Triobol or Hemidrachm, Colchis, Phasis, before 470 BC
10 x 11 mm, 2.135 g
SNG Copenhagen 98.5

Obv.: archaic head (Phrixos?) to r.
Rev. Bullhead

 

LOL, SOOoooo many times I wanted to say that when I posted this coin!!!