Carinus & Numerian join their father, and: how should I break out my first slabbed coin?

Since we're doing Ticinum Numerian portraits:

Very similar to yours, Donna, including the same officina. Your reverse is much nicer than mine though!

I love your Carinus too. The portrait really anticipates the tetrarchal style. I don't have a Ticinum for Carinus, but here's a Cyzicus and a Lugdunum, respectively:



I love seeing the highly variant portrait styles across the mints. The variation seems to be particularly extreme for Carinus.

@bcuda, your Rome portrait is exceptional! I have a denarius from Rome, probably my favourite coin of Carinus due to its rarity:

 

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I assume you noticed they were different officinae but did you notice that your obverse shows three knots on the crown ties while mine has four. Long ago I corresponded with a collector who placed a great deal of importance in the shapes and knots on the ties as a code but I never understood the details. Back then I had little interest in late Romans. I have no idea if the study died with him.

 

I have a question about unslabbing a coin, because I have my eye on one that admittedly does deserve to be slabbed - is there any danger of "ruining" a slabbed coin by having it sit out on a tabletop? As long as it isn't dropped, what might be the consequences, if any?

 

No, I absolutely did not notice the different numbers of knots on the crown ties. Do you really believe it means anything? How about the different numbers of dots above the cornucopiae? Again, 3 on mine, 4 on yours. Meaningless coincidence?