Austria: silver 3-kreuzer of Leopold I ("The Hogmouth"), 1700-IA, minor clipped planchet error

Austria: silver 3-kreuzer of Leopold I ("The Hogmouth"), 1700-IA, minor clipped planchet error

Obverse: Portrait right and titles of Leopold I.
Reverse: Three shields in inner circle, date at top. "IA" mintmaster initials at bottom.
Issuer: Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor (1658-1705), Archduke of Austria (as Leopold VI), etc., etc.
Specifications: Silver, 20 mm, 1.3 g approx. (unrecorded prior to encapsulation). Graz mint.
Grade: PCGS MS64; cert. #38580860.
Reference: KM-1115, PCGS-445157, Numista-26235, Her.1364*.
Provenance: ex-Halbedel Münzen und Medallien, Salzburg, Austria, 10 May 2019. Purchased raw.
Notes: This coin, like many of its era, was produced on roller dies, an early machine process that replaced the ancient hand-hammering technique. Coins made on roller dies were often very slightly curved and not quite flat. This one is not especially warped but has a slightly clipped planchet, which is also not uncommon.
Comments: Leopold I, of the House of Habsburg, had a very distinctive appearance due to his "Habsburg Jaw" (mandibular prognathism). This was a genetic result of inbreeding between royals. His unflattering but colorful nickname was "the Hogmouth". (I'll bet no one dared call him that in person!)













015303S

 

I was the submitter and no, I didn't ask for attribution. It is not post-mint damage but rather a product of the way the blanks were punched out of the strip of metal. A mintmade clipped planchet error, in other words.

However, this commands no premium on an earlier coin like this, since it was a fairly normal quality control issue at the time. Only on a more modern coin (produced to more exacting standards) would a clipped planchet error be something special. In this case, it's just an interesting minor quirk but neither adds nor detracts from the coin's value.

 

Ugly was half the appeal, here. Leopold would not be half as interesting if he had been handsome, without being nicknamed "Hogmouth". You gotta love that stuff, right?

Oh, and yes- he did have fantastic hair. (Though it was probably a wig.)



(Not my coin- this was in the Wikipedia article.)

 

(Extremely belated reply):

The clip doesn't bother me at all. It's kind of a fun little quirk, as I see it. Besides, in this grade (or any others, for that matter), there aren't any other 1700-IA examples- at least not in PCGS plastic. This is the only one! (Population 1, none higher, as of this post.)