I had been wanting one of hese mostly because it has the obverse head of the god Vulcan with tongs as appropriate for a blacksmith. I'm sure several of you have nicer ones. I now learn that many of this issue is one with code letters on front, back or both, with or without dots. Mine is the I (dot) on reverse only with nothing under Vulcan's chin. Post 'em if you got 'em.
I would love one of these. Do you know what the code letters mean or are they just control marks/letters?
Very nice! I love the commanding bust of Vulcan. I don't have an example of the type but I recently found a scarce variety of one of Piso Frugi's Horseman denarii with tongs...
Cool RR addition ... I like the wreaths on the obverse and reverse Oh, and the serrate coke-bottle edges are always a sweet touch (congrats)
Cool serrate of Cotta and the Vulcan/tongs denarius!! I was sure I picked up a similar type (including a hammer as well) but I must have it confused for one I lost at auction
Nice coin Doug. I like coins with minting tools. Others must like them also because they command a premium. Your coin has some nice features: all features are on the coin, one of not many with Vulcan, wreaths on obv & rev, serrate, and non-obtrusive bankers marks (which I consider a plus). Great find.
I suspect they just number the dies. The one in Banti with I. seems to be a die dupe of mine. Volodya's coin is an example of one with letter on obverse only but there are also some with both. Add to that the presence or absence of dots next to the letters and you get quite a number of variations available. I particularly like Volodya's coin since the X control letter is not the denomination mark. That is the * on obverse left. As long as we are having varieties, we may as well have one that illustrates a point.
I picked up one of these recently, part of last night's CrackOut fun This one is a fourree. Interestingly, even though there are several areas on the reverse where the core is visible, in recent times someone filed one of the notches. I guess the person was simply curious about the core. I'm not unhappy about the violation-- it is interesting to see the layers! It's also my first serrate Roman Republic, Lucius Aurelius Cotta 105 BCE Fourree AR serrate denarius, 20 mm, 3.8 gm Obv: draped bust of Vulcan right, wearing laureate pileus; tongs and star behind; all within wreath and dotted border Rev: eagle standing on thunderbolt, head left; L·COT below, V to right; all within laurel wreath and dotted border Ref: c.f. Crawford 314/1c; Sydenham 577a; Aurelia 21b formerly slabbed, NGC ChVF, 5/5 strike, 3/5 surface
WOW TIF, that's an excellent example by any standard!! LOVE the 'look' of it!!!! And, yes, you have lovely nails!!!
Working nails . I am completely grossed out by the long acrylic nails so many women wear. How do they even type with those things? (edited: the image I had posted of a local woman's hideous fingernails was just too disgusting )
Liberated from a slab and touching the surfaces of the coin. Careful, you might anger the modern collectors Great coin and great side pic by the way.
TIF - a very nice and interesting fourree. One of the main theories of behind serrated denarii claims that it was done to discourage counterfeiting. I imagine it would be harder to fake a serrated coin, but the existence of fourrees such as yours certainly calls that theory into question. I personally think it was done as a matter of fashion. Here's a serrated denarius from my collection: M. Aurelius Scaurus. 118 BC. Fourrée Serrate Denarius (18mm, 2.97 g, 9h). Copying an issue of the Narbo mint. Helmeted head of Roma right; X (mark of value) behind, M • A(VR)ELI upward to right, ROMA downward to left / Gallic warrior (Bituitus?), hurling spear and holding shield and carnyx, driving biga right; SC(AVR)I below, in exergue, L • LIC • CN • DOM. Cf. Crawford 282/1; cf. Sydenham 523; cf. Aurelia 20.
