I have wanted a Vespasian denarius with a Vespasian countermark for quite a while. It's an interesting error when a coin of Vespasian is unnecessarily stamped as valid currency by his own mint. When the countermark happens to be on an extremely rare denarius, all the better. The extra treat was the fact that the mint workers did this not once, but on each side of the coin! Careless or just messing around? Who knows but it was a treat to get this in hand. Vespasian / Shield Within Wreath RIC 1393 69-79 AD, Ephesus, c. 69-70 AD, Denarius, 2.80g. O: IMP CAES - VESPAS AVG Head laureate r.; on neck rectangular countermark IMP VES with IMP and VE ligate (Howgego-839). R: AVG on round shield within oak wreath; rectangular countermark IMP VES with IMP and VE ligate. Extremely rare, apparently the second recorded specimen, the first having appeared in Schenk-Behrens 76, 26 Nov. 1998, lot 186, as reported but not illustrated by RIC-1393. The attribution of this reverse type to Ephesus, suggested by the use on later marked coins of that mint of a simplified version of the same type, AVG within oak wreath but without the shield, is confirmed by the countermark of Vespasian on this specimen, since the few Flavian denarii known to have been marked with that countermark are all coins of the Ephesus mint. Let's see your mint errors!
Don't blame Timon. He is a mint slave having to create coinage of the imperial family who burned down the temple and enslaved his people. And that darn Roman mint supervisor, Marcus, has been getting on his nerves....so he fights back the only way he can, by botching the coinage so the supervisor is fired by the Roman governor and exiled to Bythinia. I'm kind of making up that story, but you get the point. The people minting the coins were slaves, and I'm sure some of them occasionally botched something on purpose as a small token of resistance or a big middle finger at his Roman oppressors.
@Nemo that is really such an incredible coin for many different reasons - a frighteningly rare type, surprisingly combined with a Vespasian c/m. Well done! The best coin I have that is comparable is this Vespasian c/m Ephesian. Interesting to note the c/m on both our examples is similarly placed on the obverse. Vespasian AR Denarius, 3.06g Ephesus Mint, 71 AD; Countermarked under Vespasian at Ephesus, circa 74-79 AD RIC 1431 (C). BMC 457. RSC 276. RPC 833 (14 spec.); c/m: GIC 839 Obv: IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COS III TR P P P; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.; c/m: IMP·VES (ligate) Rev: PACI AVGVSTAE; Victory, draped, advancing r., holding wreath extended in r. hand and palm over l. shoulder. EPHE lower r. Acquired from Ancient Imports, November 2016.
Interesting coin, Nemo! Wonderful acquisition for your collection. Here's the product of carelessness at the mint ...
Titus as Caesar, 73 AD. 18-17 mm. Only 2.76 grams. IMP T CAESAR COS III, c/m on neck. IMP VES, with some letters ligate. AVGVSTAE PACI, large Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm. RIC 2.1 1461 "74 AD, R2." c/m Howgego 839, applied at Ephesus between 1 January 74 and 23 June 79. BMC xvii "found very rarely". c/m on BMC 461, plate 16.12, which weighs 2.87 grams (also low). C/m Brunk 1157.
Here is a thread on one of the most careless strikes ever: https://www.cointalk.com/threads/byzantine-double-strike.302756/#post-2850141 Byzantine copper coins are not known for quality, but this one takes the cake. Here is one orientation. Go to that thread for the explanation.
Severus Alexander, Ruled 222-235 AD AE Diassarion, Bithynia, Nicaea Obverse: [M AYP] CEYH AΛEΞAN[ΔPOC AY], Laureate head right. Reverse: NI-[KA-IE]-ΩN, Agonistic urn, containing palm frond. References: RG 620 var. (bust draped); SNG von Aulock -; SNG Copenhagen -; Weiser – Notes: Nearly a 180 degree AND flipped double strike (obv and rev apparent on both sides). Similar type as: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=3335634
I owned this beauty/monster, which I bought as an example of how careless they could be. Vespasian, Denarius Obv - IMP CAESAR VESPAS AVG COS V TR P P P; Head of Vespasian, laureate, right Rev - PACI AVGVSTAE; Victory adv. right, with wreath and palm; at lower right, star; annulet beneath Minted in Ephesus, A.D. 74 References:- RIC 1457. BMCRE 475. RSC 277. Dimensions:- 22.04 mm x 19.07 mm Severely double struck. It looks like there was a very off-centre initial strike and the coin was re-struck with a central strike to correct it though it could only partly correct it and created this....
I enjoy mint errors as I find them really fascinating. Here are a few of mine: The reverse entirely retrograde. That's a newbie mistake if I ever saw one! 'Smooshed' flan. Very similar to @Roman Collector 's example. This really isn't a mint error but the result of a bankers over-zealous test cut. Still one of my favorite coins (well, they all are, really). I really dont think this is a mint error either. Probably a damaged die. Still it makes Gallienus look like a cave man with that thick brow.
