Ouch & great post, Eduard! I had the same first reaction as others: shattered at seeing the pieces, and my second reaction was: "Cool" - let's get out the microscope and see what that looks like. Thanks for the last photo & best wishes in your search for your replacement.
You shouldn't have trouble finding a replacement. They aren't that expensive. Im a cheapskate and I have 2 dozen neros- including 3 denarius lol Especially the latter era( where Nero really gained a lot of LBs)
Here's a coin that I will not try to test - but it is a little tempting... a silver denarius of 47 to 46 B.C. from Julius Caesar (shown below) where he claims as ancestors Aeneas, founder of Rome, and the goddess Venus, mother of Aeneas. The coin shows Aeneas carrying his father, Anchises, away from a burning Troy, with Venus on the Obverse. Nothing obvious from the obverse - the reverse a different story: a significant issue near the chipped edge, and an interesting defect extending from the right knee of Aeneas.
The broken denarius has a reverse that is rare for Nero. Yes they can be found (I have one) but there is plenty of competition for them when they come to auction and this drives up the price. This particular coin is sought after and hunted by collectors who want a rare and unusual denarius of Nero.
Yeah, I'm with you on that...I mean, if you realize there is, or may be a crack, what's the point in testing it...at what point do you determine to stop putting stress on the coin, "just before it breaks?" I see no sense in this type of "test". JMO
Of all my ancients, this Roman Republic is the one I am concerned with the most, but so far it's been OK and rarely handled. But you can see if it drops on someplace hard, it could easily shatter. Cn. Egnatius Cn.f. Cn.n. Maxsumus. (76 B.C.) AR Denarius O: Diademed and draped bust of Libertas right; pileus to left. R: Roma and Venus standing facing, each holding a sceptre; rudder on prow on either side. Rome Mint 3.36g 20mm Crawford 391/3; Sydenham 787; Egnatia 2
Sad. I bought this one broken for $11. On the way to me, it broke again. I super glued it back together. I usually would not buy broken coins... but after a bottle of wine , $11 for 3/4 of an Augustus denarius sounded like a good deal... and still does really.
My sincere condolances, Eduard. I wanted the following coin because of the well centered portrait of JC and the depiction of Venus Victrix .......... Julius Caesar Denarius, Crawford, Roman Republican Coins (RRC), No. 480/8 (March 44 BC - Alföldi) Weight: 3.5g ………… but I handle it with a great deal of apprehension!
Hopefully, you will find a beautifull replacement for your Nero. I have one coin in my collection that has die cracks on obverse. Coin is a 1749 Antwerpen Mint/ Double Souverain d'or from Austrian Netherlands/ Empress Maria Theresia still graded as FDC. Many 1600-1800 coins have "adjustments" marks/ die cracks/ rusty dies/ worn dies problems.
Here's one of mine that's been glued but not by me. Very stable Augustus & Agrippa by C. Sulpicius Platorinus CAESAR AVGVSTVS bare head right C SVLPICIVS PLATORIN Augustus and Agrippa, both togate, seated half l. on bisellium set on platform ornamented with rostra. On l., staff upright. 3.72g Rome 13 BC RSC 529, RIC 407, Sear 1599 Ex-ANE,
I thought I would show you this rare denarius of the Civil War 68-69 (Minted in Gaul, Jupiter Capitolinus) which I returned to the seller not long ago due to a planchet crack. This was not clearly evident (or mentioned) in the sellers original photos, and I was dismayed and disappointed when I had this rare coin in-hand and saw it. I was not ready to run the risk of ending up with two (very expensive!) halves of a denarius in my hands.
OH JEEZ.....i'm so sorry for you friend....i've had only one break on me... it broke as i took it out of the coin window..the dealer took it back, but it still bothers me to this day...
I wouldn't recommend doing this for a coin you dont actually own. Here in the US we have a saying, "If you break it you buy it." This is also a good example of why one should never partake of the great myth, the 'ring test'. If anyone wants to read up on that: https://www.cointalk.com/search/3904982/?q=ring test&o=date&c[node]=9 I suppose this also serves as a precautionary tale for what we might now call the 'bend test."
I am surprised any of you really thought I meant this seriously. This is a no-no whether in the US or EU. However, I would like to see the expression on the dealers face if you tell him "I'll buy it if it passes this here 'bend test'..."
