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Question about cuts/gouges around Medusa's mouth in Plautius Plancus Denarius
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<p>[QUOTE="Orielensis, post: 4287700, member: 96898"]<font size="3"><font size="4">It looks like "banker's marks" to me.</font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4"> The main theory on these is that a coin tester and money changer (nummularius) would test coins with with a small punch to make sure they weren't only silver-plated fourrées. </font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">Cicero (In Verrem 2.3.181) mentions fees for testing money ("pro spectatione"), and Petronius (Satyricon 56) writes of a coin tester who sees the bronze beneath the silver ("nummularius, qui per argentum aes videt"). Furthermore, a number of "tesserae nummulariae" have been found, which were presumably used to seal bags of checked coins and guarantee their authenticity (see the images in <a href="https://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Plated.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Plated.html" rel="nofollow">this article by Andrew McCabe</a>).</font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">I'd assume that your coin has been tested by such a nummularius in antiquity. The punches used for this come in many different designs – maybe to see whether a coin had already been tested by the same person before?</font></font></p><p><br /></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">Below are some examples of such punch-marks from my collection.</font></font></p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">Crescent on Titus Tatius' cheek:</font></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1091399[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Republic, moneyer: L. Titurius L. f. Sabinus, AR denarius, 89 BC, Rome mint. Obv: SABIN; head of king Titus Tatius r. Rev: L. TITVRI; Victory in biga r., holding reins in l. hand and wreath in r. hand; in exergue, control-mark (branch). 18mm, 3.84g. Ref: RRC 344/3.</font></p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">This one looks like it was just given a strong punch with a graver or something similar. Could this possibly be an example of a private citizen checking a coin with whatever tool they had at hand?</font></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1091398[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Republic, moneyer: L. Iulius Bursio, AR denarius, 85 BC, Rome mint. Obv: male head r., with attributes of Apollo, Mercury and Neptune; behind, control-mark (grapes). Rev: L.IVLI.BVRSIO; Victory in quadriga r., holding reins in l. hand and wreath in r. hand; in field, controlmark (FI). 21mm, 3.76g.</font></p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">Broken circle and semicircles on obverse and reverse, interesting cornucopia-punch on Venus' head:</font></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1091402[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Republic, moneyer: C. Norbanus, AR denarius, 83 BC, Rome mint. Obv: C. NORBANVS; head of Venus, diademed, r.; to l., control number LXXIII; banker’s mark: cornucopia? Rev: ear of wheat, fasces, and caduceus. 19mm, 3.53g. Ref: RRC 357/1b.</font></p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">Horrible surfaces – I only bought this coin because there are at least eight different banker's marks visible, most of them on the obverse in the right field.</font></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1091400[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Republic, moneyer: L Cassius Longinus, AR denarius, 63 BC, Rome mint. Obv: veiled head of Vesta (or Vestal Virgin) l.; behind, culullus; before, retrograde S (control mark); multiple banker's marks. Rev: voter standing l., dropping tablet marked V into cista; on r., LONGIN III V downwards. 19.5mm, 3.56g. Ref: RRC 413/1.</font></p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">Line of four triangles and "wave" on obverse, three crescents as well as a "V"-graffito on reverse.</font></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1091397[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Republic, Imperatorial Coinage, Julius Caesar, AR denarius, 49–48 BC, military mint moving with Caesar. Obv: [CA]ESAR; elephant walking r., trampling snake. Rev: priestly implements: culullus, aspergillum, axe, apex. 20mm, 3.70g. Ref: RRC 443/1.</font></p><p><font size="3"><br /></font></p><p><font size="3"><font size="4">Crescent on Concordia's veil:</font></font></p><p><font size="3">[ATTACH=full]1091401[/ATTACH] </font></p><p><font size="3">Roman Republic, moneyer: L. Mussidius Longus, AR denarius, 42 BC, Rome mint. Obv: Head of Concordia r., wearing veil; behind, CONCORDIA upwards. Rev: Shrine of Venus Cloacina with two statues, inscribed CLOACIN; above, L M[VSSID]IVS LONGVS. 17.5mm, 3.68g. Ref: RRC 494/42a.</font>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Orielensis, post: 4287700, member: 96898"][SIZE=3][SIZE=4]It looks like "banker's marks" to me.[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][SIZE=4] The main theory on these is that a coin tester and money changer (nummularius) would test coins with with a small punch to make sure they weren't only silver-plated fourrées. [/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][SIZE=4]Cicero (In Verrem 2.3.181) mentions fees for testing money ("pro spectatione"), and Petronius (Satyricon 56) writes of a coin tester who sees the bronze beneath the silver ("nummularius, qui per argentum aes videt"). Furthermore, a number of "tesserae nummulariae" have been found, which were presumably used to seal bags of checked coins and guarantee their authenticity (see the images in [URL='https://andrewmccabe.ancients.info/Plated.html']this article by Andrew McCabe[/URL]).[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][SIZE=4]I'd assume that your coin has been tested by such a nummularius in antiquity. The punches used for this come in many different designs – maybe to see whether a coin had already been tested by the same person before?[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][SIZE=4]Below are some examples of such punch-marks from my collection.[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3] [SIZE=4]Crescent on Titus Tatius' cheek:[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][ATTACH=full]1091399[/ATTACH] Roman Republic, moneyer: L. Titurius L. f. Sabinus, AR denarius, 89 BC, Rome mint. Obv: SABIN; head of king Titus Tatius r. Rev: L. TITVRI; Victory in biga r., holding reins in l. hand and wreath in r. hand; in exergue, control-mark (branch). 18mm, 3.84g. Ref: RRC 344/3. [SIZE=4]This one looks like it was just given a strong punch with a graver or something similar. Could this possibly be an example of a private citizen checking a coin with whatever tool they had at hand?[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][ATTACH=full]1091398[/ATTACH] Roman Republic, moneyer: L. Iulius Bursio, AR denarius, 85 BC, Rome mint. Obv: male head r., with attributes of Apollo, Mercury and Neptune; behind, control-mark (grapes). Rev: L.IVLI.BVRSIO; Victory in quadriga r., holding reins in l. hand and wreath in r. hand; in field, controlmark (FI). 21mm, 3.76g. [SIZE=4]Broken circle and semicircles on obverse and reverse, interesting cornucopia-punch on Venus' head:[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][ATTACH=full]1091402[/ATTACH] Roman Republic, moneyer: C. Norbanus, AR denarius, 83 BC, Rome mint. Obv: C. NORBANVS; head of Venus, diademed, r.; to l., control number LXXIII; banker’s mark: cornucopia? Rev: ear of wheat, fasces, and caduceus. 19mm, 3.53g. Ref: RRC 357/1b. [SIZE=4]Horrible surfaces – I only bought this coin because there are at least eight different banker's marks visible, most of them on the obverse in the right field.[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][ATTACH=full]1091400[/ATTACH] Roman Republic, moneyer: L Cassius Longinus, AR denarius, 63 BC, Rome mint. Obv: veiled head of Vesta (or Vestal Virgin) l.; behind, culullus; before, retrograde S (control mark); multiple banker's marks. Rev: voter standing l., dropping tablet marked V into cista; on r., LONGIN III V downwards. 19.5mm, 3.56g. Ref: RRC 413/1. [SIZE=4]Line of four triangles and "wave" on obverse, three crescents as well as a "V"-graffito on reverse.[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][ATTACH=full]1091397[/ATTACH] Roman Republic, Imperatorial Coinage, Julius Caesar, AR denarius, 49–48 BC, military mint moving with Caesar. Obv: [CA]ESAR; elephant walking r., trampling snake. Rev: priestly implements: culullus, aspergillum, axe, apex. 20mm, 3.70g. Ref: RRC 443/1. [SIZE=4]Crescent on Concordia's veil:[/SIZE][/SIZE] [SIZE=3][ATTACH=full]1091401[/ATTACH] Roman Republic, moneyer: L. Mussidius Longus, AR denarius, 42 BC, Rome mint. Obv: Head of Concordia r., wearing veil; behind, CONCORDIA upwards. Rev: Shrine of Venus Cloacina with two statues, inscribed CLOACIN; above, L M[VSSID]IVS LONGVS. 17.5mm, 3.68g. Ref: RRC 494/42a.[/SIZE][/QUOTE]
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Question about cuts/gouges around Medusa's mouth in Plautius Plancus Denarius
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