Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2994241, member: 19463&quot;]My package of six winners arrived today with only 24 stamps on the envelope.&nbsp; Of the six coins, this was the most expensive and the ugliest.&nbsp; I like countermarked coins and this rectangle with NCAPR is the most common Roman countermark of the first century AD.&nbsp; It was placed on &#039;experienced&#039; bronzes most of which are considerably worse than this sestertius of Claudius I (of I, Claudius fame).&nbsp; </p><p>[ATTACH=full]739570[/ATTACH] </p><p>We really do not <b>know</b> anything certain about the countermark.&nbsp; There are two theories that lead the pack of less likely ideas.&nbsp; These may have been marked to certify the coin for further circulation which suggests there must have been some other coins pulled for some reason.&nbsp; This idea goes well with the application on worn coins.&nbsp; The second theory I could accept is that the coins were used as a donative by the issuing ruler but that theory does not explain why the mark appears only on &#039;used&#039; bronzes.&nbsp; </p><p><br /></p><p>There is less than complete agreement on the meaning of NCAPR.&nbsp; Most seem to accept NCA as Nero Caesar Augustus with PR being &#039;Probavit&#039; (he approved) by those who like the further circulation theory or &#039;Populi Romani&#039; (for the people of Rome) by those preferring the donative idea.&nbsp; There is one coin of Vespasian bearing this mark which causes some people to suggest Nerva rather than Nero but the fact the certain authenticity of that one coin is easier to doubt than it is to explain why these appear on coins of rulers before Nero save for that single specimen. </p><p><br /></p><p>I have one other example of the mark (so I did not need this one, you say?), a Nero Claudius Drusus sestertius in much more worn condition.&nbsp; It is not as deeply struck s the Claudius so it was not as badly flattened on the reverse (a common problem with countermarks).</p><p>[ATTACH=full]739574[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Please post any NCAPR coins you may have and feel free to offer opinions on the use of the mark.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in